South West Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Tresco is the second largest of the Isles of Scilly to the north of St Mary’s. It is unusual as it is leased from the Duchy of Cornwall by the Dorrien Smith family and is still managed by the family.

When the Godolphin family gave up the lease of the Islands in 1836, it was taken over by Augustus Smith who made Tresco his base. He built Tresco Abbey as his home and began to develop the sub tropical Tresco Abbey Gardens. The lease of the island has been in the family ever since. The family have revived and modernised the economy of the islands and especially their agriculture with the growing of early daffodils. The current prosperity of the islands owes much to them.

The family relinquished the lease of the other Islands, apart from Tresco, back to the Duchy of Cornwall. Tresco is now run by the Tresco Estate from offices by Great Pool. About 150 people live on the island working for the estate and renting property from them. Many families have lived here for several generations.

Most people arrive for the day by boat from St Mary’s. There are two landing stages. Carn Near Quay which is overlooked by massive rocks at the south of the Island and is used at low water. There are good views of Tresco Abbey from here.

New Grimsby is used at high water.

A concrete road runs between the two taking visitors to Tresco Abbey Gardens and also past the Heliport, which has a regular series of flights from Penzance as well as being used by private helicopters.

The south of the island is exposed dry sandy heathland with no trees. The dominant vegetation is heather, brambles and wild sage with bracken on the higher ground.

It is surrounded by deserted sandy beaches.

Great Pool is a large expanse of water fringed with reed beds across the centre of the Island and is a good place to watch birds.

The main settlement is across the central belt. The Estate Offices along with post office, cafe and shop in Smith Square is by Great Pool.

New Grimsby on the west coast, stretches round a large sandy bay and the main quay is here, protected by high ground on either side and also by Bryher just across the water.

The approach was guarded by Cromwell’s Castle to the north which was built after the Civil War. With its tall circular gun tower and adjacent gun platform it was designed to guard one of the main routes of entry to the heart of the islands and the deep water approach to New Grimsby harbour.

The road climbs out of New Grimsby past the white washed cottages of Dolphin and St Nicholas Church to drop down to Old Grimsby on the east side of the island.

Old Grimsby is also built round a large sandy bay and has a small quay. It was less popular as a berth than New Grimsby because of underwater hazards. It is now popular with small craft. It was guarded to the south by the mid C16th Blockhouse built on the hill overlooking the harbour. The Blockhouse was captured by the Parliamentary Army in 1651 and has been left as a ruin ever since.

The area to the north is higher and covered with poor heathland with heather rocks and stones. It is rough walking and the main reason to explore this part of the island is to find the ruins of the mid C15th King Charles’s Castle. This was built to guard entry to the narrow strait leading past New Grimsby harbour and towards St Mary’s. However, not only was it badly sited to withstand attack, the guns had to point down at such a steep angle to fire on ships that the cannon balls would have rolled out of the cannons before being fired. Although it was garrisoned during the Civil War, the Parliamentarians sailed round the other side of Tresco to take control of the island. Stone from the castle was later used to build Cromwell’s Castle.

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[Eleanor]

Tresco Abbey Gardens

When Augustus Smith took over the lease of the Scilly Isles from the Duchy of Cornwall, he built a grand home, Tresco Abbey, overlooking St Mary’s at the south of the island, and began to develop a sub tropical garden around the ruins of Tresco Abbey. Slopes were terraced to provide different growing conditions and trees planted to provide shelter from winds.

His heirs continued to develop the gardens and it is now one of the main showcase gardens in the UK with over 2000 species from across the world.

The exhibition in the courtyard covers the development of the garden as well as information and artefacts from the wreck of the Colossus in 1798.

They are a garden for all seasons with grassy areas with palm trees and different species of conifer.

Vegetation is lush and in July was a riot of colour. A network of paths explores the gardens, beginning with the bridge across a Bamboo grove that is the best place to see Tresco's famous red squirrels.

There is no set route to follow. This is a place to explore and get lost in.

As well as the flowers there are other things to catch the eye, like the Shell House with the pineapple fountain in front.

Steps up to the bust of Neptune.

There is a secret grotto behind a small pool.

And everyone takes a picture of the abbey ruins too...

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[Eleanor]

Christianity on Tresco and St Nicholas Church

Benedictine Monks from Tavistock Abbey founded a Priory on Tresco in 1120, however it was subject to numerous raids and the Priory was abandoned some time in the C15th. By the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries there were no monks left there.

Although Tresco was still regarded as the centre of Christianity for the Islands, the only clergyman was based in St Mary’s with Lay Readers serving the other islands.

At that time, the main settlement on Tresco, with about ten stone built houses, was based in the centre of the island at Dolphin and a small church is recorded there in the C18th, with a minister and house funded by the SPCK. The population continued to bury their dead in the grounds of the ruined priory until 1820 when a burial ground was built round the church.

The present church was built in the late C19th in memory of Augustus Smith. It was dedicated to St Nicholas, patron saint of sailors.

It was to the east of the existing church and was a larger more splendid building with a tower. The old church was demolished and its stone reused for the new building. Services were held in the schoolroom until the new church was finished.

It is an attractive stone built cruciform church with an offset tower surrounded by a graveyard covered in wild flowers. The Blockhouse can be seen on the hill behind.

Inside it is a simple church with wood ceiling, wooden pews and whitewashed walls with memorials to the Dorrien Smith family. The lovely circular west window is based on a quote from the Book of Revelation has the Virgin and Child in centre surrounded by angles striking bells.

At the back of the nave is the font made of Cornish serpentine on four granit pillars.

The floor standing pulpit has a lovely carved figure of an angel.

The east window is by CE Kempe and has the images of St Andrew, Christ Crucified and St Nicholas holding his bishop’s staff. Below are depictions of St Andrew being called by Jesus, Jesus walking on water and St Christopher carrying the Christ Child over a stream.

Below the window is red and white marble with a three panelled Cornish serpentine reredos with granite inlay. The incised marble panels on either side depict the appearance of the Risen Christ.

On the south wall above the choir stalls is the Roll of Honour with the names of the thirty five islanders who served in WW2 with four killed in action.

The lovely carved wood organ screen commemorates a relative of the Dorien Smith's who died on nursing duties in France during World War One.

This is an attractive small church and tends not to get many visitors.