ST MICHAEL'S MOUNT

On Top of the Island

      One of Cornwall, England’s most famous natural landmarks is St. Michael’s Mount. It sits 200’ above the bay on the highest point of the granite and slate island rising out of the water. St. Michael’s Mount was built by the same French monks who created Normandy’s Mont St. Michel. Built over the site of a Benedictine chapel, it has been a church, fortress, and private residence.  It was one huffing hike over a very rough cobblestone path to the top, but the views were spectacular, the castle was lovely, and it certainly was worth the climb.

            One can walk the causeway, built in 1425, only at very low tide, otherwise it was a pound fare for the ‘ferry’ ride, which was an open row boat with outboard motor that held twelve people. Eight boats run continuously.  At the top of one of the pair of stairs at the island loading pier is a gold footprint marked VC in commemoration of Queen Victoria’s visit in 1846. I wondered if she made the climb to the top.

            The castle was a defense against several skirmishes over the ages, and in 1588 it was on St Michael’s Mount that the first beacon was lit to warn of the arrival of the Spanish Armada. During the Civil War (1642-1646) Royalists held the Mount against the forces of Oliver Cromwell.

            It was a thriving port for the booming tin industry. Around two thousand years ago trading ships sailed into the Mount’s harbor and exported Cornish tin to the rest of Europe. In its heyday as a busy port the island population swelled to three hundred. Today it is small motorboats that come and go, and the seafront cottages are still home to more than thirty islanders, whose jobs range from boatman to gardener, guide to handyman.

            Legend says that a mythical giant, Cormoran, once lived on the Mount, and used to wade ashore and steal cows and sheep from the villagers to feed his gargantuan appetite. One night Jack, a local boy, rowed out to the island and dug a deep pit while the giant slept. As the sun rose, Jack blew a horn to wake the angry giant who staggered down from the summit and blinded by the sunlight fell into the pit and died. 

            For all its remote beauty, living on an idyllic island can be challenging. Weather and tides dictates life.  When the causeway is under water, the mainland with its shops, pubs and medical assistance seems far away. At its best, the location provides peaceful isolation, but at its worst, supplies are cut off during winter storms, the school run is disrupted, and high seas smash against  flood defenses of harbor-side homes.  

            In 1659 Colonel St Aubyn purchased the Mount, which then became a private home. In 1873-1878 the Victorian Wing of the castle was built and is where the family now resides. In 1954 the  Gift of St Michael’s Mount, with a large endowment fund, was made  to the National Trust. James is the twelfth generation of the St Aubyn family who have occupied the castle since the 17th Century. James and Mary play an integral role in the running of the island. 

The organ in the present chapel is circa 1791.  The castle houses period furniture and old maps. Lovely wooden floors are throughout, and the castle is bright inside because of its rather large windows, certainly large for its day.

After viewing the castle and having interesting conversations with a couple of the docents I made my way back to the bottom. Fortunately it did not rain, because if it had that cobblestone walkway would have been very slippery. I walked all through the gardens surrounding the base of the castle and containing many unusual plants. It was an interesting morning.