Cornwall’s greatest fortress, Pendennis Castle celebrates Falmouth 350!

To honour the occasion, on ‘Charter Day’ there will be free entry for all TR10 and TR11 residents on proof of residence* to Pendennis Castle, Wednesday 5^th October. King Charles II awarded Falmouth its town charter in 1661 in recognition of the loyalty shown to his father, King Charles, by in 1646, refusing to surrender Pendennis Castle to the Parliamentarian army.

Pendennis Castle was the last Royalist stronghold in England. Between March and August 1646 around 800 soldiers and 200 women and children refused to hand over Pendennis Castle to Parliamentarian forces despite having scarce resources. They held out for five months until, finally, disease and desperation set in. When they finally surrendered, the Royalists marched out of the Castle with all the honours of war, flags flying and drums beating, a rare event in such a brutal conflict as the English Civil War. Come and see where it all happened.

Nikki White, Visitor Operations Manager at Pendennis Castle, said:  “ This is a wonderful opportunity to come and discover the castle that was so important in Falmouth’s fascinating history. Taking time to explore the buildings, grounds and tunnels, you can imagine how the occupants of 1646 must have felt!”

For the month of October (from the 3rd) Pendennis will also host a small display of copies of original documents from Cornwall Record Office relating to the civil war and the siege, designed to give a deeper insight into the events. Spend some time discovering not only the castle of the days of the Civil War but also its later developments, pausing for a stop in our tea room.

Listen to ‘The Source’ 96.1FM, broadcasting short programmes about the castle, Thursday 10.30am repeated Wednesday 3pm during September.

What:                          Pendennis Castle Charter Day

When:                         Wednesday 5^th October 2011, 10am - 4 pm

Where:                        Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4LP

Prices:                         Adult: £6.30/ Concession: £5.70/ Child: £3.80/ Family: £16.40

English Heritage Members: Free

Free entry to TR10 and TR11 residents on proof of residence* (driving licence, council tax or utility bill required, not mobile phone bill).