Tresco, Isles of Scilly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tresco
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 Aerial view of Tresco |
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 Tresco
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| Population | 175 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | SV893421 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ISLES OF SCILLY |
| Postcode district | TR24 |
| Dialling code | 01720 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Isles of Scilly |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| EU Parliament | South West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Tresco is a beautiful island in the Isles of Scilly, England. It is the second-largest island in this group. Its Cornish name is Enys Skaw, which means "island of elder-trees". Tresco is about 297 hectares (or 1.15 square miles) in size. It measures about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) long and 1.75 kilometers (1.1 miles) wide.
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Island History
In the past, a group of hermits lived on these islands. Around the year 1100, King Henry I gave Tresco to Tavistock Abbey. The Abbey built a priory (a type of monastery) on the island. This priory was later closed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1500s.
The island's original name was Ryn Tewyn, meaning "promontory of sand-dunes". In 1193, it was called St. Nicholas's island. By 1305, it became Trescau, meaning "farm of elder-trees". Later, in 1540, it was known as Iniscaw, or "island of elder-trees". The name Trescaw was still used in 1814.
Today, the island is managed by the Duchy of Cornwall for the Crown. It is leased to the Dorrien-Smith family, who run it as a holiday business. This family used to be the "Lord Proprietors" of the Scilly Islands from 1834 to 1920.
From 2001 to 2009, Tresco hosted a marathon race to help raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. The race involved running 7½ laps around the island. It was always held on the same day as the London Marathon. Now, a Sprint Triathlon has taken its place.
In 2007, the Abbey Farm/Shed area was rebuilt. This area was once RNAS Tresco, a seaplane base during the First World War. The new development includes holiday cottages, a swimming pool, a spa, and a restaurant called the Flying Boat Bar & Bistro.
The Island Hotel closed in 2012. Some parts were turned into luxury holiday cottages. Other parts were taken down to build new cottages. The Sea Garden Cottages now offer places to stay with a spa and tennis court.
Island Geography
Tresco has many different types of scenery. You can find rough granite rocks, open heathland on the windy north coast, and sandy beaches on the east and south. This varied landscape was partly created by the last ice age, called the Devensian glaciation.
The main villages on the island are New Grimsby and Old Grimsby. Together, they have a convenience store (with a post office), an art gallery, a pub, and two café/restaurants. All of these are owned and run by the Tresco Estate. In the south of the island, you'll find the amazing sub-tropical Tresco Abbey Gardens. These gardens also feature the Valhalla Figurehead Collection, which displays old ship figureheads. The Tresco Heliport is also in the south. To the north of New Grimsby, you can visit King Charles's Castle and Cromwell's Castle.
Local Government
Tresco is one of the five civil parishes in the Isles of Scilly. These parishes are also called "wards" for local elections. The Tresco civil parish includes more than just the island of Tresco. It also covers uninhabited islands like Samson, Teän, St Helen's, Northwethel, and Round Island. Tresco elects one council member to the Council of the Isles of Scilly.
Population Figures
These numbers show how many people live on Tresco permanently. Many seasonal workers also live on the island during the summer months.
- 1841 – 430
- 1861 – 399
- 1871 – 266
- 1891 – 315
- 1901 – 331
- 1911 – 315
- 1921 – 217
- 1931 – 248
- 1951 – 243
- 1961 – 283
- 1971 – 246
- 1991 – 170
- 2001 – 180
- 2011 – 175
Island Economy
Tresco is different from the other Scilly islands because it is mainly run as a holiday resort. Almost all jobs and activities on Tresco are related to tourism. While tourism is important on the other islands, it doesn't dominate as much as it does on Tresco.
Historical Landmarks
English Civil War Sites
- King Charles's Castle was built between 1550 and 1554. It was used by the Royalist forces during the English Civil War. Parts of it were later taken down to build Cromwell's Castle.
- Cromwell's Castle is a coastal tower built in 1651–52. A gun platform was added around 1740.
