St Michael’s Mount (a tidal island in Cornwall)
St Michael’s Mount is the most well-known of Cornwall’s many islands, as you can walk to it at low tide from nearby Marazion. And it’s topped by a medieval castle and church, showing up in many paintings.
Owned by a private family (the landowner’s wife used to be a social worker in Plymouth), the island has a community of around 30 residents (mostly in the hospitality industry to serve the many tourists that visit each year). There is no hospital, so residents are trained in emergency services.
This island is on a tidal causeway, which means the walkway disappears at high tide. So always check tide times before arriving.
The walkway is not very wheelchair-friendly. In emergencies, call the police or coastguard, and ensure phone is charged, before travel.
Due to lack of shady places, no dogs are allowed on the island in warmer weather and some dog beach restrictions apply here and in Marazion (and dogs are not allowed in the castle or gardens). So take them to a nice Cornish beach instead (read more on keeping dogs safe by the seaside).
The myths and legends of St Michael’s Mount
- The giant Cormoran lived here, his heart (a stone) is still in the castle
- Fishermen claimed to have seen an apparition of St Michael on the rocks, and even today it’s a major pilgrimage site. With a chapel that still holds regular services.
- The island was once surrounded by forests, before the sea levels rose.
- Others say there is a sunken village that once connected the island to the mainland. Some say that you can see petrified trees visible at low tide. This means fossilised trees (they are not frightened!)
The history of St Michael’s Mount
Back in the day, St Michael’s Mount was a thriving community. As late as the 1800s, it had over 300 local permanent residents, three pubs and a school.
The island has been owned by the St Aubyn family since 1659, and they still live there, co-managing the site alongside the National Trust.
In 1755, an earthquake in Lisbon (Portugal) caused a tsunami on the island. The sea rose six feet in 10 minutes, rising and falling for five hours. Leading to loss of life and property.
A sister island in France
Strangely, in Normandy (France), Mont Saint Michel is another island with a medieval castle, and around 30 people (mostly nuns and monks) living there. It has a similar history, and even looks the same!
Nearby Marazion (the oldest town in Cornwall)
You reach St Michael’s Mount from Marazion, which is a market town dating back to 1257. Historically a thriving hub for religious pilgrims and tin traders, despite the name it apparently has no Jewish connection, it’s thought the word is Cornish for small market (Marghas Byghan) or Thursday market (Marghas Yow).
One religious visitor here was George Fox who founded the Quaker Society of Friends. He lodged at an inn in 1656, and today the local meeting house sits on top of Beacon Head (the oldest public building in the town).
The same year George was imprisoned in nearby Launceston Castle, for having long hair. When found not guilty, he was then fined for not taking his hat off in court, and sent back to prison. He later wrote it was ‘nasty stinking place where the excrement of prisoners had not been carried out for many years’.
George and his wife Margaret rarely saw each other during their long marriage, as one or the other of them was always in prison. He was often kicked with sticks (and even a brass-bound Bible) and thrown down steps. Once he was even beaten unconscious in his home town of Ulverston in Cumbria, all for preaching that Christianity should be about peace and love!
