For those that aren't aware Scilly is home to a remarkable historic landscape, in which many hundreds of well-preserved prehistoric monuments survive. There are well over 100 Scheduled Monuments on the Trust's tenancy. These include numerous Bronze Age Scillonian Entrance Graves, many remains from the extensive Royalist defences from the 17th Century English Civil War, 19th Century kelp pits and World War II pillboxes.
The number of these sites and the nature of the islands can make them difficult to manage. We can do little about the coastal erosion that threatens some, but we are very active when it comes to stopping ancient sites being overwhelmed by scrub and bracken.
The Community Archaeology Group volunteers work tirelessly to clear sites of vegetation and restoring them as features in the landscape for all to enjoy. Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust also works closely with Historic England to raise awareness of many of these features, and to identify research priorities and other special priorities.
Please remember that we rely on donations to continue our work. If you care about our archaeology, please Support Us and give what you can. Thank you.
Each year Historic England release the Heritage at Risk (HAR) Register; their annual snapshot of the health of England's historic places. But what's that got to do with the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust? Quite a bit; and here's why! Read more
Added to our Ranger Team's programme of clearance in November 2020 this prehistoric entrance grave, on Porth Hellick Down, has been cleared of Bracken and Gorse. Read more