Hugh Town
| Hugh Town Cornish: Tre Huw | |
| Cornwall | |
|---|---|
 Hugh Town Harbour | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SV903105 |
| Location: | 49°54’53"N, 6°18’58"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,097 |
| Post town: | Isles Of Scilly |
| Postcode: | TR21 |
| Dialling code: | 01720 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Isles of Scilly |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
St Ives |
Hugh Town is the largest village on the Isles of Scilly and its administrative centre. The town is on the largest and most populous island of the group, St Mary's, standing on a narrow isthmus which joins the peninsula known as the Garrison (historically the Hugh) with the rest of the island.
The population recorded by the 2011 census was 1,097.
Hugh Town has a unique position as to property ownership: in the rest of the islands, the freehold title to all land is held by the Duchy of Cornwall, but in 1949 the freehold of the houses in Hugh Town was sold to the inhabitants. The harbour however continues to be owned and run by the Duchy.[1]
Hugh Town becomes particularly busy during the May Day bank holiday weekend (the first weekend in May) when the World Pilot Gig Championships are held. The competing teams base themselves in the several bays of St Mary's Pool, the large natural bay to the north of Hugh Town, and the numerous races finish at the end of the harbour quay.
Amenities and landmarks
Hugh Street is the main shopping area on the islands and business is quite reliant on tourism. There are several pubs, restaurants and hotels, as well as two banks and a post office. A notable building is the Star Castle, which overlooks the town from The Garrison and is now a hotel. Similarly, Tregarthen's Hotel is a Hugh Town landmark. It was originally the home of Captain Tregarthen who introduced the first sloop in 1849, 'Ariadne', that serviced the Hugh Town from Penzance.[2] Being on an isthmus, there are two beaches, the northern one (Town Beach) being along the bay which forms the island's main harbour; the southern beach and bay is named Porthcressa.
The Council of the Isles of Scilly is based at the Town Hall, in The Parade, a small park situated at the centre of the isthmus (and originally a parade ground). The Duchy of Cornwall, which owns almost all the freehold land in the Isles of Scilly, as well as being the port authority, has its Isles of Scilly offices at Hugh House, located within the Garrison Walls.[3]
Churches
- Church of England: St Mary's Church
- Methodist
- Roman Catholic
All these churches stand near Church Street.
About the town
The Isles of Scilly Museum is located on Church Street.[4] The town has a public library and a police station.
On the eastern outskirts of the town (heading towards Peninnis Head) are the NHS community hospital and local health centre, as well as other important public amenities such as the island's power station, the island's refuse depot and the town's fire station. The island's primary and secondary schools are to the southeast of the town, at Carn Gwaval, on the road to Old Town.
The island's airport is a mile to the east of the centre of Hugh Town.
Harbour
The principal harbour of the Isles of Scilly (known as St Mary's Harbour) is located on the northern edge of the town, naturally formed by the bay at Town Beach (itself part of a larger bay named St Mary's Pool) and improved by the construction of a quay on its western side, which acts also as a breakwater. The quay is the terminal of the ferry to Penzance on the mainland, currently the RMV Scillonian III, and the cargo vessel Gry Maritha; both vessels have St Mary's as their port of registry. The Duchy of Cornwall is the owner and the harbour authority (the St Mary’s Harbour and Pilotage Authority).[1]
The original quay was built in 1593 and an extension (or offshoot) began in 1836 to Rat Island under a contract of £4,000 to William Martin of Penzance. Martin resigned in November 1837 and Augustus Smith organised the completion. The enlargement of the harbour produced an increase in harbour dues as larger and deeper-draughted boats were now able to dock for loading, unloading, repairs or victualling. In 1889 Augustus Smith's successor T A Dorrien-Smith extended the pier a further 250 feet eastwards, at his own expense, so that the West Cornwall Steam Ship Company ships could dock. Despite Parliamentary opposition a Pier and Harbour Provisional Order Bill passed in June 1890 gave him revenue from the harbour dues.[5]
The quay is currently (as of 2015) being extended further, with new passenger and freight facilities being constructed too. The extension to the quay will allow for vessels of a greater draft (up to 3.9m). A small amount of land reclamation will take place by Rat Island too, enlarging the space around the buildings there.[6][7]
Lifeboat station
On the eastern end of Town Beach (on the rocky outcrop known as Carn Thomas) is the St Mary's Lifeboat Station, first operated in 1837 and run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Hugh Town) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 St Mary's Harbour
- ↑ Uren, J G (1907). Scilly and the Scillonians. UK. Rare Books Club. ISBN 978-1152596214
- ↑ Duchy of Cornwall – Isles of Scilly
- ↑ Isles of Scilly Museum
- ↑ Vyvyan, Clara C (1960). The Scilly Isles. London: Robert Hale.
- ↑ Cornwall Council: St Mary’s and Penzance Harbours Scheme
- ↑ Scilly Today Update on the St Mary's Quay extension (14 February 2015)