
What is recorded here
St Catherine's Castle is a 16th century blockhouse built under Henry VIII at St Catherine's Point near Fowey in Cornwall. It watched the harbour entrance against French and Spanish ships, then received 19th century gun batteries and 20th century gun emplacements as warfare changed. The point therefore carries four centuries of coastal defence, with each age adding its own guns and expectations to the same sea-facing rock.
The National Heritage List for England records St Catherine's Castle 16th century blockhouse, 19th century gun battery and 20th century gun emplacement at St Catherine's Point as a scheduled monument. The saved point comes from the centre supplied by the official record. Listing does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.
St Catherine's Castle, a 16th-century blockhouse, was built by the English government to defend the southern approaches of the Isle of Wight against potential French invasion. It remained in military use, with additions in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is remembered as an important example of coastal defence architecture in England.
The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.
Places near here
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Erected to the Memory of Sir Arthyr T. Quiller-CouchMemorial · 1498 yd
WWII MemorialMemorial · 1.0 miOther information
Photo: Richard Croft · CC BY-SA 2.0