Crim Rocks

Crim Rocks lie among the Isles of Scilly, a scattering of granite islets off Cornwall’s tip. They form the westernmost point of England, standing 2.4 kilometres north of Bishop Rock and 0.4 kilometres southwest of Zantman’s Rock. The group is uninhabited, with Peaked Rock the tallest and most visible. The name may come from the Welsh word for ridge or ledge. At least thirty ships have been lost on these jagged reefs. The rocks mark the edge of the Atlantic’s reach, where waves crash against black granite. Storms can raise walls of spray that hide the islets for hours. Seabirds wheel above the water, their cries cutting through the wind. The nearest land, St Agnes, lies two kilometres to the east. Even on calm days the currents remain treacherous. Visitors see only the tops of the rocks at low tide. The rest stays submerged, a submerged hazard beneath the surface. Lichen clings to the exposed stone, the only sign of life. From a boat the rocks appear as a broken line of dark teeth against the horizon. The sea’s colour shifts from deep blue to pale green where the shallows begin.