Little Dennis Blockhouse

In the civil parish of Falmouth.
In the historic county of Cornwall (Modern Authority of Cornwall, 1974 county of Cornwall).

Blockhouse, built 1544-46 as part of coastal defences that include Pendennis Castle. Now roofless. Killas rubble with granite dressings, built into bedrock on the landward side; curved merlons to battlements on seaward side; roofless, originally lead; rubble stack beside staircase. D-shaped plan with very thick walls; slightly-projecting stair turret to one corner, doorway recessed to other corner. 4-centred arched doorway; the main gun port with flanking openings facing across the estuary and another gun port facing out to sea. INTERIOR: chamfered flat-headed fireplace; to the opposite wall a large 4-centred arch to splayed and ribbed gun station, with a blocked smoke vent above; a smaller gun station at right angles to this; the drum of newel stair left of the fireplace; large beam sockets and a coped parapet walk.

This site has been described as a Artillery Fort. Fortifications designed specifically for mounting artillery, usually as coastal defence against warships. Vary from large stone structures to small earthwork bulwarks with room for one or two pieces. Although some of the large royal buildings were of high quality with good detail these are actually practical military works.

The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.

Major remains.

This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 460094)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW82743154

Modern Map from

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from

Good for general location

Air Photo from

1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 428645

Books
- [see Pendennis bibliography - usually considered as part of this fort complex]
  Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern) p27
  Saunders, Andrew, 1997, Channel Defences (London; Batsford/English Heritage) p49, 55
  Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p19
  Spreadbury, I. D., 1984, Castles in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (Redruth)
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p74
  Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles)
  Price, M. and H., 1980, Castles of Cornwall (Bossiney Books) p34
Journal Articles
- 1997, Fort Vol25 p207
  Harris, D. and Andrew, J., 1985, Cornish Archaeology Cornwall Archaeological Society Vol24 p183-4

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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations.

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The comprehensive gazetteer of the medieval fortifications and castles of Cornwall

With thanks to Philip Davis

Little Dennis Blockhouse

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW82743154

Sources of information, references and further reading