There’s something about graveyards. Something I find strangely alluring. Perhaps it’s the quiet that descends the moment you push through that squeaky metal gate, or the brief green respite that a bench under a tree always offers.
But mainly, I think, it seems there are few better ways to quickly get under the skin of a place than to wander through its graveyard. Who lived here? Who died? When? How? Are there rich tombs adorned with angels, or simple headstones all covered in moss and under siege by unkempt grass?
The Old Town graveyard on St. Mary’s – the busiest island in the Isles of Scilly – is no different. Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson is buried here, and so too Augustus Smith, but more on him later. Both enjoy an eternal view to the white sands of Porthcressa Beach.
The lapping waters are calm today but, like all islands, the graveyard here is filled with souls claimed by the ocean. Derek Banfield; ‘Loved the sea, Lost at sea,’ reads one tombstone. Nearby, an imposing memorial remembers the wreck of the SS Schiller that foundered offshore after an Atlantic crossing. Only 100 bodies were ever recovered and buried in this mass grave, although 335 souls perished one foggy May morning in 1875.
On the Isles of Scilly, life has always revolved around the ocean, bringing both death and fortune. Catching a steamer to New York in the early 1900s? The lighthouse on Bishop Rock would have kept the keel clear of the Isles’ jagged rocks. In the days of Empire the oarsmen of Scilly were some of the strongest, racing out to sea in their wooden gigs to pilot merchant ships through the treacherous tidal races around the islands. The Boatshed on the St. Mary’s beachfront stores the 32-foot rowing gigs that are still raced in the bay on summer evenings. And is there anything in the tales that islanders would tie lights around cow’s necks and let them wander the shoreline, to confuse passing ships and then reap the rewards of wrecks? The truth is likely lost at sea.
Cast away off the coast of Cornwall, this rugged chain of islands is just barely part of England; a mile or two further from Britain than France is from Dover. There are 56 good-sized islands in the Isles, although only six are inhabited and most of the locals live here on St. Mary’s. From the quayside, the local Boatmen’s Association runs daily services to the various ‘off-islands’, along with sightseeing tours to uninhabited rocks further afield. Fares are only a few pounds per trip, so island hopping is a pleasant way to pass your days in Scillies.
After the capital St. Mary’s, St. Agnes and St. Martin’s are popular for their deserted beaches, wild flowers and chocolate-box scenery, while the more rugged Bryher Island is largely deserted, offering miles of rambling tracks and a dramatic shoreline pounded by the Atlantic rollers.
Why spend a holiday in smoggy overcrowded London, I wonder to myself, when you can discover these empty Isles’ mild weather and white-quartz beaches? Rolling heather-covered hills that could be Scotland, except that the sun is shining. It’s an escape that’s low on bells and short on whistles, but big on the great outdoors.
So I leave the graveyard behind and meander down to Porthcressa Beach to meet Will Flagstaff. Surrounded by an eager group of twitchers festooned with spotting scopes and bird books, he’s easy to find.
Will leads birding safaris across the globe, including South Africa, but he calls the Isles of Scilly home, offering half-day nature walks across St. Mary’s which – at £6 per person – are ridiculously good value.
“From America, these islands are the first landfall for over 3000 miles,” Will tells me as we wander along the pebbled shoreline. “We get some good old gales blowing through here… and with the wind, we get migratory birds blown off course.”
Will’s nature walks are aimed squarely at twitchers, who visit for a chance at spotting birds rarely seen on the British mainland, but throughout the walk Will rambles on knowledgeably about all facets of the islands’ intricate ecology.
And there’s certainly no shortage of subject matter on what have been nicknamed ‘the fortunate islands’. In 1976 the Isles were declared an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’; the smallest of the 35 declared Areas in England. The uninhabited ‘Off-Islands’ are an important haven for bird colonies, while the warm clear waters harbour seals, dolphins and myriad sea life. In the hills of St. Mary’s archaeologists have unearthed Stone Age burial mounds, and the narrow lanes skirt forests of pristine woodland.
With impossibly quaint lanes and hardly any cars, it’s an island made for walking and cycling. Hedgerows are filled with berries and blooms, and dedicated ‘right of way’ paths lead our small group between woodland thickets and fields of flowers.
With more sunshine than anywhere else in the UK – another good reason for visiting – flower-growing used to be the mainstay of the island’s economy, and if you were buying daffodils in London in the ‘60s chances are they would have been grown in these fields. With competition from abroad the industry has largely wilted, but “bulbs from Scilly” are still a popular souvenir for trippers.
Those blooms come in handy for paying the rent too.
“Almost all of Scilly belongs to Prince Charles, as part of the Duchy of Cornwall,” explains Will, “but the uninhabited areas are controlled and managed by the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust.”
And the rent? The heir to the throne charges one daffodil per year.
