Henry VIII fortified much of the south coast when he was under threat of war with France in the 1530s. Pendennis castle and her sister castle St. Mawes were built between 1540 and 1545 to guard the entrance to Falmouth. Pendennis castle was built on the west bank of the River Fal and St. Mawes castle was built on the east bank.
During the reign of Elizabeth I, an outer wall was added to Pendennis castle and bastions were built. In 1595, the Spanish attacked the Mounts Bay area and the two castles were reinforced in preparation of the Spanish Invasion. The Spanish Invasion never came, and the castles were only attacked during the English Civil War. Oliver Cromwell's army took Pendennis Castle from the Royalists after a six month siege. This siege began in 1646 when the fortress was attacked from both land and sea. The castle's lines of communication and supplies were cut with trenches stretching from the docks to Gyllyngvase beach. Pendennis Castle was the penultimate stronghold in the country to hold out for their King. Unlike Pendennis, St. Mawes castle was given up to the Parliamentarian forces immediately as it was not in such a good position to defend itself from land attacks as it's sister castle.
During the World Wars, both Pendennis and St. Mawes castles were part of the coastal defence system. Secret defences such as underground tunnels and magazines were built at Pendennis Castle during World War II - these can still be visited today. The cannons from previous defences were replaced by more modern guns for the World Wars. One of these guns is fired on a regular basis throughout the summer period. Pendennis Castle also has a miniature fort known as Little Dennis beneath it that provided additional fire power at sea level.
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