St Ives; The Island

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; The Castle

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

Leland mentions blockhouse, on east side of peninsula, now vanished. Probably built in 1490, demolished around 1866. Saunders mentions an earthwork bulwark with granite revetment built across the neck of the Island in 1590's. This would seem to be a rebuilding of C15 blockhouse. Higham writes the defensive rampart across the neck was probably built before 1500 and considers this a town defence. However, as most of the town would not be within this rampart I think it was an outwork to the blockhouse, although clearly the town's people could have taken refuge behind such a rampart. Duffy writes there were two blockhouses.

This site has been described as a Artillery Fort / Urban Defence:

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.

Urban Defence: Town walls, banks and gates. Those built by the Romans, Anglo-Saxons or Danes are mentioned if they were maintained, at least partly, during the period 1000-1600. As with most fortifications of the period these were not simply defensive but reflected social status. Ambitious town leaders would petition for and build walls for the personally and civic kudos. Walls and ditches, or sometimes just isolated gates, also regulated trade and made collection of taxes easier. Some villages, in vulnerable areas, had simple defences of ditches to deter cattle raiders and 'wolves' (Although I doubt wolves were a real threat to any community at any time they were believed to be a threat)

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

Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW521409

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; 425195
Web site links
- http://west-penwith.org.uk/ivesm3.htm#island
Books
- Duffy, Michael, 1999, 'Coastal Defences and Garrisons 1480-1914' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W., Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p158-60
  Higham, Robert A., 1999, 'Castles, Fortified Houses and Fortified Towns in the Middle Ages' in Kain, R. and Ravenhill, W., Historical Atlas of South-West England (University of Exeter Press) p136-43
  Salter, Mike, 1999, The Castles of Devon and Cornwall (Malvern) p47 [slight]
  Saunders, Andrew, 1997, Channel Defences (London; Batsford/English Heritage) p79, 81, 91, 117
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p77
Journal Articles
- Kenyon, J.R., 1981 'Early Artillery Fortifications in England and Wales: a Preliminary Survey and Re-appraisal' Archaeological Journal Vol138 p219
Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Chandler, John, 1993, John Leland's Itinerary: travels in Tudor England (Sutton Publishing) p70

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