Places to visit
St Catherine’s Castle: getting there and nearby beaches
Photograph to come St Catherine’s Castle.
St Catherine’s Castle is a castle in Fowey, cared for by English Heritage (description based on Wikidata). This page covers how to get there, the nearest beaches with their dog rules and water quality, and council parking nearby.
- Cared for by
- English Heritage
- Cornish name
- Kastel S. Kattryn
- Official information
- English Heritage page
- Nearest railway station
- Par station (5.2 km (3.3 miles))
- Nearest beach in our guide
- Readymoney Cove (150 m (0.1 miles))
- Nearest town guide
- Fowey (1.0 km (0.6 miles))
- Heritage listing
- National Heritage List entries 1013664, 1218875
Before you go
Opening days, times, prices and on-site parking change through the year, and some places close in winter or for repairs. We do not copy them here: check the official English Heritage page on the day you plan to visit.
Beaches near St Catherine’s Castle
Beaches in our guide within 10 km, nearest first.
| Beach | Distance (straight line) | Council dog rule | Water quality 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Readymoney Cove | 150 m (0.1 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August | Good |
| Polkerris | 2.8 km (1.8 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Par Sands | 4.0 km (2.5 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Good |
| Shorthorn Beach | 5.7 km (3.5 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Crinnis Beach | 6.4 km (4.0 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Charlestown | 7.9 km (4.9 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Duporth | 8.3 km (5.2 miles) | Not on the council restriction list | Excellent |
| Porthpean | 8.6 km (5.4 miles) | No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August | Excellent |
Council car parks nearby
Cornwall Council car parks within 2 km (straight line). St Catherine’s Castle may have its own car park: the official English Heritage page says where to park.
| Council car park | Postcode | Distance (straight line) | Spaces | Open | Council page updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Readymoney, Fowey | PL23 1JD | 510 m (0.3 miles) | 60 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
| Main, Fowey | PL23 1ET | 840 m (0.5 miles) | 269 | 24 hours | 27 May 2026 |
| Caffa Mill, Fowey | PL23 1DF | 1.5 km (0.9 miles) | 75 | 24 hours | 4 August 2026 |
Getting there by train
There is no National Rail station within 5 km of St Catherine’s Castle. The nearest stations in Cornwall are below; from there you would need a bus, taxi or lift. The official page may list bus options.
- Par station: 5.2 km (3.3 miles)
- Lostwithiel station: 8.9 km (5.5 miles)
- Luxulyan station: 10.1 km (6.3 miles)
Straight-line distance, our own calculation from OpenStreetMap station locations (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). It is not a walking or road route.
Other historic places and gardens nearby
National Trust and English Heritage places in our guide, by straight-line distance.
- Restormel Castle (English Heritage): 10.6 km (6.6 miles)
- Lanhydrock (National Trust): 13.1 km (8.1 miles)
For beaches, parking and events around Fowey, see our town guide.
Map
Photos
Planning when to go? Cornwall month by month covers daylight, average weather and school holidays.
Sources and checks
- Wikidata: St Catherine's Castle – CC0; description, operator, coordinates, Cornish name, heritage list numbers
- English Heritage: St Catherine’s Castle – official page, checked 1 November 2026
- Cornwall Council: dogs on beaches – last updated 23 October 2026
- Cornwall Council car parks – pages checked 1 November 2026
- Environment Agency bathing water data – Open Government Licence v3.0
- OpenStreetMap: railway stations – ODbL; distances are our own calculation
- National Rail: station information – linked for times and facilities
Last checked: . Published by Oaknest Media. How we check: editorial policy.