Photo © Rob Bartlett

A vision of the archangel Michael led to the building of a church on this island around the 5th century, and within three centuries a Celtic monastery had been founded here. The present building derives from a chapel raised in the 11th century by Edward the Confessor, who handed over the chapel to Benedictine monks of Brittany's Mont St Michael, whose own island abbey had been the model for this one.

Yet despite it being so isolated, it was seen as strategically important whenever their was trouble in the country - the War of the Roses, the Armada, and the Civil War all involved St Michael's Mount in some way. After the Civil War, when it was used to store arms for the Royalist forces, it became the residence of the St Aubyn Family. They still inhabit the castle today, although the Mount had been left largely unoccupied until late the 18th century when the family moved in permanently.  

The Mount then remained in the ownership of the St Aubyn family until 1964 when the granite rock was given to the National Trust 

Open to the public, it's cut off at high tide, but at low tide it can be approached via the cobbled causeway.

Information Cornwall County Council