The Brisons ( kw, Enys Vordardh, meaning ''breaker island'') is a twin-peaked

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanent ...

in the

Celtic Sea The Celtic Sea ; cy, Y Môr Celtaidd ; kw, An Mor Keltek ; br, Ar Mor Keltiek ; french: La mer Celtique is the area of the Atlantic Ocean off the southern coast of Ireland bounded to the east by Saint George's Channel; other limits includ ...

situated 1 mile (1.6 km) offshore from

Cape Cornwall Cape Cornwall ( kw, Kilgoodh Ust, meaning "goose back of St Just") is a small headland in West Cornwall, UK. It is four miles north of Land's End near the town of St Just.Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 203 ''Land's End'' Until the first O ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Geography

The Brisons (the name is French: brisant, 'reef, breaker') are and high and are said to resemble General

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

lying on his back ("General de Gaulle in his bath"). The rocks are connected to Gribba Point ( kw, Pen an Gribow, meaning ''head of the reefs'') by the Guthen Gwidden reef ( kw, Kudhen Gwydn, meaning ''white hidden one''). The gap in the reef is called the Adgiwar Gap ( kw, Aja Wer, meaning ''green gap''). In 1878, an article in the

Cornishman The Cornish people or Cornish ( kw, Kernowyon, ang, Cornƿīelisċ) are an ethnic group native to, or associated with Cornwall: and a recognised national minority in the United Kingdom, which can trace its roots to the ancient Britons w ...

newspaper names the reef between the ″Brissons″ and the land as Bridges, and the reef had three gaps; the nearest known as Rose-an-pons.

Wildlife and ecology

In 2016 the rocks were visited by the West Cornwall Ringing Group where they heard at least two

European storm petrel The European storm petrel, British storm petrel, or just storm petrel (''Hydrobates pelagicus'') is a seabird in the northern storm petrel family, Hydrobatidae. The small, square-tailed bird is entirely black except for a broad, white rump and ...

(''Hydrobates pelagicus'') calling; an indication of breeding on the only known site in Cornwall. Sixty-six birds were ringed: *

European shag The European shag or common shag (''Gulosus aristotelis'') is a species of cormorant. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Gulosus''. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, mai ...

(''Phalacrocorax aristotelis'') – 42 including two adults *

razorbill The razorbill, razor-billed auk, or lesser auk (''Alca torda'') is a colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus '' Alca'' of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (''Pinguinis impe ...

(''Alca torda'') – 13 including seven adults *

guillemot Guillemot is the common name for several species of seabird in the Alcidae or auk family (part of the order Charadriiformes). In British use, the term comprises two genera: ''Uria'' and ''Cepphus''. In North America the ''Uria'' species are c ...

(''Uria aalge'') – 11 including eight adults.

History

In 1851, the 250 ton

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

''New Commercial'' was wrecked, striking the ledge between the Great and Little Brisons. A dramatic rescue of the surviving crew was attempted, resulting in the death of all but two of the members. As a result, the ''National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck ''(later the

RNLI The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...

) established a

lifeboat Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen A ...

Sennen Cove Sennen Cove ( kw, Porthsenen) () is a small coastal village in the parish of Sennen in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. According to the Penwith District Council, the population of this settlement was estimated at 180 persons in 2000. The S ...

in 1853, where one is still based today.

Recreation

During "Cape sports" an annual water sports event based on the beach at Cape Cornwall, swimming races are conducted from the Brisons back to the beach.

References

Gallery

File:The Brisons in the mist Cornwall.jpg, The Brisons in the mist Cornwall File:The Brisons and Cape Cornwall.jpg, The Brisons and Cape Cornwall File:The Brisons 5.jpg, Sparkling Sun at The Brisons File:The Brisons 4.jpg, The Brisons File:The Brisons 2.jpg, The Brisons seen from Carn Brea File:The Brisons.jpg, The Brisons {{Cornwall, state=collapsed Landforms of Cornwall Penwith Reefs of the Atlantic Ocean Reefs of England Seabird colonies Uninhabited islands of Cornwall St Just in Penwith Celtic Sea