Old Town, Isles of Scilly
| Old Town | |
| Cornwall | |
|---|---|
 Old Town Bay and the airport | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SV914102 |
| Location: | 49°54’45"N, 6°18’-0"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Isles Of Scilly |
| Postcode: | TR21 |
| Dialling code: | 01720 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Isles of Scilly |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
St Ives |
Old Town is a village on St Mary's in the Isles of Scilly, located southeast of Hugh Town. Old Town is thought to be the oldest settlement on the island.
There is a church here, a pub (the Old Town Inn),[1] two cafés, a small convenience shop and a day nursery.
Old Town is a popular tourist area and is only a short distance from the island's airport. Three art and pottery studios are located on the lane heading north out of the village. As well as a number of self-catering holiday properties, Old Town also has a large proportion of dwellings permanently occupied by local residents. The Five Islands School, as well as the main sports and fitness centre for St Mary's, is located just by Old Town.
Old Town Bay forms a natural harbour and links the village with the open sea; there is an old quay and there continues to be a slipway in use.
History
In the Middle Ages, the village was the main harbour, administrative centre and settlement of the Isles of Scilly. The island of St Mary's was then known as ‘Ennor’, and Old Town was named ‘Porth Ennor’ or Porthenor (being the main harbour settlement of the island). It declined with the development of The Garrison and neighbouring Hugh Town, which in turn replaced Old Town as the main harbour, administrative centre and settlement of the Isles.
Ennor Castle
On a small but prominent knoll are the fragmentary remains of a small shell keep castle dating from the thirteenth or fourteenth century, known as Ennor Castle, the only mediæval castle on the islands.[2] It became redundant after Star Castle (at The Garrison) was built in the late sixteenth century, and much of its stone was then robbed for buildings in Old Town.[3]
Church
On the other side of the bay to the settlement lies St Mary's Old Church (commonly known as Old Town Church) which is surrounded by an old, terraced graveyard as well as the newer municipal cemetery. The dedication of the church to St Mary then gave that name to the island parish, replacing the older name of Ennor; the naming after the parish church is also the case with a number of other islands in Scilly. In common with other Cornish parishes, the church is located a little distance from the main settlement of the parish, and there once was a small "churchtown" surrounding the church; today however there are no other buildings in the vicinity of the church. The parish church of St Mary's is now in Hugh Town, also dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, though the Old Church is used for Sunday evening services (Easter-September)[4] and the cemetery belonging to the Council of the Isles of Scilly lies adjacent.[5]
Miscellany
The late Prime Minister Harold Wilson was a resident of Hugh Town (in a simple, plain bungalow called 'Lowenva') and is now buried in the cemetery at the church at Old Town.[6]
References
- ↑ Old Town Inn
- ↑ National Heritage List 1014994: Ennor Castle
- ↑ National Monuments Record: No. 304082 – Ennor Castle
- ↑ Scilly Bells Church
- ↑ Council of the Isles of Scilly Cemetery
- ↑ James Harold Wilson - findagrave.com
