St Martin's, Isles of Scilly

St Martin's
Cornish: *Breghyek*
St Martin's Cornish: Breghyek;
	Great Bay on the north coast
	St Martin's Location within Isles of Scilly
Population	135 (2021)
OS grid reference	SV 925 159
Civil parish	St Martin's;
Unitary authority	Isles of Scilly;
Ceremonial county	Cornwall;
Region	South West;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ISLES OF SCILLY
Postcode district	TR25
Dialling code	01720
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Isles of Scilly
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	St Ives;
	List of places UK England Cornwall 49°57′50″N 6°17′20″W / 49.964°N 6.289°W

St Martin's (Cornish: Breghyek, lit. 'dappled island')^[1] is the northernmost populated island of the Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has an area of 237 hectares (0.92 sq mi) and a total population (2021 census) of 135.^[2] Four regions of the island are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest^[3].

Description

There are three main settlements on the island - Higher Town, Middle Town and Lower Town - in addition to a number of scattered farms and cottages.^[4]

There are two quays - at Higher Town (the Higher Town Quay, used at high tide) and at Lower Town (the Hotel Quay, used at low tide). In Higher Town there is also a general store and post office,^[5] a bakery,^[6] a bistro,^[7] a fish and chip restaurant^[8] and a commercial vineyard.^[9] At Lower Town, there is also a hotel,^[10] a public house^[11] and a silversmith and jeweler.^[12]

In addition, St Martin's has a community observatory, which is situated between Middle Town and Higher Town.^[13] The night sky on the island is rated as class 1 on the Bortle scale, which means it has very minimal light pollution and is possibly the best place in England to view the Milky Way.^[14]

To the north, St Martin's is joined by a tidal causeway to the uninhabited White Island, which is itself another Site of Special Scientific Interest.^[15].

Daymark

At the northeast corner of the island is a large red-and-white daymark. It was erected in 1683 by Thomas Ekins, first steward of the Godophin Family to live on the islands. The 'Daymark', alongside several nearby prehistoric cairns, are all registered scheduled monuments.^[16]

Daymark is a rendered granite circular tower 4.8 metres (16 ft) in diameter and 6.4 metres (21 ft) high, set back to conical termination making it 11 metres (36 ft) high. The blocked arched entrance door contains an incorrect date of 1637. Daymark was painted white until 1822 but by 1833, it had been painted red. However, for much of the remainder of its history, Daymark has been painted in alternating bands of red and white.^[17]

Daymark is built on the highest point of St Martin's — and the second-highest point in the Isles of Scilly — and the islands' only Ordnance Survey triangulation station is situated by Daymark. The relative position and height of this location means that in good weather, the Cornish mainland is visible from Daymark^[18] and reciprocally, Daymark is visible and identifiable from Lands End on the Cornish mainland.^[19]

Religion

There are two churches on St Martin's: the Anglican parish church of St Martin's and St Martin's Methodist Church, both located in the Higher Town area. The Methodist chapel dates from about 1845 and is part of the Isles of Scilly Methodist Circuit.^[20]

Civil parish and ward

St Martin's is one of the five civil parishes of the Isles of Scilly, which are also wards. The civil parish and ward include several uninhabited islands and rocks, including the Eastern Isles, Great Ganilly, English Island and White Island.^[21] St Martin's returns one councillor to the Council of the Isles of Scilly, the same as the other "off-island" wards. The civil parish is not functional, however, and there is no council or meeting.^[22]

Education

Five Islands Academy (previously Five Islands School) has its St Martin's Base, a primary campus. Secondary pupils board at the St Mary's main campus,^[23] staying there on weekdays and coming back and forth to their home islands on weekends.^[24]

Students at the sixth-form college level reside and board elsewhere,^[25] in mainland Great Britain. Previously the Learning and Skills Council paid for costs of accommodation for sixth-formers.^[26]

Population

Population^[27]
City	Population
1841	214
1861	185
1871	158
1881	175
1891	174
1901	175
1911	191
1921	134
1931	134
1951	131
1961	118
1971	106
1981	118
1991	110
2001	142
2011	136
2021	135

