St Mary's, Isles Of Scilly
A video of the island of St Mary's on the Isles Of Scilly. St Mary's is the largest and most inhabited island on the Isles Of Scilly. In 2011, the island had a population of 1,723 with the majority of these people being in the largest settlement and only town on the Isles Of Scilly, Hugh Town. The island is full of history with many burial chambers, Innidigen Burial Chambers and Bant's Carn to name just some, as well as Napoleonic history with Telegraph Tower and The Garrison. St Mary's makes up 40% of the total landmass of the Isles Of Scilly.
Places used in this video are:
Hugh Town, Old Town Church, Old Town, Old Town Beach, Old Town Bay, Peninnis Lighthouse, Peninnis Head, Buzza Hill, Buzza Hill Entrance Grave, Buzza Hill Quarry, Porthcressa Beach, Halangy Down Ancient Village, Bant's Carn Entrance Grave, Town Beach, Telegraph, Telegraph Tower, McFarland's Downs, Long Rock Standing Stone, Innisidgen Lower Burial Chamber, Innisidgen, Innisidgen Upper Burial Chamber, Watermill Cove, Porthmellon Beach
Isles of Scilly History - Halangy Down Iron Age Village
On the North-West Side of St Mary's - the largest of the isles of Scilly - sandwiched inbetween the sea and the prehistoric burial chamber known as Bant's Carn lies the Iron Age Village called Halangy Down.
It is an almost unprecedented site with numerous dwellings in a remakable level of preservation, including a wonderful courtyard house.
There is also a wealth of extremely clear evidence of agricultural work, with field walls from the same period surviving almost completely intact.
The site was occupied from the mesolithic period, as microliths, tools, and pottery from that period are currently being eroded out of the cliff face some few yards below the village.
Isles of Scilly History - Lower and Upper Innisidgen
Along the coast of St Mary's, just up from from Bant's Carn and Halangy Down ancient village is a small tidal island called Innisidgen.
A few metres inland is a matching pair of entrance graves that look out over the sound towards Tresco and St Martins. The one at the bottom of the hill is known as Lower Innisidgen, and about 200 metres up the hill, just below the highest point is Upper Innisidgen.
They are excellent examples of the Scillonian group type of entrance grave, with Upper Innisidgen being the more well preserved of the pair.
Isles of Scilly History - Porth Hellick Entrance Grave
Porth Hellick Down on St Mary's is stuffed to the gunnels with pre-historic archaeology. But none of it is more impressive that the burial chamber.
Larger than the burial chambers at Innisidgen and Bant's Carn and in better repair it is a truly stunning example of the type of entrance graves found across Scilly.
This video takes a look at the structure of the mound, as well as its position in the overall landscape.
St Martin's, Isles Of Scilly
St Martin's is an island on the Isles Of Scilly. It is the Northernmost island. The beaches on St Martin's have been described as some of the best in the world. There are three main settlements on St Martins which are Higher Town (the largest settlement), Middle Town and Lower Town. There are also two quays on St Martin's which are Higher Town Quay and Lower Town Quay. On a clear day, St Martin's, as well as St Mary's, can be seen from the Cornish mainland.
The places used in this video are (in order):
St Martin's (from Innisidgen Burial Chamber), Par Beach (also known as Higher Town Bay), Higher Town Quay, Cruther's Hill, Higher Town, St Martin's Daymark, Cruther's Hill Burial Chamber, Cruther's Neck, St Martin's Post Office & Stores, St Martin's Church, St Martin's Methodist Chapel, Lawrence Bay, Middle Town, The Flats, Lower Town Quay