Hotels near the St Michael's Mount

St Michael's Mount, at the tip of the Cornish coast in Penzance, has long been a place of pilgrimage. Get there before it is engulfed by the tide and lap up its awesome surroundings.

Since the archangel St Michael apparently appeared to fishermen in 495, pilgrims and tourists alike travel here in steady droves. The Mount has also since housed a church, a priory, a military fortress and a private castle of the St Aubyn family. Any visit to the castle between November and March must be timed carefully and is subject to both the weather and the tide.

St Michael was said to have miraculously appeared in over 400 places throughout Britain and Europe during the 4th and 5th centuries. Curiously, they are all linked by straight lines running for hundreds of miles across the countryside. The line originating at St Michael's Mount goes on to pass through the pre-Druid/Druid sacred site of Cheesewring, through the St Michael's churches at Brentor, upon the neolithic mound of Burrowbridge Mump, on to Glastonbury Tor and further on to the stone rings of Avebury. Strange, but apparently true.

The castle on the Mount is now managed by the National Trust and is open to the public some weekdays from November to March and most days from April to October. The spring and summer months are recommended - the weather is kinder and the colours of the sky are at their best. There's no need to explore the castle to appreciate the Mount's glory - its silhouette from the beach is beautiful enough. Between November and March, we recommend you telephone to find out about the local weather and reduced ferry times.