Tresco ( kw, Enys Skaw, meaning "island of
elder-trees") is the second-biggest
island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
of the
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly (; kw, Syllan, ', or ) is an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in Britain, being over further south than the most southerly point of the ...
in
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 ...
, England. It is in size, measuring about by .
History
In early times one group of islands was in the possession of a confederacy of hermits.
King Henry I gave it to
Tavistock Abbey
Tavistock Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint Rumon, is a ruined Benedictine abbey in Tavistock, Devon. Nothing remains of the abbey except the refectory, two gateways and a porch. The abbey church, dedicated to Our Lady and S ...
which established a
priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...
on Tresco; it was abolished during the
Dissolution of the Monasteries. The priory was given the care of souls in the secular islands by the lord of the fief. In 1233, a prior here, known as Alan of Cornwall, was made
Abbot of Tavistock.
The original name for the island (including Bryher) was the kw, Ryn Tewyn, meaning "promontory of sand-dunes". In 1193, when the island was granted to the Abbot of Tavistock by
Pope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III ( la, Caelestinus III; c. 1106 – 8 January 1198), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 March or 10 April 1191 to his death in 1198. He had a tense relationship with several monarchs, ...
, the island was known as ''St. Nicholas's island'', and by 1305 it is called ''Trescau'' (farm of elder-trees). By 1540 this has changed to ''Iniscaw'' (island of elder-trees). The island was named as ''Trescaw'' in an 1814 publication.
The island is administered for
the Crown
The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...
by the
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall ( kw, Duketh Kernow) is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of 'Duke of Cornwall' at ...
and is leased to the Dorrien-Smith estate, which runs it as a timeshare business. The Dorrien-Smith family (descended from
Augustus Smith) held the position of
Lord Proprietors of the Scilly Islands between 1834 and 1920.
From 2001 until 2009, the island hosted a
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
run organised to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, consisting of 7½ laps around the island. The event was always held on the same day as the
London Marathon
The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, United Kingdom, and is the 2nd largest annual road race in the UK, after the Great North Run in Newcastle. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held ...
. Past winners include
Dara O'Kearney and Bob Brown. It was replaced by a sprint triathlon.
In 2007 a rebuild of the Abbey Farm/Shed area was completed; this area served as
RNAS Tresco, a
seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
base during the First World War. The development included rental cottages, a swimming pool and spa and the Flying Boat Bar & Bistro.
In 2012 the Island Hotel was closed. Parts of the complex were converted into luxury holiday cottages; other parts of the hotel were demolished with new cottages built in its place. The Sea Garden Cottages now offer flexible accommodation with an on-site spa and tennis court.
Geography
![Plumb Island and Great Pool, Tresco, from Bryher - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Plumb_Island_and_Great_Pool%2C_Tresco%2C_from_Bryher_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1196274.jpg)
A variety of scenery is found on the island, including rugged
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
outcrops, heathland of the exposed north coast and mainly shell beaches in the east and south. The variety of its scenery and geomorphology is partly a result of the last ice age, when the
Devensian ice sheet clipped the north side of the island, leaving deformation till deposits.
The main settlements are
New Grimsby and
Old Grimsby in the central part of the island. Combined, their facilities include a convenience store (with a post office sub-branch), an art gallery, a pub, and two café/restaurants, all of which are owned and run by the Tresco Estate. At the south of the island are the sub-tropical
Tresco Abbey Gardens
Tresco Abbey Gardens are located on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom. The 17 acre gardens were established by the nineteenth-century proprietor of the islands, Augustus Smith, originally as a private garden within the ...
, including the Valhalla Figurehead Collection, and
Tresco Heliport
Tresco Heliport is a heliport located on the island of Tresco, in the Isles of Scilly off the southwest coast of England, UK. The heliport was served by a scheduled helicopter service from 1983 to 2012, and since 2020 a new scheduled servic ...
. To the north of New Grimsby are King Charles's Castle and Cromwell's Castle.
Civil parish and ward
![Tresco Isles of Scilly UK parish locator map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Tresco_Isles_of_Scilly_UK_parish_locator_map.png)
Tresco is one of the five
civil parishes
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...
of the Isles of Scilly, which are also
wards
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...
. The civil parish and ward covers much more than the island of Tresco: it includes uninhabited islands such as
Samson
Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...
(inhabited until 1855),
Teän
Teän ( , sometimes written ''Tean'' without the diaeresis; kw, Enys Tian) is an uninhabited island to the north of the Isles of Scilly archipelago between Tresco, to the west, and St Martin's, to the east. Approximately in area, the isl ...
,
St Helen's St Helens or St. Helen's may refer to:
Places Australia
* St Helens, Queensland (Fraser Coast Region), a locality in the Fraser Coast Region
* St Helens, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a locality in the Toowoomba Region
* St Helens Beach, Queenslan ...
