Harry's Walls, Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom

Harry's Walls are the remains of an unfinished artillery fort, started in 1551 by the government of Edward VI to defend the island of St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly. Constructed to defend the harbour of Hugh Town from possible French attack, the fortification incorporated Italianate-style bastions with protective orillons and would have been the most advanced design in the kingdom at the time. It was not completed, probably due to a shortage of funds and the passing of the invasion threat, and only the south-west side remains. In the 21st century, Harry's Walls are managed by English Heritage and open to visitors.

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Miscellaneous historic sites in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Norman Spirit (2 years ago)
Side by side we have a navigational aid from 2000AD, a monolith from 2500-750BC, and the remains of an artillery fort from 1500AD. This is a unique juxtaposition and what makes this place worth visiting.

Marcus Hurley (4 years ago)
We followed a path to Harry's Walls, another sixteenth century fort that was started but never finished but still has substantial remains. It's within 10 minutes of Hugh Town and a peaceful little walk although there isn't much to see from the military history perspective.

Sandie Reid (5 years ago)
Lovely views from Harry's Walls even on a cloudy grey day!

J T (6 years ago)
Great views across the island

Anna (6 years ago)
This is an interesting place to stop for a moment whilst out walking. It can be accessed via the coast path with a clear sign indicating direction up some steps, followed by a bit of a hill. There is a lovely view of the harbour from the wall.

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