St Aubyn Estates is looking for one lucky person to be a live-in officer that will take care of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. St Michael’s Mount is one of the 43 unbridged tidal islands located in the mainland of Britain that can only be reached using a causeway during low tide.
Often mistaken as Mont-Saint-Michael in Normandy, St Michael’s Mount is a castle built on an ebb island in Mount’s Bay.
The History Of St Michael’s Mount
Originally, the land belongs to the Benedictine Order of Mont-Saint-Michel after it was gifted by Edward the Confessor. A castle and cloistered buildings appeared on the top of the Mount during the 12th century.
As time passes, St Michael’s Mount was involved in a lot of political wars. The castle was held by the 13th Earl of Oxford, John de Vere, and Perkin Warbeck, a man who claimed to be the rightful heir to the English throne.
It was later bought by the Bassett family during the English Civil War. In 1659, the land was finally sold to Colonel John St Aubyn, and his descendants remained as the legal owner until now.
Life On St Michael’s Mount Today
As for now, The St Aubyn family still lives in the castle and they run the exhibition of the castle cooperatively with the National Trust as the majority of St Michael’s Mount is owned by that organization of heritage conservation.
There were various antiquities including paintings, plate armor, and furniture that is possible to see within the castle. The staffs who work on the island live in the houses of Elizabeth Terrace that existed since 1885 and as of 2011, there were 35 people living on the island.
A narrow-gauge railway that was built around the year 1900 is still in use for transporting goods. However, because of the steep gradient, it is not open to the public as it could be dangerous for passengers.
When the tide is low, St Michael’s Mount can be reached using the causeway but when the tide is in, the only possible access is by boat. It is estimated there are 300,000 visitors each year. The main attraction is the myths and legends surrounding the place additionally, its dramatic setting too.
The job offered
Earlier in May 2021, St Aubyn Estates publicize that they are in need of a new castle officer. The staff has to be live at the castle for five nights a week and the job scopes include taking care of the maintenance and conservation. Other than that, the officer needs to support the Castle Steward with locking up the public gates of the castle each day, hanging pictures, rearranging furniture, and any emergency cover.
According to Kate Cornwell, the head of Human Resource at St Aubyn Estates, the applicant should be familiar with boats as that’s the only way in and out of the island during high tide.
Sources: The Vintage News