St Catherine's Castle is a ruined Henrician Castle in Fowey, built by Thomas Treffry, between approximately 1538 and 1540, in response to fears of an invasion of England by France and the Holy Roman Empire. The D-shaped, stone fortification, equipped with five gun-ports for cannon, overlooked the mouth of the River Fowey in Cornwall. It was protected by a curtain wall and the surrounding cliffs. The castle remained in use for many years until it was closed at the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815. Brought back into service in 1855 during the Crimean War, it was fitted with two new artillery positions, but it soon became obsolete and was abandoned. During the Second World War, the castle was refortified and used to house a battery of naval guns, protecting the coast against the threat of German attack. At the end of the conflict the castle was restored to its previous condition and is now managed by English Heritage as a tourist attraction.
Parking: There is a charged car park near to the site managed by Cornwall County Council.
How to Find it: The castle, only accessible on foot, is a 3/4 mile walk from the car park via Readymoney Beach. The first section is a gentle slope down to the beach. From here the walk includes a challenging, steep climb through woodland which can become muddy in wet weather.
Facilities: Public toilets and drinking water can be found at Readymoney Beach.
Please Be Aware: There are sheer unguarded drops within the castle ruins.
Dogs: Dogs on leads are welcome.
The Cache: The posted coordinates will take you to the castle. In order to claim your find, please upload a picture of yourself or a personal item such as your GPS or a piece of paper with your caching name on it with the castle in the background. Logs without photos may be deleted.
Virtual Rewards 5.0 - 2026-2027
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between February 3, 2026 and February 3, 2027. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 5.0 on the Geocaching Blog.