The land that crime forgot

Having spent a few sunny days  in the Isles of Scilly (that’s right, with no rain!) I can claim to have had a new “heritage experience”. It is the first time I have stayed in a Tudor castle! The Star Castle was converted to a hotel in the 1930s and stands in a fittingly dominant position on St.Mary’s, the largest of the five populated islands. Staying there has the effect of immersing you in a fabulously historic atmosphere. The granite lintel above the entrance gate (complete with portcullis), reminds you that the castle was built during the reign of Elizabeth I in 1593 –the sovereign’s mark and date still discernible after almost over 420 years.


The castle’s owners and their staff take much pride in the building and the minimal alteration of the original interior adds to the strong sense of history. Adjoining the castle is a C18 garrison with extensive fortifications, again in granite, the mica fragments of the stone shining like tiny jewels in the sunshine. If you didn’t know otherwise, the blocks look as though they were put in place just yesterday, despite the many years of Atlantic storms they have witnessed. Such is the strength and durability of this particular material.

The Star Castle, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly

The Scillies are renowned for their mild climate and the exotic plant life suited to it. The islands are known locally as “the land that crime forgot” and it’s not uncommon to see occasional cycles left unlocked against a hedge or shop by their owners, confident that they will still be there on their return. Obvious too is the total lack of casual vandalism and dropped litter. This has clear advantages for the continued preservation of the islands’ heritage sites. For example, the garrison defences are necessarily situated in a remote location yet no one has defaced or damaged them in any way. Similarly the ancient Bronze age burial sites are in as perfect condition as can be imagined. 

A Bronze age burial site, Isles of Scilly

In last month’s blog I remarked that there seemed to have been a lull in the media reporting of metal thefts from heritage sites. Returning to the mainland from the Scilly Isles  a few days later, it didn’t take long for a newspaper article to emerge that made me despair once more. I evidently spoke too soon. Surely war memorials and the more personal tributes commemorating loved ones qualify as examples of our heritage? Following a terrorist bombing of Warrington, Lancashire in 1993, parents of two children killed in the blast erected a plaque in their memory (as well as founding a Trust for a better understanding between  UK and Irish cultures).This week, thieves stole the plaque, prompting the police to comment that as scrap value, the metal would be worth no more than £30. “Times must be very hard” for some at the moment, I later reflected..


Always aiming to balance my blogs with more positive experiences, I can report that I was fortunate to attend another one of the highly informative GROW courses at Heckington during April. As usual, the course was offered through the Heritage Trust of Lincolnshire and the subject this time was the architecture of the Medieval church and its evolution through history. The course was very well presented ( and attended) and avoided the use of technical terms as much as possible. As with any good quality learning I was able to employ my new knowledge when I was next out and about surveying buildings. I found myself instinctively looking for the tell-tale architectural details on local churches that can often accurately identify the period when changes to the buildings were made. So once again, thanks to the Trust for providing another great course!  

Colin, Heritage Steward