Pendennis Castle - Crab Quay

Crab Quay

Crab Quay lies below Pendennis Castle on the northeast face of the headland. It is the most suitable location for a landing, and a battery was built here in the late 17th or early 18th century, first recorded on a map of 1715. The early armament of the battery is unknown, but shortly after 1815 five 18-pounder guns were mounted, firing through embrasures in a thick retaining wall. In 1855 the battery was upgraded to five 32-pounders on dwarf traversing carriages, but by 1880 these had in turn been replaced by two 64-pounder rifled muzzle-loaders. In 1898 the battery was reconstructed to provide two concrete emplacements for a pair of 6-pounder quick-firing guns, which, together with a sister battery at St Mawes, would prevent fast torpedo boats evading the heavier guns on the headland and entering the Carrick Roads. These were removed in 1904. The battery was briefly rearmed around 1942 with two 3-pounder QF guns while the twin 6-pounder battery at Middle Point was being constructed, but were removed by 1943.

Below Crab Quay battery are five "D"-shaped concrete platforms just above the water level. These were the foundations for searchlights supporting the Middle Point battery. All surface structures belonging to Middle Point were demolished in the 1960s.