At the lunch stop I leave the twitchers behind and wander through the lanes over to Hugh Town, the hub of island life on St. Mary’s.
It’s a quaint cobbled seaside village, much as you’d find anywhere on the coast of Cornwall, and most roads lead towards the harbour. Quaint pubs overlook the waterfront, and offer the local ‘Ales of Scilly’ brews on tap. Gift shops and tour operators tout for tourist business, but it still has the feel of a living, breathing community.
I pick up a Cornish pasty at the bakery in Garrison Lane and wander up Garrison Hill for a look at the view. The road leads up past Tregarthen’s Hotel, one of the oldest on St. Mary’s with fantastic views over the island. In 1860, poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote part of his epic poem ‘Enoch Arden’ in the garden here, no doubt inspired by the view over the rooftops of the town below.
It’s a steep road that leads up through Garrison Gate, part of the old town’s fortifications. Through the gate, the historic Star Castle was built in 1593 to protect the islands from the Spanish Armada, but has since the ‘30s been used for more hospitable purposes as one of St. Mary’s finest hotels. The excellent self-guided walk around the hill leads me past Civil War bunkers and World War II arsenals before delivering me back to the quayside.
I’ve had enough history; it’s time for some horticulture.
While the Isles of Scilly draws birders, beachgoers and ramblers each summer, it’s also become a prime destination for garden-lovers. And that’s all thanks to old Augustus Smith, buried in the Old Town graveyard.
Smith was from an old-money family who’d built their fortune in London banking, and settled on the ‘Off-Island’ of Tresco. Around his house, in the ruins of the 12th century Abbey, he began planting a garden with exotic species he’d cajole off passing merchant ships. Monterey pines from California kept out the howling Atlantic winds, and the long days of sunshine nurtured everything from tropical palms to South African aloes.
Today, the Tresco Abbey Gardens are perhaps the highlight of a visit to the Isles of Scilly. Billed as ‘Kew with the roof off,’ they are as impressive as Cape Town’s Kirstenbosch Gardens, not least for the geometric designs and playful sculptures you’ll discover as you explore. In and among the 4000 species from across the globe, bronze children frolic in the shallows, Neptune guards his stone staircase and the ruins of the original Abbey still frame a quiet corner of the garden. Figureheads from ships wrecked around Scilly are restored and revered in the Gardens’ Valhalla Museum; a subtle nod to the Viking raiders that once sailed these waters.
And I think Odin would be pleased. Perhaps like his mythical Valhalla, the Isles of Scilly are also a refuge for those who’ve fallen in battle; the battle against Blackberries, deadlines, to-do lists and underground delays. Seafarers have long washed up on these shores except here in the Scillies it’s Neptune, in his Abbey Garden, who keeps a watchful eye over these ‘fortunate islands’.
TRAVEL NOTES
WHEN TO GO The weather on Scilly is generally milder and sunnier than mainland England, and frost is rare. Summer (May to August) is best if you’re keen to spend time out on the water or walking in the hills, while Autumn (September/October) is ideal for birdwatchers looking to spot migratory birds.
EAT HERE Lunch at Juliet's Garden Restaurant (www.julietsgardenrestaurant.co.uk) is a must, with great views over the bay and imaginative menus of fresh local produce. Get there early and ask if they have fresh crab. In the evenings, The Galley (01720 422602) is your best bet for local seafood. This unassuming family-run eatery only has half-a-dozen tables and is always busy; so make sure you call ahead. On St. Mary’s and the larger Off-Islands, keep an eye out for farm stalls selling fresh strawberries, jams and home-bakes.
SLEEP HERE For an upmarket taste of life on the islands, the isolated Hell Bay Hotel on Bryher Island (www.hellbay.co.uk) is ideal. Clapboard buildings a stone’s throw from the pounding surf offer comfortable rooms, most with great sea views. Rates start at R1500 per person, dinner-bed-and-breakfast. You’ll pay similar rates at the homely Star Castle Hotel on St. Mary’s (www.star-castle.co.uk), where you’ll also find more affordable B&Bs. The tourism board website (www.simplyscilly.co.uk) has a good listing of what’s on offer.
DON’T MISS A wander through Tresco Abbey Gardens, easily accessible as a day-trip from St. Mary’s. Visit www.tresco.co.uk. Nature walks with Will Wagstaff take place on St. Mary’s and the Off-Islands, and are an affordable way to discover the history and wildlife of the Isles. www.islandwildlifetours.co.uk.
READ THIS ‘The Fortunate Islands’ by RL Bowley is an engaging look at the history, legends and lore of the Isles. A good read for the flight over. Also visit the Isles of Scilly tourism board website before you go (www.simplyscilly.co.uk).
GET THERE British Airways flies daily from South Africa to London. Plane, helicopter and ferry services connect from Cornwall to St. Mary’s.
First published in Horizons magazine, September 2010
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