When I was a kid, I recall seeing a photograph of St. Michael's Mount and it left an impression on me. There was no caption and I was intrigued by the oddness of it. There was only a valley of sand around it and I probably thought it was in the desert. That photo stayed with me and it wasn't until many years later that I discovered that it was a castle in England on a rocky mound above a basin where the tide came in and out. (Ah, the days before the Internet!)
I never imagined that I would be visiting this place in person, so I was excited when I saw it on our tour guide. I also didn't expect the very unique garden behind it.
St. Michael's Mount has been in the St. Aubyn family since the 1600s. I was surprised when I heard that the family still lives here. There are a total of around 30 residents and that includes the family and employees.
There are two ways to get there - either by foot or by boat. And if you are walking, you have to go when the tide is out. We arrived early, knowing that we would have be back by early afternoon when the tide came back in. Here we are walking down the causeway. It is quite a distance.
Once you approach the island, you see that there is a tiny village at the base of the castle, with cobblestoned streets and various shops. There is also a cemetery -
Continuing on to the castle in the distance. There wasn't many plants in this area but I did see some rugosa roses along the way -
I'm not sure what was going on here -
The garden here is on a steep rocky cliff behind the castle. It is filled with aeonium, aloe, agave, sedum and a host of sub-tropical plants. The granite walls and rocks store heat, and the intensity of the light coming from the sea provide this unusual micro-climate. I had never seen anything like it.
The garden is maintained by a staff of four gardeners who are all abseilers (rock climbers). Gardening not for the faint of heart!
I'll share photos of the castle in my next post.
(Visited May 15, 2025)
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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