Cromwell's Castle Ordnance Survey Map Reference SV 881159

 

Cromwell's Castle, being on Tresco, requires a 30 minute trip by boat from the island of St. Mary's, unless you are one of the fortunate few to fly direct by helicopter from the mainland heliport at Penzance.

Now in the care of English Heritage, this castle was built in 1651-52 by Admiral Blake, and named Cromwell's Castle in honour of the Lord Protector, when the Dutch fleet threatened the newly captured islands.  It superseded King Charles's Castle in the defence of New Grimsby harbour, and a large proportion of it was built using the stones from the earlier castle.  Despite it's name, Oliver Cromwell never actually visited the castle.

 

 

Cromwell's Castle – Photo taken from the coastal path

 

A tall round tower was constructed of massive rubble in a style typical of the 16th and 17th century, similar to the outer walls of Star Castle. The original entrance was through a doorway high up on the southern side of the tower.  This had a small timber platform on the outside, with a removable timber staircase, resting on projecting stone corbels that are still visible.  A flight of intact stone steps led down inside from the doorway to the first floor.

Inside, the original timber floors and stairs have disappeared.  Their positions are marked by fireplaces on each level, and by beam and joist holes.  Below was the unlit basement, whilst above the principal living room was covered by a fine ribbed stone vault.  Above the basement there would have been two storeys, which contained the garrison's living quarters and the magazine arsenal.  A spiral stairway built within the wall of the tower leads up to the open platform over the ribbed stone vault.  Here, six gun-ports pierce the massively thick walls.  They have more external splay than internal, this feature being characteristic of the mid 17th century.  A parapet originally surrounded the paved platform and a few steps still lead up to the wall head.

 

 

Old Postcard of Cromwell's Castle – from the south

 

On the seaward side of the tower, a battery for six guns was replaced by Abraham Tovey in the middle of the 18th century.  The replacement carried guns firing over a low parapet set on a paved platform.  The original doorway to the tower became a window, entry being via a new doorway cut through from the platform, which was reached by a flight of stone steps.  A stone pillar was placed in the middle of the stair from the old doorway to the first floor of the tower.  Lean-to buildings were added later to the platform, resting against the tower, but these have disappeared.  A small guardroom with a fireplace was later built close to the entrance, and on the north side was a latrine, which has been reconstructed several times.

 

 

Cromwell's Castle – Photo taken from King Charles's Castle

 

The castle had a garrison of 20 men and was supplied from St. Mary's by sea.  The castle is in a remarkable state of preservation, but at one time the clay isthmus on which it stands was being severely eroded by the sea, and the foundations of the castle began to suffer.  It was feared that the castle would be cut off from Tresco, so the south side of the isthmus was reinforced with granite.  The castle is only a few minutes walk along the coastal path from New Grimsby, one of the setting-down points for visitors from St. Mary's and the other inhabited islands.

 

 

Plan taken from Jean Ratcliffe's "Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage"

 

Bibliography

 

Gibson, Frank – My Scillonian Home – Beric Tempest & Co. Ltd., First Edition, 1980.

Kinross, John – Discovering Castles in England & Wales – Shire Publications Ltd., First Edition, 1973; Second Edition, 1984; Reprinted, 1990 & 1995.

Mumford, Clive – Portrait of the Isles of Scilly – Robert Hale & Co., First Edition, 1967; Second Edition, 1968; Third Edition, 1970; Reprinted, 1972 & 1976.

O'Neil, B.H. St. J. – Isles of Scilly – HMSO., First Edition, 1949; Second Edition, 1961; Seventh Impression, 1978.

Ratcliffe, Jean – Scilly's Archaeological Heritage – Twelveheads Press, First Edition, 1992; Second Impression with Minor Amendments, 1995.

Salter, Mike – The Castles of Devon & Cornwall – Folly Publications, First Edition, 1999.

I have obtained a few more images of this castle and will get around soon to adding them here.

I purchased this print of Cromwell's Castle last year.

and a few more of my own photos of Cromwell's Castle.

Great pictures!!

Whats the ruins on the hill?

The ruins at the top of the hill on the right-hand-side of the third picture and in the centre of the fourth picture are those of King Charles' Castle, for which there is an article in this forum, somewhere near the beginning. The debris strewn down the side of the hill is actually outcroppings, which make climbing the hill more interesting.

The out cropping also look to have been shaped possible during the building stage of King Charles' Castle. Which makes sense if you want your enemy in the open as they advance up the hill. I'd deny him all sanctuary possible by utilizing the rock at hand.

As stated in the article for King Charles' Castle, its active life was short due to the poor siting. This was not because of the outcroppings which provided temporary shelter to attackers.

I've been there and seen that it is actually too far from the sea to provide any significant defence, and does not protect the narrow channel in the same way as Cromwell's Castle does.

More old postcards of Cromwell's Castle from my collection.

Another old postcard.