Old Town ( kw, Treveglos "church town") is a village on St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly located southeast of

Hugh Town Hugh Town ( kw, Treworenys or ) is the largest settlement on the Isles of Scilly and its administrative centre. The town is situated on the island of St Mary's, the largest and most populous island in the archipelago, and is located on a narrow ...

. It is thought to be the oldest settlement on the island. It is a popular tourist area and is only a short distance from the island's airport. As well as a number of self-catering holiday properties, Old Town also has a large proportion of dwellings permanently occupied by local residents. The Five Islands School, as well as the main sports and fitness centre for St Mary's, is located just by Old Town, at the settlement of Carn Gwaval. Old Town Bay ( kw, Porth Treveglos) forms a natural harbour and links the village with the open sea; there is an old quay and there continues to be a slipway in use.

History

In medieval times this was the main harbour, administrative centre and settlement of the Isles of Scilly. The island of St Mary's was then known as Ennor, and the Old Town was named Porth Ennor or Porthenor (being the main harbour settlement of the island). It declined with the development of The Garrison and neighbouring Hugh Town, which in turn replaced Old Town as the main harbour, administrative centre and settlement of the Isles.

Amenities and Landmarks

As well as being located close to the island's school and airport, within Old Town there is a small shop, a pub, two cafés, as well as three art studios located on the road leading north out of the village.

Ennor Castle

On a small but prominent knoll are the fragmentary remains of a small shell keep castle dating from the thirteenth or fourteenth century, known as Ennor Castle, the only medieval castle on the islands. It became redundant after Star Castle, built on the Garrison, was built in the late sixteenth century. Some of the castle's stone was used to build Star Castle, with much of the rest robbed for buildings in Old Town. During 2014, overgrowth clearances were carried out, which made the castle far more visible. The project was supported by

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and the owners of the site.

Church

On the other side of the bay to the settlement lies St Mary's Old Church (commonly known as ''Old Town Church'') which is surrounded by an old, terraced graveyard as well as the newer municipal

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

. The dedication of the church to St Mary then gave that name to the island parish, replacing the older name of Ennor; the naming after the parish church is also the case with a number of other islands in Scilly. Common with other Cornish

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

es, the church is located a little distance from the main settlement of the parish, and there once was a small churchtown surrounding the church; today however there are no other buildings in the vicinity of the church. The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of St Mary's is now in Hugh Town, also dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, though the Old Church is used for Sunday evening services (Easter-September) and the cemetery belonging to the Council of the Isles of Scilly lies adjacent.Council of the Isles of Scilly
Cemetery

Notable residents

Former

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern ...

Harold Wilson was a regular visitor to the Isles of Scilly, and often stayed at Hugh Town in a simple, plain bungalow called 'Lowenva', and is now buried in the cemetery at the church at Old Town.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Old Town, Isles Of Scilly Villages in the Isles of Scilly History of the Isles of Scilly Populated places on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly