Perched
on top of a great granite crag, St Michael's
Mount rises nearly 300 feet from the waters
of Mount's Bay opposite the small village of
Marazion, one of Cornwall's oldest chartered
towns. Located half a mile off shore, St Michael's Mount is an island at
high tide. The island has a
small harbor on its northern shore, with
picturesque houses, shops and restaurants. The
island is accessible by foot via a cobbled granite causeway at low
tide
or by boats which land in the harbor at high
tide.
Originally the site
of a Benedictine priory established around 1066, the dramatic
castle on top of this famous rocky island dates
from the 12th century. It was converted into a
private house in the 17th century and contains an armory, a rococo
Gothic drawing room and, at the summit of the
island, a
14th-century church. The Mount was bought
by Sir John St Aubyn in 1659 and the St
Aubyn family retained the ownership St Michael's
Mount until 1954 when the property was given to
the National Trust by the 3rd Lord St Levan. The
St Aubyn family continues to live in the Mount.
|