Tregarthen's Hotel
| Hotel | |
| Industry | Hotel and hospitality |
| Founded | 1849 |
| Headquarters | Isles of Scilly |
|
Number of employees
|
20 |
| Website | www.tregarthens-hotel.co.uk |
Tregarthen's Hotel is a hotel in Hugh Town on St. Mary's in the Isles of Scilly.
Tregarthen's was the very first hotel to be established on the Isles of Scilly, having been founded in 1849 by Captain Frank Tregarthen, who ran the packet ship delivering mail, provisions and visitors between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly.
Up until the mid-nineteenth century, there was no regular transport between the Isles of Scilly and the mainland UK. Then, in 1849, the locals on Scilly decided to resolve this situation and provide a sloop as a connecting link with the mainland. There was great local excitement when this sailing packet, named 'Ariadne', was first brought to the islands by its skipper, Captain Frank Tregarthen.
Between 1849 and 1858, with his three daughters, Captain Frank Tregarthen opened up his family house at the foot of the Garrison Hill to paying guests. Captain Frank would load up the boat with mail, provisions and adventurous passengers in Penzance and bring them to his house for their stay on the islands. Thus Tregarthen’s Hotel was established – the very first hotel on the isles of Scilly.
“Visitors to Scilly were few and far between. No one ever thought of going to the Islands for pleasure, and those whose business called them there were only too anxious to get away on the first favourable opportunity. But here was the rub. Captain Frank kept the only hotel, and was in this peculiar position: his guests could not possibly get away until he chose to take them. He usually counted heads before leaving Penzance, and laid in a stock of provisions accordingly. His customers were rounded-up like sheep in a South American corral, and there were no means of escape unless one swam across. There you were willy nilly, and, somehow or other, the weather never pointed to set fair until all the provisions had been consumed, and to avoid semi-starvation it was necessary to go back to the mainland to replenish the larder.”
Tourism on Scilly started in earnest once the Cornwall Railway link from Penzance to London was completed in 1859.
The steamer ‘The Little Western’ took the place of the Ariadne and, for the first time, visitors could make the crossing from Penzance in only four hours - considerably faster than the cutter Ariadne, which could take a day or two. The Little Western was the Isles of Scilly’s first Steam Packet boat and made around three voyages from Scilly to Penzance and back each week.
Captain Tregarthen was captain of the 'Little Western' from 1859-1870. The Little Western was a small ship, and her crew consisted of only five hands – captain, mate, engineer, deck-hand and stoker. Despite the challenges and perils of the voyage, she usually made good passage to the islands, and was able to provide service all year round.
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Wikipedia