Halangy Down Ancient Village

Archaeological place

Explorer Tom

Cottages at Halangy Down on St Mary's have been out of commission for a couple of millennia, yet their stone outlines still look remarkably ready for an argument about whose turn it is to mend the roof. Tom came looking for a lost village and found the Atlantic trying to claim the entire neighbourhood instead. This settlement on the Isles of Scilly began in the later Iron Age and remained in use through the Roman period. Excavation revealed eleven linked stone houses, most oval, with post holes for conical thatched roofs. There were even stone-lined drains and storage spaces tucked into walls. Tom was about to call them apartments until he remembered there was no central heating, and probably rather more sheep than letting agents. Look for the larger courtyard house with rooms opening off a small central space and a long curved passage. Banks and terraces higher on the slope show where people worked the land; the Bronze Age entrance grave at Bant's Carn sits above the village. The grave and village belong to different periods, so don't let Tom move the same imaginary family into both. From here the views run across neighbouring islands and a landscape that has been reshaped by rising seas. English Heritage admits visitors free at reasonable times in daylight. The site lies in the far north-west of St Mary's and is best reached on foot or by bicycle; expect uneven ground, exposed edges and no facilities at the ruins. Keep dogs on leads and leave the stonework un-climbed. Pack a picnic, take the slow path up from the village outlines, and give those ancient builders the attention their roofing contractor never did.

This does not grant access. Check current paths, opening conditions and ownership before entering.