Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Marazion
Five miles east of Penzance, past the sandy curve of Long Rock, lies little
Marazion
, a
pretty village lined with seafront houses and Victorian villas with an epic overlook across
Mount's Bay.
Apart from a few attractive cafes and galleries, the village is mainly worth a visit as the
jumping-off point for
St Michael's Mount
(NT;
01736-710507;
www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk
;
castle & gar-
dens adult/child £9.60/4.80; house 10.30am-5.30pm Sun-Fri late Mar-Oct, gardens Mon-Fri Apr-Jun, Thu & Fri
Jul-Sep)
- the dramatic island abbey which sits at the centre of Mount's Bay and has be-
come one of Cornwall's most iconic landmarks. Connected to the mainland by a cobbled
causeway that's submerged by the rising tide, there's been a monastery here since at least
the 5th century, but the island was used long before as a trading stop for Cornish tin and
copper. After the Norman Conquest, the island was gifted to the Benedictine monks of
Mont St Michel in Normandy, who raised a new chapel on the site in 1135. The mount
later served as a fortified stronghold and is now the family seat of the St Aubyns, although
since 1954 it has been under the stewardship of the National Trust.
At low tide, you can walk across the causeway from Marazion, or when the tide's up
you can catch a ferry (£1) from the quay. The tiny chapel with its rose window and 15th-
century alabaster panels is a highlight; there's also a rococo drawing room, ornate library,
an island garrison and the grand Chevy Chase Room (named after a medieval hunting
ditty, not the National Lampoon star). Around the edge, subtropical gardens cling precari-
ously to the cliffs, with a cornucopia of blooms and shrubs nurtured by the temperate Gulf
Stream.
Sleeping
B&B
££
St Michael's B&B
( 01736-711348;
www.stmichaels-bedandbreakfast.co.uk
; Fore St; d £88-98; )
Good value B&B on
the main street, with six individual rooms (3 & 5 have the best Mount's Bay views). The
style is classic - expect brass beds, puffy duvets and antique dressers.
Mount Haven Hotel
( 01736-710249;
www.mounthaven.co.uk
; Turnpike Rd; d £130-200; )
Coastal hotel in private
seafront grounds. Rooms are boxy, but most have balconies opening onto Mount's Bay.
HOTEL
£££
