St Martin's, Isles of Scilly

St Martin's (Cornish: Brechiek, meaning "dappled island") is the northernmost populated island of the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom. It has an area of 237 hectares (0.92 sq mi).

Description

There are three main settlements on the island - Higher Town, Middle Town and Lower Town - in addition to a number of scattered farms and cottages, with a total population (2001 census) of 142.

The island has one hotel, St Martin's On The Isle, and one pub, The Seven Stones, in Lower Town. A guesthouse is located in Higher Town, and one campsite, between Lower Town and Middle Town is also present. There are quays at Higher Town (the Higher Town Quay, used at high tide) and at Lower Town (the Hotel Quay, used at low tide). A bakery, St. Martins Bakery, is located at Higher Town.

To the north, St Martin's is joined by a tidal causeway to White Island.

Daymark

At the northeast corner of the island is a large red-and-white daymark. It was erected in 1683 by Thomas Ekins, first steward of the Godophin Family to live on the islands.

It is a rendered granite circular tower 4.8 metres (16 ft) in diameter and 6.4 metres (21 ft) high, set back to conical termination making it 11 metres (36 ft) high. The blocked arched entrance door contains an incorrect date of 1637. It was painted white until 1822 but by 1833 had been painted red, and is now painted in bands of red and white.

It is the earliest surviving dated example of a beacon in the British Isles.

Church

There are two churches on St Martin's: the Anglican church of St Martin's and a Methodist one. The Methodist church dates from ca. 1845 and is part of the Isles of Scilly Methodist Circuit

Population

See also

• List of shipwrecks of the Isles of Scilly

External links

• Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust