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Philip Davis
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St
Michaels Mount Castle
In the
civil parish of St Michaels Mount.
In the historic county of Cornwall (Modern
Authority of Cornwall, 1974 county of
Cornwall).
Benedictine
Monastery established in C8. Fortifications on St Michael's Mount
constructed in response to a number of sieges which have taken place,
the earliest dating to 1195 when the Mount was captured by Henry de la
Pomeroy. Became a secular fortress in 1337. The Mount was also
captured in 1473 and in 1497. After the Reformation there was a
maintainance of a garrison of five soldiers for the protection of the
coastline. The fortifications were improved in 1642 by Sir Francis
Basset, and the garrison increased in size. The entrance is within the
thickest walls and has a portcullis. There are also the remains of a
gatehouse or outer gatehouse. The military garrison room is present
under the Chevy Chase room. Also present are C19 gun batteries. None
of the structures predating those of the Tudor period survive.
This site
has been described as a;
Fortified Ecclesiastical site, Masonry Castle, Timber Castle,
Artillery Fort :
Fortified
Ecclesiastical site: Monasteries, churches and granges defended
against raids. Monastic communities were made up of mainly high status
people, and that most abbots would be the siblings of castle owning
lords; monasteries were also often used as stop over residencies for
lords. Much monastic 'fortification' such as gatehouses are actually
status displays rather than really defensive, although scottish raids
and peasant riots did occasionally put such defences to the test.
Granges could hold considerable wealth so defences here were generally
practical but also reflect the status of the parent community.
Churches were an important resource for the local peasant community
having many functions beyond spiritual succour; in unsafe areas like
the Marches, this included short-term defence against raiding bands.
Bishop's castles and priest's towers are considered as private
residences and are listed with other castles etc.
Masonry Castle : These include castles designed from the outset to
have masonry defences and timber castles where the fortifications or
significant building have been replaced in Stone. This includes all
the classic castle types such as Shell Keep, Great Tower and bailey,
Enclosure, Concentric castles etc. These are the buildings which are
what are generally thought of as castles and are well described in
many books, web sites etc. Masonry is stonework bounded with mortar. A
few castles have dry-stone walls, these are listed under earthwork
castles, since the dry-stone walling basically requires a similar
level of expense and skill as earthwork defences.
Timber Castle : These are the earthwork and timber castles of the
motte and bailey or ringwork form which where the vast majority of
castles of the early conquest period, of the Marches in the 11th and
12th centuries and of the period during the reign of Stephen known as
the Anarchy. They were generally fairly short lived, although some
such castles survived for centuries, with the timber buildings and
defences being replaced on occasions sometimes in timber and sometimes
in Masonry (Alderton Castle in Northamptonshire was shown in a Time
Team excavation to have been built about 1070 and to still have been
having high status visitors in the C15-a fine piece of enamels horse
harness being found in the gatehouse). Some of the smaller low mottes
may have been adapted into moated manor houses, whilst others where
abandoned and replaced by manor houses of a more comfortable and
domestic nature. Timber castles varied greatly in size with some being
massive constructions clearly deserving the term castle, whilst other
were small mounds of minor knights and had a similar size, function
and social status as the later pele towers. These small mottes are
called 'castle' but this could be considered a rather loose use of the
term.
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.
Masonry
ruins/remnants remains.
This site is a Grade 1 listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 69966)
The
Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SW51472982
Sources
of information, references and further reading
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PastScape
number; 870617, 870518, 424617
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Web
site links
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Books
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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) p38-41
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties
(Woodbridge) p22-23
Spreadbury, I. D., 1984, Castles in Cornwall and the Isles of
Scilly (Redruth)
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus)
Vol1 p75-6
Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and
Charles) p290
Price, M. and H., 1980, Castles of Cornwall (Bossiney Books)
p54-74
Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John
Baker)
Pevsner, N. revised by Enid Radcliffe, 1970, Buildings of
England: Cornwall (Harmondsworth) p175-7
Fletcher, J.R. edited and completed by Dom John Stephan, 1952,
A history of St Michael's Mount [generally religious history]
Taylor, Thomas, 1932, History of St Michael's Mount
(Cambridge) [history only]
Oman, Charles W.C., 1926, Castles (1978 edn Beetham House: New
York) p116-122
Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England
(Methuen and Co)
Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2
p13-5
Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient
Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p497-9
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic
Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p361
Lysons, D. and S., 1814, Magna Britannia Vol3 Cornwall p137-42
[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.asp?pubid=403]
Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities
(London) Vol1 p29-30
Grose, F., 1756, Antiquities of England and Wales Vol8 p29-42
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Journal
Articles
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Pool,
P.A.S. (ed), 1975, ' 'The ancient and present state of St
Michael’s Mount, 1762” ' Cornish Studies 3 p29-47
Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216'
English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen,
1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers
(Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
Hussey, 1924, Country Life Vol56 p672-9, 714-20
Peter, 1900, Journal of the Royal Institute of Cornwall Vol15
p221-46
Leyland, 1897, Country Life Vol2 p42-4 [slight]
St Aubyn, 1861, Exeter Diocesan Architectural Society Vol6
p259-69 [slight]
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Guidebooks
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John
St Aubyn, 1978, St Michael's Mount Illustrated History and
Guide (Beric Tempest)
Wake, Joan, 1934, A Guide to St Michael's Mount with a summary
of its history from legendary times
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Antiquarian
(Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern
writers)
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