Probably the most famous island off the coast of Cornwall – give or take the Isles of Scilly – is St Michael’s Mount. This is also certainly one of the most well-known tourist destinations in the county due to its breathtaking beauty and its rich history.
St Michael’s Mount, once religiously linked with the larger tidal island of Mont-Saint-Michel off the Normandy coast, is a rocky, tidal island in Mount’s Bay, just 500m away from the town of Marazion, near Penzance. It’s home to a community of around 30 islanders and it’s linked to Marazion by an ancient cobbled causeway that can be crossed at low tide. In fact, a visit to the island means either walking at low tide or taking a boat when the waters are higher. Managed by the National Trust, the mount offers unrivalled views of the Cornish coastline and the sea, plus it’s home to some stunning subtropical terraced gardens. Part of the island became a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its geology in 1995.
It’s also steeped in history, with its oldest building dating back to the 12th century. The castle on the top – which began life in 1135 – as well as the chapel, have been the home of the St Aubyn family since the 1650s, with members of the family still living there today. But its history goes way back as it is believed to have been inhabited or at least regularly visited up to 10,000 years ago, with ancient flints and weapons found on its slopes in recent years. The mount may have been the site of a monastery between the eighth and 11th centuries and it was certainly a priory of the Benedictine abbey on Mont-Saint-Michel during the reign of Edward the Confessor. After that, it was reduced to a secular chapel and in the 18th century it was a thriving seaport.
By 1821, there were 53 houses, four streets and 221 people living on the island. By 1852, it went into decline and many properties were demolished. Around 1900, a short, underground narrow gauge railway was constructed to take goods up to the castle. By that time, the island was a romantic and historical place, and in 1954, most of it was given to the National Trust, which manages it as an attraction alongside the St Aubyns. Today, tourists flock to the mount to tour the castle, discover the military memorabilia – including a piece of Napoleon’s coat – and ascend to the cannons on the summit. There’s a set of Pilgrim Steps, an old diary, a Giant’s Well and a Murdering Hole in the defensive walls.
There’s literally so much to take in here, from the village and harbour to the alluring myths and stories that endure, featuring mermaids, angels, monks and miracles – and even the Cornish legend of Jack the Giant Killer, a young lad from Marazion who took on a big brute who used to live on the mount and steal cows from the locals. Pre-booking your tickets for St Michael’s Mount online – which can be for the castle or the garden or combined – is essential. It’s an important pillar of Cornish history, scenery and legend that simply can’t be missed during any journey to the furthest reaches of this spectacular county.