Garrison Walls, St Mary's
Garrison Walls is a remarkable circuit of historic fortifications enclosing the principal settlement of St Mary's, the largest island of the Isles of Scilly, sitting in the Atlantic Ocean some 28 miles southwest of Land's End on the tip of Cornwall. The walls represent one of the most complete surviving examples of a star fort and defensive enceinte in the British Isles, and they form an almost unbroken perimeter around Hugh Town, the island's main community. Walking the full circuit of these ramparts is one of the great pleasures of a visit to Scilly — a journey through centuries of English military history with one of the most dramatic seascapes in the entire archipelago laid out at every turn.
The origins of the fortifications date to the Tudor period, when the strategic importance of the Isles of Scilly as a waypoint on Atlantic sea routes — and their vulnerability to Spanish or French attack — prompted the Crown to invest in serious defences. The Star Castle, built in 1593 on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I following the threat of the Spanish Armada, sits at the heart of the defensive system on the Garrison headland and is now a hotel. The outer walls, known as the Garrison Walls themselves, were constructed and extended over subsequent centuries, with major phases of work carried out during the Civil War period and again in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as the importance of controlling the Western Approaches remained acute. During the Civil War, the Isles of Scilly held out for the Royalist cause long after the mainland had fallen to Parliament, and the Garrison was central to that resistance. Prince Charles, later Charles II, sheltered here briefly in 1646 before fleeing to Jersey. The Dutch Admiral Maarten Tromp blockaded the islands in 1651, famously leading — according to popular legend — to a declaration of war between the Netherlands and Scilly that was not formally concluded until 1986.
The walls themselves are built from the local Scilly granite, pale grey and lichen-mottled, and they stand in places to a considerable height, with bastions, embrasures, and cannon emplacements still largely intact. Walking the perimeter path, which follows the top and outer face of the ramparts, you feel the full exposure of the Atlantic position — the wind is almost always present, the air salt-sharp and clean, and on rough days the sea breaks spectacularly against the rocks far below the southern and western sections. The masonry has the particular quality of Cornish coastal stonework: massive and enduring, softened by centuries of weathering into something that feels almost organic, as though it has grown from the headland rather than been built upon it.
The views from the Garrison Walls are exceptional in every direction. To the north and east lies the roadstead of St Mary's Pool and the inter-island boat quay at Hugh Town, with the smaller inhabited islands of Tresco, Bryher, St Martin's, and St Agnes visible in the middle distance on clear days. To the south and west, there is nothing between you and the Americas save open ocean, and on days when the light is low and clear the horizon seems impossibly far away. The headland itself is covered in gorse and heather away from the path, and the flora of the ramparts includes species that benefit from the mild, frost-free climate the islands enjoy. Seabirds wheel constantly overhead, and the rocks below the walls are favourite resting spots for grey seals.
Visiting the Garrison Walls is straightforward for anyone staying on or day-tripping to St Mary's. The circular path is accessible from Hugh Town, beginning near the Town Beach at the lower end of the Garrison hill, and the full circuit takes roughly an hour at a leisurely pace, though many visitors spend considerably longer. The path is well-maintained and mostly firm underfoot, though some sections can be uneven or muddy after rain, and the exposed sections demand care in strong winds. There is no admission charge to walk the walls; Star Castle within the enceinte operates as a hotel and is not generally open to non-guests, though the grounds around it can be appreciated. The Isles of Scilly are reached by Skybus flights from several Cornish and West Country airports, or by the Scillonian III passenger ferry from Penzance during the sailing season. St Mary's is a small island and Hugh Town is a short walk from the main quay.
The Garrison Walls carry a Scheduled Ancient Monument designation and are managed with care, recognising their exceptional state of preservation. Among the cannon remaining on the ramparts are pieces dating from different centuries, a silent artillery museum open to the sky. The walls also played a minor role in both World Wars, when lookout posts and observation facilities were established to watch the Western Approaches once again. Perhaps the most quietly remarkable thing about the Garrison Walls is how they manage to be simultaneously a living edge to a small working community — the people of Hugh Town live just inside them — and a monument of genuine national significance, all without any fanfare or significant visitor infrastructure. It is heritage worn lightly, as the islands themselves tend to be.