St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly
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St Agnes (Cornish: Aganas) is the southernmost populated island of the Isles of Scilly, England, United Kingdom.
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[edit] Description
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, and a landmass of 366 acres - 150 hectares.
[edit] Lighthouse
The island's most notable landmark is its lighthouse, which has been converted into living accommodation and no longer contains a light. It was built in 1680 by Trinity House and was coal fired until 1790 when it was converted to oil firing with copper oil lamps with 21 revolving reflections. A plaque records original build by Captain Hugh Hill and Captain Simon Bayly, builders of the 1676 Lowestoft lighthouse.
It was the second to be built in Cornwall after the Lizard lighthouse of 1619. It stands 74ft above the ground, and 138ft above mean high water.
It was superseded in 1910 by the Peninnis Lighthouse, St. Mary's. It now serves simply as a daymark for shipping.
[edit] Other Landmarks
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 (the Turk's Head) 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] Church
The Anglican church is dedicated to St. Agnes. The first church was built in the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries, but it was destroyed in a gale. It was rebuilt in the eighteenth century but this was also destroyed.
The current building was built by the islanders in the nineteenth century using the proceeds of the sale of a wreck, and the bell in the church was taken from that wreck.
It is Grade II listed.
[edit] Population
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[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] References
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
[edit] See also
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