Scheduled MonumentsEnglandSt Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point

St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point

England
List entry 1013664
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1013664
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.05 hectares
Grid reference
SX 11879 50938
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

St Catherine's Castle is a 16th century blockhouse constructed at St Catherine's Point near Fowey in Cornwall. Built during the reign of Henry VIII as part of the coastal defence network against French and Spanish threats, the castle consists of a squat, heavily fortified structure designed to mount artillery and command the entrance to Fowey Harbour. The site was subsequently modified during the 19th century when gun batteries were installed to strengthen its defensive capability, and was again adapted during the 20th century with the addition of gun emplacements reflecting the changing requirements of modern warfare. The monument thus represents successive phases of coastal fortification spanning four centuries, from the Tudor period through to the mid-twentieth century.

St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1013664. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point?

St Catherine's Castle is a 16th century blockhouse constructed at St Catherine's Point near Fowey in Cornwall. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1013664.

Who is responsible for protecting St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point?

St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1013664.

What other scheduled monuments are near St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Polruan Blockhouse (0.5 km), Fowey Blockhouse (0.5 km), St Saviour's Chapel, Polruan (0.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point

St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point stands on Early Devonian sandstone, bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point

Battle of Lostwithiel 31 August - 1 September 1644Battle (1644) · ~3.2 milesBattle of Lostwithiel 21 August 1644Battle (1644) · ~6.1 milesBattle of Braddock Down (1643)Battle (1643) · ~8.3 miles