A lifetime of Islands: April 2011

Saturday, 30 April 2011

Island 89 - Burgh Island, Devon

Burgh Island is linked to Bigbury-on-Sea in South Devon by a sandy tombolo at low tide. At high tide the island can be reached by a sea tractor. The main buildings on the island are the expensive Burgh Island Hotel and the Pilchard Inn. I visited the island at low tide in September 2008 and came back for a longer look around in August 2012.

Burgh Island was inhabited in medieval times by monks, who built a chapel on the highest point of the island. This later became a huer's hut, where someone would watch out for shoals of pilchards in the sea around the island and they would then alert local fishermen. The island later became a hideout for pirates and smugglers. The smuggler Tom Crocker was shot and killed by customs officers on the island in the 18th century. The Pilchard Inn dates back to the 14th century.

In 1895 the island was bought by music hall entertainer George Chirgwin. In 1896 he had a small wooden hotel built, which he used as a retreat until his death in 1922. In 1927 his widow sold it to the engineer Archibald Nettlefold. He commissioned architect Matthew Dawson to design a luxury art deco hotel. Famous clients included Agatha Christie, Noel Coward, Amy Johnson, Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson.

During the Second World War the hotel was used as a RAF convalescent centre. The hotel closed in 1955 and for 30 years it was divided into self-catering flats. In 1985 the island was bought by Beatrice and Tony Porter, who restored the hotel and reopened it in 1988.

The south east corner of the island is out of bounds to non-hotel guests. The rest of the island is crisscrossed by worn paths and is covered with grass, brambles, a small amount of bracken and lots of wild flowers. During my August 2012 visit the following were in flower: evening primrose, wild sweet pea, rosebay willowherb, orchids, lavatera, betony, yarrow, greater sea spurrey, thrift, red campion, sea campion, nipplewort, sea mayweed, agrimony, ragwort and several other plants I couldn't identify.

Burgh Island - the sea returns


Pilchard Inn Not the most welcoming sign! I'm not sure how anyone new could become a local regular if you are never allowed in! This is the only pub I have ever come across that doesn't need or want new customers!

South Coast

Herring Cove
It looks like the rocks have been deliberately cut through.
Maybe this was once a landing place?

Rocky South Coast

Huer's Hut at the highest point on the island

Looking east towards Bantham - Murray's Rock


Burgh Island Hotel - not open to non-residents

Pilchard Inn and Hotel

Sea Tractor and Hotel

Pilchard Inn - only hotel guests are allowed on this patio


Sea Tractor looking towards Bigbury-on-Sea

Tombolo an hour after low tide

Scarily narrow footpath over to Little Island

Island 88 - St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

St Michael's Mount is a small rocky tidal island in Mounts Bay, Cornwall. At low tide it is linked to Marazion by a man-made causeway of granite setts. The causeway is well maintained and you could walk across in ordinary shoes, as it dries out completely at low tide. However I wouldn't recommend stiletto heels! At high tide you can catch a boat to the island in the summer months.

St Michael's Mount may have been the ancient tin trading centre, known to the Ancient Greeks as Ictis. According to legend, in 495 AD some local fishermen saw a vision of St Michael the Archangel on top of the island. He warned them to keep away from the island's treacherous rocks. This event may have led to the building of a small chapel on the island dedicated to St Michael.

St Michael's Mount was given to the Benedictine abbey at Mont St Michel in France in 1044 by Edward the Confessor. Work on the church and priory buildings was begun in 1135 by Abbot Bernard. There were only ever about 8 resident monks. The church was a pilgrimage destination during the Middle Ages. The church has been rebuilt many times since then and most of the current church dates from no earlier than the 14th century. The Priory on St Michael's Mount was closed in 1425.

The oldest parts of the castle, which date from the 12th century, were constructed from moor stone. Moor stone is a porous granite and the stones were collected up from local beaches and moorland. Later parts of the castle were built with granite quarried from Castle-an-Dinas. Extensions added in the Victorian period were clad with Lamorna granite.

St Michael's Mount changed hands numerous times during the 15th to mid 17th centuries. In 1497 the island was briefly occupied by Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the English throne. In 1549 during the Prayer Book Rebellion, some members of the gentry sought refuge in the castle on St Michael's Mount. They were besieged by the rebels and forced to surrender.

The island was bought from the Bassett family by Colonel John St Aubyn in 1659. He had served in the parliamentary army during the English Civil War and had been the last governor of the military garrison on the island. The castle and old priory buildings were converted into a home. During the Victorian period the castle was altered and extended to designs drawn up by Piers St Aubyn. The east wing, a new kitchen and an additional attic floor above the west side were added. In 1927 the Steward's Flat and adjacent staff areas were built.

Colonel St Aubyn's descendants owned St Michael's Mount until 1954 when it was given to the National Trust. Members of the St Aubyn family still live in the castle. The island is jointly managed by the National Trust and the St Aubyn family.

There is a four acre terraced garden on the south side of the island beneath the castle. The three-tiered walled garden was constructed in the 1780s. It was designed by the 4 Miss St Aubyns who lived in the castle at that time. The east and west terraces were built in the 1880s. The garden was designed to be viewed from the castle battlements above it, as well as from within. It is exposed to storms and salt-laden winds, but the granite bedrock absorbs the heat from the sun and creates a micro-climate, which enables tender plants and succulents to be grown.

In 2009 one of the resident gardeners found a Bronze Age hoard on the island.

It is free to visit the island at low tide during the winter. If you want to visit during the Easter holidays or between 1st May and 12th September, you will need to purchase a ticket to the castle and/or the gardens (free to National Trust members). There is an extra charge for the boat if the causeway is not accessible and you also have to pay for the car park in Marazion. You cannot visit anywhere on the island without a ticket during the summer season. The island has toilets, 2 cafés and 2 gift/craft shops.

Dairy

The design of the dairy was based on the kitchen at Glastonbury Abbey. It was designed by Piers St Aubyn and built in the late Victorian period, when a small herd of Jersey cows was kept on the island. The herd was disbanded in 1909. Piers St Aubyn also designed many of the houses in the village.

Steps up to the Castle

Pet Cemetery

This is located on the way up to the Castle. It was in use by the St Aubyn family from 1891-1923

Giant's Heart

This is set into the cobbles on the way up to the castle

Giant's Well

This is a fresh water spring and was the main source of fresh water for the island until it was connected to mains water in 1936.

Gun Batteries

These were installed in the late 18th century and were mainly used for ceremonial purposes.

Castle

Castle and Chapel

Blue Drawing Room in the Castle

This room was the Lady Chapel until c1750.

Stained glass window in the chapel

Walled garden

Walled garden and terrace

Gardens from the Castle

View of the Gardens from the Castle

Guardian of the Battlements

Watchtower

This was rebuilt in the 1640s during the English Civil War

Castle

Harbour and Marazion from the top of the castle

Bottom of the funicular railway near the Quay

This is used to transport goods from the quay to the castle. It is almost entirely in a tunnel and was built in 1901

Footprints

These were cast in brass to commemorate the visit of the Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to St Michael's Mount in 2013. The cast footprints of Queen Victoria, Edward VII and Prince Charles can also be seen on the harbour wall.

This delightful mural outside the cafe was a community art project.

Pretty garden

St Michael's Mount from community garden in Marazion

Causeway at low tide

Harbour on St Michael's Mount

Map mural

St Michael - amphibious vehicle

This amphibious vehicle was bought in 2002 to transport islanders to and from the island during the winter. Previously a Second World War DUKW had been used.