St Michael's Mount, Cornwall, reopens for summer season
Situated just 400 yards off Mount's Bay in Marazion , St Michael's Mount is an iconic Cornish landmark and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the South West. At low tide, cross the ancient causeway where a legendary giant once walked, follow the footsteps of pilgrims or when the tide is in, boat hop to an island where modern life meets layers of history. Discover an evocative castle, a sub-tropical garden paradise and a close-knit island community, home to the St Aubyn family and thirty island residents.
St Michael's Mount will open its doors for an event-packed summer season on Sunday 30 March 2014. Over the coming months, the island will come alive with activity and has an exceptional year to look forward to including celebrating the 60th anniversary of its gift to the National Trust.
A spectacular firework display in August will mark this very special occasion – a unique event, to be enjoyed by everyone, which will be seen not only from Marazion but for miles around.
Our annual Easter Egg Trail will take place on Friday 18 and Sunday 20 April from 10.30 to 16:00. Come and be an Eggsplorer for the day and take part in our Eggstra-special Easter Egg trail around the village and harbourside of St Michael's Mount, where hunting out the answers to clues will lead to a delicious prize. Our family fun eggstravaganza will also include; free Face Painting, design your own Egg Head and Pith Helmet, Easter treats in the Island Cafe and Sail Loft Restaurant and Musical Entertainment and Games. The Easter Egg trail costs £2.00 per child.
Village Tours – Island Life Today: Visitors this year will also be able to enjoy tours and talks around the village and harbour side of St Michael's Mount. Led by keen historian, veteran guide and long-standing island resident, Bob Hunt, the tour will focus on the history of community life from its heyday as a port with a population of over two hundred to modern day issues such as getting the island children to school and transporting shopping from the mainland. The tour will take in some of the historical buildings within the village, including two former public houses and an old mackerel smoking house. Tours take place Tuesday and Friday at 11am and 2pm. Duration is 30 minutes and the tour is free of charge.
The Castle and Gardens: Climb the cobbled pathway to a fairytale castle that peers out to sea and witness architecture dating back to the 12th Century. Discover the intricate plaster frieze in the Chevy Chase room, armour and weapons in the Garrison room and the lantern cross in the priory church.
Thought to date from around 400BC, St Michael's Mount has had many incarnations; a monastery, a site for pilgrimage, a castle fortress, a trading port and an early warning system for the Spanish Armada, as well as a family home.
St Michael's Mount isn't a dusty museum or a dormant relic of a past life and the island is still home to the St Aubyn family and more than 30 islanders who occupy the waterside cottages at the foot of the Mount and whose jobs range from boatman to gardener, castle guide to handyman. Some of the families that live and work here have been on the island for generations with one islander tracing his roots back 300 years.
While the National Trust now ensures the preservation and conservation of the Mount, the St Aubyn family continue to live on and manage the island, as they have done since the middle of the 17th century. This unique partnership gives St Michael's Mount a vibrant community life now as well as preserving its astonishing legacy built up since the island's earliest known inhabitants during the Bronze Age.
For Children: Children will be fascinated by the history, legends and myths of the Mount and we have an entertaining quiz in the castle enabling them to explore and learn. There are baby-changing facilities on the island and the restaurant and café have a number of high chairs and serve good value, healthy snacks, drinks and meals for children. There is a pushchair park near the Ticket Office and there are also hipster seats which can be used free of charge for the climb to the castle.
Tickets/Opening Times: St Michael's Mount castle, shops and restaurants are open daily (except Saturdays) from 30 March until 2 November; adults £8, children £4, families cost £20.00 and single adult family £12. National Trust members go free.
You can walk to the island at low tide and there are also boat crossings (subject to weather).
Due to their fragility, the lush-sub tropical gardens have restricted opening times and are open between 14 April to 26 September.
The Godolphin Arms: Once you've crossed the water back to the mainland, why not try the Godolphin Arms, set opposite and overlooking The Mount. Right on the water's edge of Mount's Bay along a two mile stretch of beach in Marazion, it boasts one of the most magnificent beachside views in the country.
Following a major renovation inside and out, the Godolphin Arms reopens on Wednesday 2 April, revealing a stylish and contemporary beachside inn with a focus on the warmth of its welcome and its breathtaking panoramic views over the water. With ten beautiful en-suite bedrooms and all-day dining spaces to suit every mood, the Godolphin Arms is a perfect location from which to relax and enjoy its exceptional setting to the full. Cornish cream teas are a perennial draw as is the outside beach terrace – a great place to linger over a pint or dine on the very freshest of local seafood -
godolphinarms.co.uk
For more information, visit stmichaelsmount.co.uk.
