St Martin's, Isles of Scilly

St Martin's Cornish: Brechiek
The north coast
St Martin's Location within Isles of Scilly
Population	135 (2021)
OS grid reference	SV 925 159
Civil parish	St Martin's
Unitary authority	Isles of Scilly
Ceremonial county	Cornwall
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ISLES OF SCILLY
Postcode district	TR25
Dialling code	01720
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Isles of Scilly
Ambulance	South Western
UK Parliament	St Ives

St Martin's (Cornish: Brechiek, lit. 'dappled island') is the northernmost populated island of the Isles of Scilly, England, United Kingdom. It has an area of 237 hectares (0.92 sq mi).

Description

Aerial photo of St Martin's — the daymark is to the right.

The daymark on St Martin's

There are three main settlements on the island - Higher Town, Middle Town and Lower Town - in addition to a number of scattered farms and cottages, with a total population (2021 census) of 135.

There are two quays - at Higher Town (the Higher Town Quay, used at high tide) and at Lower Town (the Hotel Quay, used at low tide). In Higher Town there is a post office.

There is a vineyard on the island.

To the north, St Martin's is joined by a tidal causeway to White Island.

Several regions of the island are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Daymark

At the northeast corner of the island is a large red-and-white daymark. It was erected in 1683 by Thomas Ekins, first steward of the Godophin Family to live on the islands.

It is a rendered granite circular tower 4.8 metres (16 ft) in diameter and 6.4 metres (21 ft) high, set back to conical termination making it 11 metres (36 ft) high. The blocked arched entrance door contains an incorrect date of 1637. It was painted white until 1822 but by 1833 had been painted red, and is now painted in bands of red and white.

Despite its modernity, the daymark, alongside some prehistoric cairns, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The daymark is built on the highest point of St Martin's — and the second-highest point in the Isles of Scilly — and the islands' only Ordnance Survey triangulation station is situated by the daymark; the position and relative height mean that the Cornish mainland is visible (when the weather allows) and the daymark is identifiable from the mainland too.

Religion

There are two churches on St Martin's: the Anglican parish church of St Martin's and St Martin's Methodist Church, both located in the Higher Town area. The Methodist chapel dates from about 1845 and is part of the Isles of Scilly Methodist Circuit.

Civil parish and ward

The isles of Scilly comprising the civil parish and ward of St Martin's shown in red.

St Martin's is one of the five civil parishes of the Isles of Scilly, which are also wards. The civil parish and ward include several uninhabited islands and rocks, including the Eastern Isles, Great Ganilly, English Island and White Island. St Martin's returns one councillor to the Council of the Isles of Scilly, the same as the other "off-island" wards. The civil parish is not functional, however, and there is no council or meeting.

Education

Five Islands Academy (previously Five Islands School) has its St Martin's Base, a primary campus. 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 level reside and board elsewhere, in mainland Great Britain. Previously the Learning and Skills Council paid for costs of accommodation for sixth-formers.

Population

Year	Population
1841	214
1861	185
1871	158
1881	175
1891	174
1901	175
1911	191
1921	134
1931	134
1941	-
1951	131
1961	118
1971	106
1981	118
1991	110
2001	142
2011	136
2021	135

Source

See also

• List of shipwrecks of the Isles of Scilly

External links

• Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust