St Michael's Mount 1835

The N. Trust has renewed the beginning of the Causeway and intended to raise the whole thing because of the land's gradual sinking and access to the Mount has gradually diminished. The initial section needed a concrete foundation more particularly as there as there was nothing under the present causeway but sand. However, as far as I understand it, they stopped there last year because they discovered that there was another causeway beneath the present one beyond that and not a mere ridgeway, so what they do next I do not know since in about 150 years the access time either side of low tide has diminished by about an hour. The detail of what I have said needs checking with someone more in the know.

I knew the work was planned, but was unaware of just when. The point remains then that the one under has to be of around 1817, otherwise Polwhele would have mentioned it, the description of the storm damage of 1817 is rather specific that it was there then. The rate of decreased access time is in proportion with that defined by other old quotes that I have found. From what is shown in this engraving, the beach ends were unpaved. In view of the fact that the ends were 'paved c1890, I would repectfully suggest the present hard way is of around the same date (plus or minus repairs in the 1980s).

Looking at it, it appears that Cyrus Redding allowed an early typo. I think this is a T Creswick drawing.

Pilgrimage
St Michael, unlike most Saints, is neither holy person nor martyr. It is the Archangel Michael (together with St Raphael and St Gabriel, also Archangels). ‘The great prince who standeth for the children of Thy people’, Micah (meaning from Hebrew ‘Who is like God’).

The first church was built here by Abbot Bernard of Mont St Michele in 1135 AD, although it is possible that a monastery existed 1033 AD. There is no evidence of an early Christian centre. But some indication by wording in documents show an indication of Norman or Anglo Saxon church settled on the Mount.

Having plotted roughly the coastline of 10,000 BC, I wonder why the route was found of benefit. In later years, yes, when the seas encroached.

In c550AD St Cadoc visited St Keyne (his aunt) on what was then Dinsul (citadel of the sun). At the time of William of Worcester it was Karrek-luz-en-Luz; that name still in use in 1702. It is clear that St Michael became a part of devotion in France and Britain c5th Century. One thought is that St Michael replaced some earlier site of pagan worship, St Michael having defeated sun worshippers on Mount Carmel. It is a curious point that the power of the dragon has been usurped by St Michael along what has become known as The St Michael Line. It is the longest and most powerful of Ley lines. Along this alignment are 63 important elevated sites, of which there are 10 churches to St Michael and and 23 to St Mary. It is said it was in the year 495AD that fishermen experienced an incandescent vision when the Archangel appeared. This then secured a Christan pilgrimage to The Mount. The Ley line, though in a sense a straight line, is accompanied by two energy currents, dowsed and recorded. They radiate in each direction from Glastonbury Tor. It can always be argued that there are bound to be alignments found in all the permutations of sites on a map, but with two energy forces that run from Carn Les Boel to Bury St Edmunds, that is an easy plum to accept. It was in the 5th century that holy men and holy women arrived in Cornwall. The destruction of the seasonal serpent pagan god by Christainity, may have given rise to tales of St George and the dragon or St Michael and The Serpent.

In the Otterton Custumal is described – The erection of the Priory of St Michael in Cornwall. It is a notification by Bernard, abbot of the Norman house, that the church of Blessed Michael of Cornwall, built by him in 1135, was consecrated in his presence by Robert, bishop of Exeter. … he has got together thirteeen brethren and has made provision for them ….

William of Worceter in 1478 speaks of the apparition of St Michal in Mount Tumba (a name applied) formerly called the ‘Hore-rok in the Wodd’ which happened at a time when woodland and meadow and plough land lay between said Mount and the islands of Scilly…’ He dates the sighting of the apparition of about AD 710.
Norden writes in 1584 ‘The Mount hath bene much resorted unto Pylgrims in devotion to St Michaell whose chaire is fabled to be in the Mount, on the South syde, of verie Dangerous access’.

Thank you, Treeve! I received your pm re this script concerning the ley lines and St Michael the Archangel apparition phenomenon. Fascinating information upon which to ruminate here!