St Michael's Mount is one of the most dramatic sights in England: a granite island crowned by a medieval castle and sub-tropical gardens, rising from the tidal waters of Mount's Bay. At low tide it is connected to the village of Marazion on the mainland by a cobbled causeway; at high tide, ferries make the short crossing. The contrast between the mundane approach — a car park in a seaside village — and the sudden view of the Mount is reliably arresting.
The island has been occupied since at least the 8th century. A Benedictine priory was established here in the 11th century by monks from Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy, from which the English name derives. After the Dissolution it passed through various hands before becoming the family seat of the St Aubyn family, who have lived here since the 17th century and transferred it to the National Trust in the 1950s while retaining residence in part of the castle.
The castle itself contains a fine collection of 17th and 18th century furniture and paintings, and the formal gardens — terraced into the steep southern slope — are remarkable for growing subtropical plants at this latitude, warmed by the gulf stream. Access to the upper parts of the island is by steep, cobbled paths.
The village of Marazion opposite is pleasant and worth a short walk; it has some good cafés and the beach on either side of the causeway is popular in summer. The Mount is best visited at low tide if you want to walk the causeway, and mid-morning to beat the crowds.