,
Northwethel and
Round Island. Tresco elects one councillor to the
Council of the Isles of Scilly
The Council of the Isles of Scilly is a ''sui generis'' unitary local government authority covering the Isles of Scilly off the west coast of Cornwall. It is currently made up of 16 seats, with all councillors being independents. The council w ...
, the same as the other "off-island" wards. The civil parish is not functional, however, and there is no
council
A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...
or
meeting
A meeting is when two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal or business setting, but meetings also occur in a variety of other environments. Meetings can be used as form of group decision making.
Defini ...
.
Demography
''These figures include permanent residents only. A large number of seasonal staff also reside on the island during the summer.''
*1841 – 430
*1861 – 399
*1871 – 266
*1891 – 315
*1901 – 331
*1911 – 315
*1921 – 217
*1931 – 248
*1951 – 243
*1961 – 283
*1971 – 246
*1991 – 170
*2001 – 180
*2011 – 175
Economy
Unlike the other Scilly islands, Tresco is primarily run as a holiday resort, and virtually all activity and employment is tourist-related. On the other islands tourism is important, but does not dominate to the same extent.
Landmarks
![Tresco New Grimsby Pier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Tresco_New_Grimsby_Pier.jpg)
;English Civil War
*
King Charles's Castle
King Charles's Castle is a ruined artillery fort overlooking New Grimsby harbour on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. Built between 1548 and 1551 to protect the islands from French attack, it would have held a battery of guns and ...
dates from 1550–54, and was occupied by the Royalists during the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
. It was later partially demolished to provide the building materials for Cromwell's Castle.
*A coastal tower known as
Cromwell's Castle
Cromwell's Castle is an artillery fort overlooking New Grimsby harbour on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. It comprises a tall, circular gun tower and an adjacent gun platform, and was designed to prevent enemy naval vessels from e ...
was built 1651–52 with a gun platform added around 1740 by Abraham Tovey, Master Gunner.
*The
Old Blockhouse gun tower protecting Old Grimsby harbour, vigorously defended during the Civil War, was probably built between 1548 and 1552.
*Oliver's Battery, in the south of the island, by the Carn Near quay, was erected shortly after the capture of Tresco by Parliamentary forces in the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
. It was built by
Admiral Robert Blake.
;Other landmarks
*Monument to
Augustus Smith, above Appletree Bay on the south west of the island (Grade II listed building, List Entry Number 1141199).
*Remains of St Nicholas' Priory, Tresco, in
Tresco Abbey Gardens
Tresco Abbey Gardens are located on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom. The 17 acre gardens were established by the nineteenth-century proprietor of the islands, Augustus Smith, originally as a private garden within the ...
(Grade II listed building, List Entry Number 1141172; and Scheduled Monument, List Entry Number 1016184).
*Anglican church: see
St Nicholas's Church, Tresco.
Education
Five Islands Academy
Five Islands Academy, formerly Five Islands School, is the first federated school in the United Kingdom, providing primary and secondary education for children from 3 to 16 at five sites in the Isles of Scilly. As of May 2022, the headteacher ...
(previously Five Islands School) has its Tresco and Bryher Base, a primary campus in Tresco. Secondary pupils board at the
St Mary's main campus, staying there on weekdays and coming back and forth to their home islands on weekends.
Students at the
sixth-form college
A sixth form college is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the International Baccalaureate Di ...
level reside and board elsewhere, in mainland Great Britain. Previously the
Learning and Skills Council
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) was a non-departmental public body jointly sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in England. It closed on 31 Marc ...
paid for costs of accommodation for sixth-formers.
Transport
Tresco is a car-free island. Electric vehicles are used to transport overnight visitors to and from
Tresco Heliport
Tresco Heliport is a heliport located on the island of Tresco, in the Isles of Scilly off the southwest coast of England, UK. The heliport was served by a scheduled helicopter service from 1983 to 2012, and since 2020 a new scheduled servic ...
and from the various quays, and a few golf carts are available for disabled visitors.
From
Tresco Heliport
Tresco Heliport is a heliport located on the island of Tresco, in the Isles of Scilly off the southwest coast of England, UK. The heliport was served by a scheduled helicopter service from 1983 to 2012, and since 2020 a new scheduled servic ...
, a year-round helicopter service connects Tresco to
Penzance Heliport
Penzance Heliport is located northeast of Penzance, Cornwall. The heliport hosts scheduled flights to the Isles of Scilly, with a connection to the railway network at Penzance railway station by a special bus service. The original heliport h ...
on the Cornish mainland. From 1983 to cessation in 2012, the service was operated by
British International Helicopters
British International Helicopter Services (BIH), owned by Bristow Group, is a British-owned helicopter operator. It operates a fleet of ten helicopters covering search and rescue, offshore, defence, charter and flying training activities from i ...
. In 2020, helicopter service was resumed from a new Penzance Heliport to Tresco and St Mary's, operated by Penzance Helicopters.
Tresco Boat Services run passenger boat services to and from the other inhabited islands, as well as occasional circular sightseeing tours.
