The beautifully designed building its stone floor even resembles a beach gives everybody the experience of visiting the mount even if they are unable to walk the steep cobbled path to the castle itself. Heritage properties have their obvious limitations for disabled people and others with mobility issues, although the mount does a lot to help with special vehicle access. The centre allows people to see how life on the island works, with film, displays and a stunning 3D bronze-cast sculpture by local artist Tom Leaper, which is an exact copy, right down to the island’s hidden nooks and crannies. There are three sections the first looks at the history of the mount. I’ll attempt a (very) potted history: A flint arrowhead found on the island dates back to the Middle Stone Age (7000-4000 BC) while work started on the church in 1135, an earthquake was recorded on the island in 1275, and an army of just 80 anti-royalists captured the mount in 1473 withstanding a siege of 26 weeks against the King’s army of 6,000. The Spanish Armada passed the island in 1588 and the first beacon of the chain to alert London was lit at the top of the church’s tower. It was even hit by a tsunami in 1755. Colonel John St Aubyn purchased the island in 1659 and the family has lived there ever since, with James and Mary St Aubyn currently residing in the castle. The second section of the display looks at the mount’s relationship with the National Trust.