St Michael’s Mount
A short history
St Michael’s Mount has inspired and fascinated people for thousands of years. It is rich in stories from almost every historical age.
A source of Bronze Age relics and very possibly Ictis, the tidal island to which Phoenician traders once travelled. An early Celtic place of worship and then a Norman monastery. A site of miracles and a destination for pilgrims. A fortress bravely held under siege or captured by deception. A haven of art and culture.
It is an enchanting island castle – and a much-loved family home.
A unique partnership and community
In 1954, Francis St Aubyn – the third Lord St Levan – gifted a substantial part of St Michael’s Mount to the National Trust, together with a significant endowment to help secure its long-term conservation. The St Aubyn family retained a 999-year lease of the castle, ownership of a number of buildings around the harbour and other parts of the island, together with the gardens and the right to open and show the historic rooms to visitors.
The arrangement created an enduring partnership between the St Aubyn family and the National Trust. The Trust plays an important role in the preservation and conservation of the historic fabric of the Mount, while the St Aubyn family continue to live on, manage and operate the island, maintaining a connection and responsibility that stretches back to the middle of the 17th century.
Today, St Michael’s Mount remains both the St Aubyn family home and a living, working island community. Around twelve families live permanently on the Mount, with island life supported by a wide range of roles, from operating the boats and harbour to caring for the gardens and welcoming visitors.
From April to October, more than eighty seasonal staff join the permanent island team to welcome visitors. Together, the St Aubyn family, island community and National Trust maintain the Mount not simply as an historic property, but as a vibrant and distinctive place in which people continue to live, work and welcome visitors throughout the year.
One of the most instantly recognisable landmarks in the country
St Michael’s Mount welcomes as many as 350,000 visitors a year to the castle and village. The beautiful but fragile gardens are open on a more restricted basis. However, the garden design and the plantings can also be seen and enjoyed from the castle battlements above.
The village has a café, pop-ups, and two shops, as well as a picturesque harbour. It is no surprise that requests for filming come in from all over the world.
