Page:Cornwall (Salmon).djvu/321

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

ST. MARY'S— ST. AGNES Castle," the Pulpit Rock, the Logan Stone, the Crosses, the Sun Rock, and the numerous rock- basins. An excellent and cheap local guide- book gives full particulars of these. A new lighthouse is to be built at St. Mary's, on Peninis Head ; doubtless in connection with the development of the Scilly Isles as a naval base. Tresco (about z m. N. of St. Mary's) is the residence of the proprietor, who lives on the site of the abbey founded in the tenth century by Athelstan. Only two old arches and some bits of grey wall remain, and these cannot have be- longed to the original building. Surrounding them are the gardens that have made Tresco so famous, with their tropical and subtropical vegetation. Cromwell's Castle, though certainly not built by the Protector, dates from his time ; it must have been a powerful little fort. There are also traces of a Charles Castle. Tresco has a new church (1879) dedicated to St. Nicholas, as was the abbey ; it was chiefly raised by local labour. The finest cavern on the islands is the Piper's Hole, at the N.E. end of Tresco ; it extends for over 600 ft., and a boat is needed in its exploration. St. Martin's lies to the N. of St. Mary's. It has a church, and a signalling-tower known as the Daymark, raised in 1683 ; there are also some prehistoric antiquities. St. Agues, S.W. of St. Mary's, has a fine lighthouse, built in 1859, 165 ft. in height. This lighthouse has withstood some terrible 277