Wildlife and ecology
Tresco is unique amongst the off islands in that its habitat ranges from a windswept northern plateau with waved heath to sheltered bulb fields, wetland and lakes, to beautiful beaches backed by a sand dune system on the south coast.
The forerunner of
Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
designated three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1971 and 1976. They are the
Castle Down (Tresco) SSSI, Great Pool (Tresco) SSSI and
Pentle Bay, Merrick and Round Islands SSSI. Castle Down is a SSSI for its waved maritime heath, its
lichen flora, a breeding colony of Common Tern (''
Sterna hirundo'') and for its
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
. Great Pool is an SSSI because it is the largest area of fresh water in the islands and important for its breeding birds, and as a sheltering and feeding area for migrants. Pentle Bay is designated for the transition from a flora-rich sand dune system to lichen-rich heath.
In October 2012, four male and one female Red Squirrel (''
Sciurus vulgaris
The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris'') is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent.
In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers ...
''), on permanent loan from the British Wildlife Centre, were transported to Tresco by helicopter. Only two survived, but in September 2013 a further twenty were transported to Tresco and released in Abbey Woods, near
the Abbey Gardens. Tresco is considered to be a ″safe haven″ for the endangered mammal as it is free from predators such as
foxes
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, and from
grey squirrels Gray squirrel or grey squirrel may refer to several species of squirrel indigenous to North America:
*The eastern gray squirrel (''Sciurus carolinensis''), from the eastern United States and southeastern Canada; introduced into the United Kingdom, I ...
and the
squirrel pox
''Squirrelpox virus (SQPV)'' is a virus that causes the fatal disease squirrelpox in United Kingdom red squirrels. The virus is often carried by grey squirrels from North America, which rarely die from the disease. Elsewhere in the Red Squirre ...
they carry. In June 2014, an unknown number of baby squirrels have been pictured in the Abbey Gardens, proving the squirrels are successfully breeding.
Vagrant birds
Among the many
vagrant birds
Vagrancy is a phenomenon in biology whereby an individual animal (usually a bird) appears well outside its normal range; they are known as vagrants. The term accidental is sometimes also used. There are a number of poorly understood factors which ...
which have been found here, the following were firsts for Britain:
*Common Nighthawk (''
Chordeiles minor''), collected on 17 September 1927.
*Black-billed Cuckoo (''
Coccyzus erythrophthalmus''), collected on 27 October 1932.
*Northern Parula (''
Setophaga americana''), seen 16–17 October 1966.
*Western Sandpiper (''
Calidris mauri''), originally identified as a Semipalmated Sandpiper, 19 August 1969.
*Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (''
Sphyrapicus varius''), seen 26 September – 6 October 1975.
The island also briefly hosted the second British record of Great Blue Heron (''
Ardea herodias'') in April and May 2015, which also visited both Bryher and St Mary's during its 23-day stay.
Cultural references
Because of its geography and history, Tresco has often featured in fiction, most notably in the books of author
Sam Llewellyn
Sam Llewellyn (born 1948) is a British author of literature for children and adults.
Biography
Sam Llewellyn was born on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, where his ancestors lived for many years. He grew up in Norfolk. He attended Eton College and late ...
, a direct descendant of
Augustus Smith who, after his appointment as Lord Proprietor of the Scillies in 1834 and living on the island, began to create the Abbey Gardens on land which surrounded the old Priory.
*Flora Castledine, lead character of the
Georgie Gale novel ''Tread Softly'', was born and brought up on the Isles of Scilly. Tresco is mentioned several times.
*''
Why the Whales Came'' by
Michael Morpurgo
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo (''né'' Bridge; 5 October 1943) is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as ''War Horse'' (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytellin ...
is set in the Isles of Scilly and features Tresco several times.
*''Hell Bay'' (1984), by
Sam Llewellyn
Sam Llewellyn (born 1948) is a British author of literature for children and adults.
Biography
Sam Llewellyn was born on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, where his ancestors lived for many years. He grew up in Norfolk. He attended Eton College and late ...
, is set on Tresco and fictionalises the events leading up to
Augustus Smith taking ownership of the island.
*''The Sea Garden'' (1999), also by
Sam Llewellyn
Sam Llewellyn (born 1948) is a British author of literature for children and adults.
Biography
Sam Llewellyn was born on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, where his ancestors lived for many years. He grew up in Norfolk. He attended Eton College and late ...
, is set on a fictional island based heavily on Tresco. It features a stunning Sea Garden much like the Tresco Abbey Gardens and the history of the fictional island draws heavily from the real history of the island.
*''Storm Islands'', by
Ann Quinton, is a mystery novel set on Tresco and in the Isles of Scilly.
Filmography
*In the 1989
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
with the on-ship scenes being filmed on a ship on the surrounding sea.
*Tresco is the setting for the 2010 film ''
. It premiered at the 2010
, and was released on 4 March 2011 in the U.K. and Ireland.
*In the early 1980s Tresco was used by the group
".
(b. 1948), author.
*
.