St Mary’s Shore Station

Perched on Garrison Hill overlooking Porthcressa Beach on St Mary’s is the former Lighthouse Shore Station, which was once home to the families of lighthouse keepers serving two of the Isles of Scilly’s most isolated offshore lighthouses. The distinctive cottages are privately owned, but they remain an important reminder of the days when lighthouse keeping was a family way of life.

St Mary’s shore station consists of two pairs of semi-detached cottages, built between 1858 and 1860 to accommodate the four keepers serving the first granite tower on Bishop Rock Lighthouse. Following the construction of Round Island Lighthouse in 1887, the accommodation was shared between the two stations, with one pair of cottages allocated to Bishop Rock keepers’ families and the other to those serving Round Island.

The four cottages were reserved for the two senior keepers from each lighthouse. If a keeper chose not to occupy a cottage, it would be offered to the next most senior keeper. The families of junior keepers generally lived in rented accommodation elsewhere on St Mary’s.

Following the Second World War, Trinity House proposed building four additional cottages so that the families of all eight keepers serving Bishop Rock and Round Island could live in dedicated accommodation. However, the plans were eventually abandoned in 1954 on economic grounds, leaving the original four cottages as the only purpose-built lighthouse family housing on the island.

The cottages occupy a magnificent position on the slopes of Garrison Hill, overlooking Porthcressa Beach. Just a short walk away are the historic Garrison Walls. This well-preserved coastal fortification was constructed between 1593 and 1601 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, following the threat of the Spanish Armada. The star-shaped fortress was built to defend the strategically important harbour of St Mary’s. Today, its granite ramparts form a circular walk of around two miles, offering panoramic views across the Isles of Scilly and the Atlantic Ocean. At the heart of the fortress stands Star Castle, completed in 1593 and now one of the islands’ most distinctive hotels.

Across Porthcressa Bay rises the granite headland of Peninnis Head, home to Peninnis Lighthouse. First lit in 1911, the lighthouse continues to guide vessels safely through the hazardous waters surrounding the islands and is a popular destination for walkers following the spectacular coastal path.

Although the former shore station cottages are now private homes, one of the best places to view them is from Upper Benham Battery on the Garrison. The footpath in front of the houses leads you round to the Garrison Walls. Please respect the privacy of the cottage owners.