- The Old Blockhouse is a gun tower that protected Old Grimsby harbour. It was strongly defended during the Civil War and was likely built between 1548 and 1552.
- Oliver's Battery is in the south of the island, near the Carn Near quay. It was built shortly after Parliamentary forces captured Tresco in the Civil War. Admiral Robert Blake built it.
Other Important Sites
- A monument to Augustus Smith stands above Appletree Bay. It is a Grade II listed building.
- The remains of St Nicholas' Priory are found in Tresco Abbey Gardens. These are also a Grade II listed building and a Scheduled Monument.
- The island has an Anglican church called St Nicholas's Church, Tresco.
Education on Tresco
The Five Islands Academy has its Tresco and Bryher Base, which is a primary school campus on Tresco. Older students (secondary school age) stay at the main campus on St Mary's during the weekdays. They return to their home islands on weekends.
Students who are old enough for sixth-form college (after secondary school) usually live and study on mainland Great Britain.
Getting Around Tresco
Tresco is a car-free island, which means no private cars are allowed. Electric vehicles are used to take visitors to and from the Tresco Heliport and the different quays. A few golf carts are available for visitors with disabilities.
A helicopter service connects Tresco to Penzance Heliport on the Cornish mainland all year round. This service was run by British International Helicopters from 1983 to 2012. In 2020, helicopter service started again from a new Penzance Heliport. Penzance Helicopters now operates flights to Tresco and St Mary's.
Tresco Boat Services offers boat trips for passengers to and from the other inhabited islands. They also offer occasional sightseeing tours around the islands.
Wildlife and Nature
Tresco is special among the Scilly islands because it has many different natural areas. These range from windy northern areas with heathland to sheltered fields with flowers, wetlands, and lakes. It also has beautiful beaches with sand dunes on the south coast.
Natural England has named three areas on Tresco as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These are important natural areas. They include the Castle Down (Tresco) SSSI, Great Pool (Tresco) SSSI, and Pentle Bay, Merrick and Round Islands SSSI. Castle Down is important for its heathland, lichen plants, and a breeding colony of Common Terns. Great Pool is the largest freshwater area on the islands. It is important for breeding birds and as a resting place for migrating birds. Pentle Bay is special for its transition from sandy dunes with many plants to heathland rich in lichens.
In October 2012, five Red Squirrels (four males and one female) were brought to Tresco by helicopter. They were on loan from the British Wildlife Centre. Only two survived, but in September 2013, twenty more squirrels were brought to Tresco and released in Abbey Woods, near the Abbey Gardens. Tresco is a "safe haven" for these endangered animals. This is because there are no predators like foxes on the island. Also, there are no grey squirrels or the squirrel pox disease they carry. In June 2014, baby squirrels were seen in the Abbey Gardens, showing that the squirrels are successfully breeding.
Rare Birds
Many rare birds have been seen on Tresco. Some of these were the first of their kind ever recorded in Britain:
- Common Nighthawk, seen in 1927.
- Black-billed Cuckoo, seen in 1932.
- Northern Parula, seen in 1966.
- Western Sandpiper, seen in 1969.
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, seen in 1975.
The island also hosted the second ever Great Blue Heron seen in Britain in April and May 2015. This bird also visited Bryher and St Mary's during its 23-day stay.
Tresco in Films
- In the 1989 BBC TV show The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, scenes for the fictional Lone Islands were filmed on Tresco. The ship scenes were filmed on the sea around the island.
- Tresco is the setting for the 2010 film Archipelago. It was directed by Joanna Hogg and starred Tom Hiddleston. The film first showed at the 2010 London Film Festival. It was released in the U.K. and Ireland in March 2011.
- In the early 1980s, the music group Blondie filmed the video for their song "Island of Lost Souls" on Tresco.
Famous People from Tresco
- Sam Llewellyn (born 1948), an author.
- John Deason (1829–1915), a gold miner who helped discover the world's largest gold nugget, the Welcome Stranger.
