Worth noting that the Lord Levan is a title present in the St Aubyn family. I mostly use Lord Levan and St Aubyn interchangeably in this sense, though they're not particularly the same.
A while ago, I went to Cornwall and enjoyed my time there.
Marazion
A small town up the coast from Penzance, Marazion attempted to gain city status a few years back - with a population just over 1,000, it would have been the smallest city in the UK - but this was rejected. It is, though, quite an old town, granted a charter of incorporation in 1257, and is a traditional market town, formerly an exporter of tin and copper.
Walking through the quaint town, past the town hall which doubles as a museum, and through the winding streets, there was a commemorative bench for Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee and a stone for King Charles' coronation beside a great view of the main landmark in the area - St Michael's Mount. Nearer to the beach, meanwhile, lies a memorial stone for HMS Warspite.
St Michael's Mount
It's a tidal island which can at times be accessed along a causeway from Marazion Beach, though on all other occasions you can catch a boat. The guide said they sometimes took visitors around the back to see an alternate side of the island, though we didn't on this occasion.
Off I set on the boat with my family and some other people, Marazion fading into the distance as we approached the island. It's worth mentioning this isn't the only "St Michael's Mount" that exists - France has Mont Saint Michel, which looks somewhat similar, and both are dedicated to the Archangel Michael; supposedly he appeared to warn nearby fishermen of impending danger.
Either way, the boat arrived at the small port, before being greeted by various houses and refreshment stalls, as you'd expect at a tourist attraction. As with the rest of the Cornish coastline, the National Trust protect St Michael's Mount, so if you want to visit more than the gift shop, you'll have to get some tokens to access the interesting parts of the island, curious painted map on the side of a house aside.
Castle
Up the steps which were commonly used by pilgrims (hence they're the Pilgrims Steps), you'll reach the castle which is at the centre of the island. It's notable that St Michael's Mount has also been a place of miracles, so many pilgrims visited the island as a result.
The island initially had a monastery under the order of Mont Saint Michel, with a church and priory added by 1135, before being captured and fortified by Henry de la Pomeroy in 1193. Over the next few centuries, it was acquired by monasteries, fought over in wars, and even put in the possession of King's College, Cambridge, before being bought by the St Aubyn family in 1659, who continue to own the castle - the third Lord Levan ensured a 999 year lease when transferring most of the island to the National Trust. You can, however, visit the various rooms and exhibits of weaponry the St Aubyns have collected from various conflicts.
I inexplicably don't have any photos of the rooms themselves, aside from a few, which is unfortunate as I wouldn't be able to show you the writing room which includes a letter from one of the Lord Levans, as well as Chevy Chase, with its elaborate table and furniture and large coat of arms. Neither would I have much luck describing to you the chapel which had faint music playing, with ornate windows and the stones marking various burials. I am truly sorry for this oversight.
There's also a room featuring art, either side of stairs and corridors, including this piece depicting a Spanish invasion. I've already mentioned St Michael's Mount has endured countless conflicts, but that was putting it lightly. One such incident featuring the Spanish was with their armada. Having already attacked Mousehole, Penzance and Newlyn, they had their sights on Marazion. However, many Cornish people had turned up to defend the town, so the Spanish thought better of it and were able to escape due to winds.
Some cannons remain near the walls of the castle, a Cornish flag fluttering by them (though the castle has a Union Jack at the top). There's also a lovely sundial, possibly green due to oxidation.
Garden
Another lovely part of the island is the large garden, admission separate to the castle. It was designed for the future first Lord Levan in 1878 and is full of lovely flowers of various unique species. This was my opportunity to try and photograph flowers, though I still need to improve my macro photography skills. From here you can see the castle partially dressed up in scaffolding, as well as the English Channel and some of the rocks lying in it. However, you can only visit the gardens in the summer, seemingly for the gardeners to give it greater care.
There's also a small gallery featuring art from Cornwall. Once housing the Mount Steward, back when the island was home to just 300 people, it now has art depicting what life was like in Cornwall and is worth a look once you've visited the main parts of the island.
From here, we went back, this time walking along the exposed causeway thanks to the low tide. It was a brisk walk back to Marazion, rather pleasant even if it was an overcast day.
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