There is a large red and white striped object on the Scilly isle of St Martin’s, you can’t miss it if you visit. It’s an obvious destination when hiking the island and a great attractor for a nice photo of the island from a boat. But, what is it?
Well, it’s a daymark…
…basically a daylight hours beacon for mariners.
The daymark on St Martin’s sits on its northeast corner and was erected in 1683 by Thomas Ekins, first steward of the Godophin Family to live on the islands. It is a rendered granite circular tower (4.8 metres in diameter and 6.4 m tall) with a conical top taking it to 11 m tall. It was originally painted white (until 1822). By 1833 it was being painted red but is now painted with red and white bands to make it more visible in any weather, you can see it from the Cornish mainland if the weather and light are right. The St Martin’s daymark is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.