I have a confession to make.
I watch way to much Walking Dead (if such a limit exists).
So much so that when S and I recently went to St Michael’s Mount I couldn’t help but think how perfect it would be as a place to escape to should the zombie apocalypse happen.
For those of you whom have never been, St Michael’s Mount is a tidal island just off of the coast of Marazion (Cornwall) with a man-made causeway that joins the two. The causeway isn’t always available and once the tide comes in the causeway disappears leaving the teeny tiny island, that houses one heck of a castle, completely surrounded by beautiful, but very very cold, water.
After waking up one morning in our Air Bnb, I stared out of the window and watched as the sea mist dissipated, the sun began to rise and St Michael’s Mount slowly came into focus.
It stood there magnificently above the layer of early morning mist and and we just knew it was a place we had to visit, so after whipping us up some breakfast I grabbed my camera and S and I were off.
We parked at a nearby carpark and took a lovely, but extraordinarily windy stroll along the beach to the causeway. The tide was in when we got there which meant we had to take a long and harrowing sea voyage to get to the island… And by long and harrowing I mean it took a rather pleasant four minute journey to get across.
The boat pulled in to the harbour and we all scrambled out of the boat eager to explore, placing our £2 fee into the hands of the Captain as we left his vessel. Upon disembarking we were immediately swept along by the wind making the walk towards the castle that little bit easier.
Unfortunately that’s where the ease ended.
The walk to the castle is all up hill and whilst I don’t mind walking and I’m not unfit, I am incredibly clumsy and the path to the castle is almost entirely cobbled… Which made for a very comical walk to the top!
The shutterbug in me couldn’t resist making multiple stops at the various elevations so it took us a short while to get to the top, but the walk itself is actually quite pleasant.
It’s in no way friendly for disabled visitors, but there are a bunch of handrails to assist the *ahem* clumsy amongst us.
After taking WAY to many photos of the canons and spending a bit too much time discussing whether the canons worked and if in fact they would actually be a decent weapon against the zombie invasion, we eventually made it into the castle.
Walking inside was like a step back in time because many of the original features have been preserved and old battle armour displayed for the masses to see.
For me, the outside is where the castle really shines though.
Beautiful architecture looking over the most beautiful of gardens makes it the perfect place for a shutterbug to do their thang, especially as the sub-tropical gardens are just as impressive when viewed from above.
Dating back to the 14th century the castle is not only rich in history and folklore, but it’s also incredibly rich in beauty and boasts the best panoramic views of Cornwall’s coastline.
After roaming around the courtyard and admiring the beautiful stained glass windows in the chapel we hopped down the cobbled stones to explore the gardens.
St Michael’s Mount has been in the St Levan family since 1659 but was handed over to the National Trust in 1954 by Lord St Levan. Rumour has it that the mount was once a hub of trade and the recent unearthing of bronze-age artefacts has further cemented that belief.
There are three pillboxes on the island which were once seen as an eye sore by the St Levan grandparents, but they had a functional purpose as they were once used as bunkers for soldiers in the second world war. But nowadays they’re covered in moss and the windows inside act as a frame to the most beautiful of landscapes.
The grounds of St Michael’s Mount are huge and each section of the garden is based upon a different elevation making it the most beautiful place to wander around on a sunshine filled day.
After stopping for a bite to eat we saw the ominous dark clouds rolling in and figured it was a good time to head back to the mainland.
And even though as we jumped on the open-top boat the heavens opened and we got thoroughly drenched, it was a beautiful way to spend an afternoon, and if you’re ever in Cornwall I highly recommend a visit to St Michael’s Mount.
Location:
St Michael’s Mount
Marazion
Cornwall.
Price:
Castle and Ground Access: £11.50
Ferry Across: £2 each way.
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