References

^ "Akademi Kernewek - Henwyn Tyller". Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
^ City Population. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
^ Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK): Designated SSSI on St Martin's
^ St Martin’s Isles of Scilly: Map of St. Martin’s
^ St Martin’s Stores
^ The Island Bakery
^ Little Arthur Cafe and Bistro
^ Adam’s Fish & Chips
^ St Martin's Vineyard
^ Karma St. Martin’s
^ The Seven Stones Inn
^ Fay Page
^ "COSMOS - Community Observatory on St. Martin's". cosmosscilly.co.uk.
^ "Isles of Scilly observatory plan to attract 'astro-tourists'". BBC News.
^ Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK): Designated SSSI on White Island
^ Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1016508)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
^ British Listed Buildings
^ 360 Cornwall: The Daymark
^ 360 Cornwall: Land’s End
^ "St Martin's Methodists". Isles of Scilly Methodists. Isles of Scilly Methodists. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
^ Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map
^ Council of the Isles of Scilly
^ "Contact Us". Five Islands Academy. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
^ "Home to School Travel". Isles of Scilly Council. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
^ "Schools & Colleges". Isles of Scilly Council. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
^ "Education". Council of the Isles of Scilly. 14 October 2002. Archived from the original on 14 October 2002. Retrieved 8 December 2018. There is no post-16 provision on the Islands, students leaving the Isles of Scilly (VC) Federated School attend at colleges/schools with 6th forms on the mainland.[...]
^ UK Household Census Statistics, Blue Books, HMSO

External links

Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust

[1] "Akademi Kernewek - Henwyn Tyller". Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2025.

[2] City Population. Retrieved 22 December 2024.

[3] Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK): Designated SSSI on St Martin's

[4] St Martin’s Isles of Scilly: Map of St. Martin’s

[5] St Martin’s Stores

[6] The Island Bakery

[7] Little Arthur Cafe and Bistro

[8] Adam’s Fish & Chips

[9] St Martin's Vineyard

[10] Karma St. Martin’s

[11] The Seven Stones Inn

[12] Fay Page

[13] "COSMOS - Community Observatory on St. Martin's". cosmosscilly.co.uk.

[14] "Isles of Scilly observatory plan to attract 'astro-tourists'". BBC News.

[15] Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK): Designated SSSI on White Island

[SAM-16] Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1016508)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 August 2014.

[17] British Listed Buildings

[18] 360 Cornwall: The Daymark

[19] 360 Cornwall: Land’s End

[20] "St Martin's Methodists". Isles of Scilly Methodists. Isles of Scilly Methodists. Retrieved 11 October 2020.

[21] Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map

[22] Council of the Isles of Scilly

[23] "Contact Us". Five Islands Academy. Retrieved 7 December 2018.

[Hometoschool-24] "Home to School Travel". Isles of Scilly Council. Retrieved 8 December 2018.

[25] "Schools & Colleges". Isles of Scilly Council. Retrieved 8 December 2018.

[ScillyEd2002-26] "Education". Council of the Isles of Scilly. 14 October 2002. Archived from the original on 14 October 2002. Retrieved 8 December 2018. There is no post-16 provision on the Islands, students leaving the Isles of Scilly (VC) Federated School attend at colleges/schools with 6th forms on the mainland.[...]

[27] UK Household Census Statistics, Blue Books, HMSO

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v t e Isles of Scilly
Inhabited islands	St Mary's St Agnes (and Gugh) Bryher Tresco St Martin's
Uninhabited islands	Annet Bishop Rock Crim Rocks Eastern Isles English Island Great Ganilly Gweal Norrard Rocks Pednathise Head Rosevear Round Island Samson St Helen's Teän Western Rocks White Island Zantman's Rock
Settlements	St Mary's: Hugh Town, Holy Vale, Longstone, Maypole, Normandy, Old Town, Pelistry, Porthloo, Rocky Hill, Telegraph and Trenoweth St Martin's: Higher Town, Middle Town and Lower Town St Agnes: Middle Town Tresco: New Grimsby and Old Grimsby
Lighthouses	Bishop Rock Peninnis Round Island St Agnes
Symbols	Scillonian Cross
Topics	Buildings and structures Environment History People Shipwrecks Transport Islands FM

v t e Civil parishes of St Ives constituency
Cornwall
Breage Bryher Crowan Cury Germoe Grade–Ruan Gunwalloe Helston Landewednack Ludgvan Madron Marazion Manaccan Mawgan-in-Meneage Morvah Mullion Penzance Perranuthnoe Porthleven Sancreed Sennen Sithney St Agnes St Anthony-in-Meneage St Buryan, Lamorna and Paul St Erth St Hilary St Ives St Just St Keverne St Levan St Martin's St Martin-in-Meneage St Mary's St Michael's Mount Towednack Tresco Zennor
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