Tresco

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tresco, UK, is the second largest island of the Isles of Scilly. It offers an astonishing variety of scenery, from the rugged granite outcrops and heathland of the wild north coast to the magnificent shell-strewn beaches in the east and south. The variety of its scenery and geomorphology is in part down to the effects of the last ice age, when the Devensian ice sheet clipped the north side of the island leaving deformation till deposits.

There are the ruins of two ancient castles to the north of New Grimsby harbour. The so-called "King Charles's Castle" actually dates from the 16th century, but was occupied by the Royalists during the English Civil War. The other structure, a coastal tower known as "Cromwell's Castle", was built during the Civil War itself. In the centre of the island are cottages and farmland, a shop and sub-post office, the New Inn and the Island Hotel, an art gallery and the famous sub-tropical Abbey Gardens. The entire island of Tresco belongs to The Duchy of Cornwall and is leased to the Dorrien-Smith estate.

Since 2001, the island has hosted a marathon run organised in aid of Cystic Fibrosis. The course consists of 7.5 laps around the island. The event is always held on the same day as the London marathon.

[edit] Tresco in Fiction

Because of its stunning and unique geography, plus its violent and fascinating history, Tresco has often featured in fiction. Especially famous are the books of author Sam Llewellyn, who is directly descended from island founder Augustus Smith.

• Flora Castledine, lead character of the Georgie Gale novel Tread Softly, was born and brought up on the Isles of Scilly. Tresco is mentioned several times.

• Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo is set in the Isles of Scilly and features Tresco several times.

• Hell Bay, by Sam Llewellyn, is set on Tresco and fictionalises the events leading up to Augustus Smith taking ownership of the island.

• The Sea Garden, also by Sam Llewellyn, is set on a fictional island based heavily on Tresco. It features a stunning Sea Garden much like the Tresco Abbey Gardens and the history of the fictional island draws heavily from the real history of the island.

• Storm Islands, by Ann Quinton, is a mystery novel set on Tresco and in the Isles of Scilly.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tresco

• Tresco Estate
• Tresco Abbey Gardens - a Gardens Guide
• Tresco Heliport page at helis.com

[edit] References

Van Der Meer, Menzies & Rose, 2003, Subglacial till: the deforming glacier bed, In: Quaternary Science Reviews Vol 22, pp 1659-1685.

The Isles of Scilly
Inhabited islands in the Isles of Scilly: St Mary's | St Agnes | Tresco | Bryher | St Martin's
Uninhabited islands in the Isles of Scilly: Annet | Bishop Rock | Crim Rocks | English Island | Gugh | Samson | Zantman's Rock
Related topics: Environment of the Isles of Scilly | History of the Isles of Scilly | Transport in the Isles of Scilly

Coordinates: 49°57′N 6°19′W