Until a few 1,000 years ago St Agnes was permanently joined to Gugh and Annet but then the sea levels rose. It is still linked to Gugh at low tide. St Agnes has been occupied since the Bronze Age and there are some chambered tombs on the island from this period. St Warna's Well, which is the only holy well on the Isles of Scilly, dates from the Iron Age.
Like the rest of Scilly, the island is currently owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. In the past the residents made a living by farming, fishing and salvaging from shipwrecks but now tourism is now the main source of employment. In 1841 the population was 243 but by 2001 this had declined to 73.
In 1707 Sir Cloudesley Shovell (what a wonderful name!) was in charge of a fleet of 21 ships when HMS Firebrand foundered in Smith Sound. 300 sailors died and a few survived.
St Agnes has a lighthouse in the middle of the island. It was built by Trinity House in 1680 but is no longer in use and has been converted into a house. It was replaced in 1910 by the Peninnis Lighthouse on St Marys.
Troy Town Pebble Maze
This spiral pebble maze at Camper Dizzle near Troy Town was possibly made by a lighthousekeeper called Amor Clarke in 1795 but it may be much older than that.
The only pub on the island is the Turks Head. There no hotel but there is a post office and general store, several guesthouses and self-catering cottages and flats and a campsite.
There is a footpath, which runs round the perimeter of the island.
The west coast of the island is littered with granite boulders
Coastguard Cottages
I'm not sure what an iron fireplace is doing in this wall!
Lighthouse with Echiums
Nag's Head
The right hand end of this natural granite standing stone is supposed to look like a horse's head and is known locally as the Nag's Head.
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| West coast |
Periglis, St Agnes: looking towards Burnt Island and Tins Walbert
Beautiful new window in St Agnes' Church
Stained glass window in St Agnes' Church
St Agnes' Church
The current church, which is dedicated to St Agnes, was built in the 19th century to replace an earlier one, which had been destroyed in a gale.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
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