Star Castle is a

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

on St Mary's,

Isles of Scilly The Isles of Scilly ( ; ) are a small archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, St Agnes, is over farther south than the most southerly point of the Great Britain, British mainla ...

, built in 1593 by Robert Adams, Surveyor of the Royal Works (d.1595) and Francis Godolphin, Captain of the Scilly Isles, during the "Spanish invasion scare."

History

The Star Castle was built in 1593 by the Surveyor of the Royal Works and mapmaker Robert Adams, under the direction of Francis Godolphin, Captain of the Scilly Isles, following the

Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, ) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval ...

of 1588. Fearing another Spanish invasion, in May 1593

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

ordered the construction of a fort and two sconces as a lookout for any intruder ships. In 1740 Master Gunner Abraham Tovey transformed the Garrison building walls with gun batteries, including Colonel Boscawen's Battery, in a circular shape following the coast line of The Hoe. In the 18th century it was garrisoned by troops from the Corps of Invalids. Star Castle is now a hotel.

Description

The Star Castle is in the shape of an eight-pointed star and features on the flag of the

Council of the Isles of Scilly The Council of the Isles of Scilly is a ''sui generis'' local government authority covering the Isles of Scilly off the west coast of Cornwall, England. It is currently made up of 16 councillors, all independents. The council was created in 18 ...

. It is at the centre of a fortification system around the west side of St Mary’s known as the Garrison. It comprises an outer wall around the outcrop of Hew Hill, protecting the town and the castle, with strategically placed gun batteries at regular intervals around the outer wall, allowing covering fire at all angles. Star Castle is a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

. Three other structures within the fort complex are listed at Grade I, the highest grade, comprising the totality of the Grade I listed buildings on the Isles of Scilly: the bastions and walls to the castle; the powder magazine, and the outer walls.

Gallery

Star Castle - geograph.org.uk - 615094.jpg, Bastions Scillies 2011 081 crop.jpg, Name plate on Colonel George Boscawen's Battery

References

External links

Official Star Castle Hotel Website
{{Isles of Scilly Buildings and structures completed in 1595 Buildings and structures in the Isles of Scilly Forts in Cornwall Star forts 1593 establishments in England St Mary's, Isles of Scilly Grade I listed buildings in Cornwall Grade I listed hotels Hotels in Cornwall