Description

ST. MARY'S

SV81SE THE GARRISON, Hugh Town
1358-0/3/85 Star Castle Hotel
12/02/75
(Formerly Listed as:
THE GARRISON, Hugh Town
Star Castle)

GV I

House within Star Castle Fort. 1593 with late C17 alterations.
Architect/Engineer Robert Adams. Rendered granite rubble with
granite and brick dressings; slurried M-shaped hipped slate
roof with lateral,central valley and ridge stacks. Star-shaped
eight-sided plan reflecting that of surrounding bastions
(q.v.). 2 storeys with attics; 3 bays to each facade with
central two-sided salient projections. Each front has two
ground-floor 8/8-pane sashes, two 2/2-pane sashes and salient
projections; two first-floor 2/2-pane and 8/8-pane sashes.
Original granite moulded door architrave with drip-moulded
head. Flat-roofed dormers with late C19 horned 2/2-pane
sashes. Interior: built with two accommodation floors above
basement for storage. Plan recorded in 1757 by Abraham Tovey,
Master Gunner, had 2 heated ground-floor chambers with
back-to-back stacks and stairs all extant. Includes some
2-panelled doors. Late C17 wooden dog-leg staircase through
both upper floors, with rectangular moulded handrail and
continuous newel to first floor only. Ground-floor main
chamber has late C17 moulded granite fireplace with polished
wooden half columns. First-floor room above has white marble
baseless Greek Doric order fireplace and centrepiece with oak
leaves and laurels. Some blocked first-floor angle fireplaces.
The main fort in a defensive system built under Francis
Godolphin to counter the threat posed by the Spanish after the
1588 Armada. With its outer bastions-and walls (qv), Star
Castle comprises an important and complete example of an
Elizabethan fort built to a common Renaissance plan. It was
also used as a prison, notable inmates including Dr.Bastwick
(1637) and Sir John Ireton (1662). Star Castle was the last
Royalist stronghold, Prince Charles and his suite taking
refuge here in 1646 after their retreat from the Battle of
Bodmin. It was converted into an hotel in 1933.
(B.H. St.J.O'Neil: Isles of Scilly: London (HMSO): 1950-: 20;
Saunders A: Fortress Britain: Liphook: 1989-: 79-80; Buildings
of England: Pevsner, N and Ratcliffe, E: Cornwall: London:
1951-1970: 210).

Listing NGR: SV8991810641

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Star Castle at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q3968286

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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