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Tresco () is the second-biggest island of the
Isles of Scilly The Isles of Scilly ( ; ) are a small archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, St Agnes, is over farther south than the most southerly point of the Great Britain, British mainla ...
. It is in area, 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 Mary, the mother of Jesus, Saint Mary and Saint Rumon, is a ruined Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine abbey in Tavistock, Devon. The Abbey was surrendered in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monaste ...
which established a
priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...
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 , meaning "promontory of sand-dunes". In 1193, when the island was granted to the Abbot of Tavistock by
Pope Celestine III Pope Celestine III (; c. 1105 – 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, including Emperor ...
, 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 a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
by the
Duchy of Cornwall A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important difference between "sovereign ...
and is leased to the Dorrien-Smith estate, which runs it as a timeshare business. The current leaseholder is Robert Dorrien-Smith. 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 kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), 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 ...
run organised to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, consisting of 7½ laps around the island. The event was held on the same day as the
London Marathon The London Marathon (also known as the TCS London Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon held in London, England. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically held in April, although it moved to Oct ...
. Past winners include Dara O'Kearney. It was replaced by a sprint triathlon. In 2007 a rebuild of the Abbey Farm/Shed area was completed; this area was 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 tech ...
base during the First World War.


Geography

A variety of scenery is found on the island, including rugged
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, 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 coo ...
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, including the Valhalla Figurehead Collection, and
Tresco Heliport Tresco Heliport is a heliport located on the island of Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Tresco, in the Isles of Scilly off the southwest coast of the United Kingdom. The heliport was served by a scheduled helicopter service from 1983 to 2012, and since ...
. To the north of New Grimsby are King Charles's Castle and Cromwell's Castle.


Civil parish and ward

Tresco is one of the five
civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishe ...
of the Isles of Scilly, which are also wards. The civil parish and ward covers much more than the island of Tresco: it includes uninhabited islands such as
Samson SAMSON (Software for Adaptive Modeling and Simulation Of Nanosystems) is a computer software platform for molecular design being developed bOneAngstromand previously by the NANO-D group at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science an ...
(inhabited until 1855), Teän, St Helen's, 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'' local government authority covering the Isles of Scilly off the west coast of Cornwall, England. It is currently made up of 16 councillors, all independents. The council was created in 18 ...
, 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. Definiti ...
.


Demography

''These figures include permanent residents only. A large number of seasonal staff also reside on the island during the summer.''


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

;English Civil War * King Charles's Castle dates from 1550–54, and was occupied by the Royalists during the
English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
. It was later partially demolished to provide the building materials for Cromwell's Castle. *A coastal tower known as Cromwell's Castle 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 or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...
. 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 (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 (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 (pre-university college in Malaysia) is an educational institution, where students aged 16 to 19 study typically for advanced post-school level qualifications such as A Levels, Business and Technology Education Council level ...
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 Ma ...
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, Isles of Scilly, Tresco, in the Isles of Scilly off the southwest coast of the United Kingdom. The heliport was served by a scheduled helicopter service from 1983 to 2012, and since ...
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, Isles of Scilly, Tresco, in the Isles of Scilly off the southwest coast of the United Kingdom. The heliport was served by a scheduled helicopter service from 1983 to 2012, and since ...
, a year-round helicopter service connects Tresco to Penzance Heliport on the 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 ...
. In 2020, helicopter service was resumed from a new Penzance Heliport to Tresco and St Mary's, operated by Penzance Helicopters.


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 the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
. 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''), also called Eurasian red squirrel, is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus''. It is an arboreal and primarily herbivorous rodent and common throughout Eurasia. Taxonomy There have been o ...
''), 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 ("brush"). Twelve species ...
, and from grey squirrels and the squirrel pox 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 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, 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. *'' 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 storytelli ...
is set in the Isles of Scilly and features Tresco several times. *''Hell Bay'' (1984), by Sam Llewellyn, 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, 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.


Filmography

*In the 1989
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...
of '' The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', the scenes on the fictional Lone Islands were filmed on Tresco, with the on-ship scenes being filmed on a ship on the surrounding sea. *Tresco is the setting for the 2010 film ''
Archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...
'', directed by Joanna Hogg and starring
Tom Hiddleston Thomas William Hiddleston (born 9 February 1981) is a British actor. He gained international fame portraying Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning with ''Thor (film), Thor'' in 2011 and incl ...
. It premiered at the 2010
London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival held in London, England, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. Founded in 1957, the festival runs for two weeks every October. In 2016, the British Film Institute, BFI estim ...
, and was released on 4 March 2011 in the U.K. and Ireland. *In the early 1980s Tresco was used by the group Blondie for the location of filming the video to the song " Island of Lost Souls".


Notable inhabitants

* Sam Llewellyn (b. 1948), author. * John Deason (1829–1915), gold miner, co-discoverer of the world's largest gold nugget.


See also

* Listed buildings in Tresco, Isles of Scilly * List of shipwrecks of the Isles of Scilly


References


External links

*An illustrated history of Tresco from the Bronze Age to the presen
'The Last Piece of England'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tresco, Isles Of Scilly Inhabited islands of the Isles of Scilly Gardens in Cornwall Private islands of the United Kingdom Car-free islands of Europe Civil parishes in Cornwall