St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly

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St Agnes is the southernmost populated island of the Isles of Scilly, England, United Kingdom. It is joined to the island of Gugh by a tombolo, a kind of sandbar, the Gugh Bar which is exposed only at low tide. The two islands have between them the smallest population of the Scilly archipelago, with 73 residents recorded in the 2001 census.

The island's most notable landmark is its lighthouse, which has been converted into living accommodation and no longer contains a light. It now serves simply as a daymark for shipping. Other landmarks include a standing stone known as the Nag's Head (probably a natural formation) and the so-called "Troytown Maze" a pebble maze thought to be of medieval date.

In earlier times many men from St Agnes earned a living as pilots, guiding transatlantic liners and other vessels through the English Channel. Now the mainstay of the economy is tourism, together with some bulb farming. However, accommodation for visitors is limited, and St Agnes is the only populated island in the Isles of Scilly which has no hotel. However, it has a few B&Bs and self-catering cottages, a campsite, and a small post office and general store. It also has a pub and a cafe, although these are closed in the winter. The main population centre is in the north and middle of the island. The southern end of the island is covered by the heather moorland of Wingletang Down.

[edit] Botanical importance

Wingletang Down is the only site in Britain where the fern Small Adder's-tongue Ophioglossum lusitanicum grows.

[edit] Vagrant birds

St Agnes is a favourite island of visiting birdwatchers, particularly during the Scilly season of October. Among the many vagrant birds which have been found here during the month of October are the following, which were all firsts for Britain:

• Eastern Bonelli's Warbler in 1987
• Wood Thrush in 1987
• Short-toed Eagle in 1999

In addition:

• a Yellow-browed Bunting in 1994 was Britain's fourth
• a Cream-coloured Courser in 2004 was the first to be seen in Britain for 20 years.

Among rare vagrants recorded at other times of year are the following:

• a Little Bustard in March 2002
• a Killdeer in November 2003

[edit] External links

• Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust

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

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