St Mawes Castle Reviews Summary

Accessibility

Pros:

• "There were toilets on site."
• "There is a small car park to the right down the hill from the castle."
• "There is a small car park adjacent that is free to visitors."
• "Plenty of parking and good wheelchair access."
• "The staff there are brilliant and treated my disabled wife like royalty, nothing was too much trouble to help her make the most of her visit."
• "It did have hand rails which made it easier for some members of our group."
• "The castle can be reached from St Mawes by walking through along the front There is a large car park there."

Cons:

• "Main door had a raised edge at the bottom which would be difficult for those of impaired mobility."
• "NOT wheelchair friendly."
• "Only thing is that stair access is tricky if you are tall!"
• "The towers are no good as the stone spiral stairs are very narrow and steep."
• "Some very steep staircases made parts of the castle hard to access."
• "For people with mobility issues, there are a few small spiral stair cases to climb to fully appreciate the place."
• "Unfortunately for people with restrictive movement, the fort itself does not lend itself to easy access."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "Staff friendly and courteous."
• "Welcoming and informed staff."
• "Met by friendly English heritage staff who explained what there was to see and do in the castle."
• "Very helpful staff."
• "The staff were friendly and the toilets were clean."
• "This was very impressive and the staff were super friendly."
• "Friendly staff and a great day out."

Cons:

• "Staff did not communicate anything but perhaps they were busy as they were talking to each other."
• "Stuffy and off putting staff."
• "We went today and although its a beautiful castle ….. the staff are so unfriendly!"
• "Only thing was that the two staff on entry did not offer any information just took payment."
• "The bloke at the desk was most serious and un welcoming!"
• "The gift shop was small and nice but the grumpy man behind the counter spoilt the experience a bit."
• "Very disappointed that my disabled partner was charged to enter and he struggled in his wheelchair to gain entrance to the shop/entry...no ramp in nor out the other side."

Value and Experience

Pros:

• "Great castle, 'twin' of Pendennis Castle across the water, but I'll admit, I prefer this one."
• "English Heritage have done it again. They cram the place full of history."
• "The place is steeped in history and affords wonderful views over the Fal."
• "St Mawes Artillery Castle... Free audio. Fun for kids."
• "Great views of St Mawes, Falmouth and the Carrick Roads."
• "Wonderful views and scenic gardens."
• "More preserved as a Tudor fortification/naval battery than Pendennis across the water, its very extensive and a lot less busy than its twin."

Cons:

• "Glad we are members don't thinks it worth the money. Most of the castle shut off."
• "Probably not really worth going at the moment owing to COVID. Most things are still closed."
• "Overpriced and not a great experience having to wear a mask."
• "Parts of castle blocked off just takes that bit of enjoyment away."
• "Most of it is closed off during covid."
• "Unfortunately due to Covid most inside exhibits were closed."
• "Lovely place but clearly run down and needs a bit of care."

Amenities and Facilities

Pros:

• "There is also a little coffee van."
• "The audio tour is good and well laid out."
• "The whole fortification line is worth exploring."
• "There is a little refreshments van outside but the shop also has a small selection of drinks."
• "So cheap to visit too!"
• "Lovely coffee van outside selling snacks and drinks."
• "Lovely little gift shop and the chap behind the counter let us try some of the squid ink gin being sold on the shelf too."

Cons:

• "Came to visit and was closed on arrival despite being advertised as open online."
• "I got in on a cornish heritage pass and thought parking was free, I was confused at the parking metre, it says members free but not which members were included in that, I ended up paying 3.00 in the castle reception which I thought was a lot for how long I was there."
• "Covid restrictions meant much of the castle was closed meaning the parts my boys really wanted to explore were off limits."
• "An amazing place out of season. Terribly disappointed when we couldn't get ANY food at 2:30."
• "Pre-covid I'm sure it was a great place to visit. Unfortunately they have not been able to reopen the main castle building so there is not much to see."
• "The rooms aren't made up to demonstrate what would have happened in them so it takes a bit of imagination to picture how it would have been."
• "However, visitors should be aware that the castle itself doesn't offer extensive amenities like cafes or restrooms, which could be inconvenient for some."