One stunning island, which wouldn’t look out of place in the Caribbean, is one of the UK’s most beautiful hidden gems. Hidden among the Isles of Scilly, just off Cornwall, is Samson Island. Samson is the largest of the isle’s uninhabited island, and is certainly well worth a visit.
Just a short distance from Tresco Island, Samson is accessible by foot at the lowest of low tides. Named after a Celtic Saint, who visited the island in the fifth century, Samson has a rather long history, stretching all the way back to the Bronze and Iron Ages, with a number of pre-historic sites still present on the island.
Both Samson’s North and South Hills are home to a number of Bronze Age graves, while at the foot of the North Hill, and beyond the tide lines, you can sometimes see the submerged remains of Iron Age fields walls.
While Samson is now uninhabited, it was once home to a small community. Records indicate that in 1669 one family resided on the island, while in 1816 it was home to a population of 40.
In 1855 all inhabits were removed from the island by the politician Augustus Smith, then the Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly.
During the 17th century, Samson was used as an unofficial penal colony by the Council of Twelve, the local administration at the time. ‘Undesirables’ from the surrounding areas would be banished to Samson, where living conditions were not the best.
After August Smith removed the inhabitants from the island, he planned to turn Samson into a Deer park, although this plan failed when the deer attempted to escape. Some made it all the way to the nearby Tresco, while others sadly died in the process.
Visitors to the island can still see the remains of the deer park and the stone enclosures they escaped from.
Samson is a great place to visit for wildlife watchers. The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust website states: “Overlooking the south end of Bryher, the uninhabited island of Samson is easily recognisable by the rise of its two hills separated by a sandy neck.
“The island is important for breeding seabirds, such as gulls and fulmars, and is also home to interesting species of plants, making it considerably important botanically.
Boat trips to Samson are available from May until September, with services available from a number of the Isle of Scilly’s inhabited islands.
Guided tours around the island are led by local experts, and will take visitors through the remains of the abandoned cottages, the deer park, and the pre-historic entrance graves.