Brisons

This article is about the British islet. For the given name, see Brison.

The Brisons (Cornish: Enys Vordardh, meaning breaker island) is a twin-peaked islet in the Celtic Sea situated 1 mile (1.6 km) offshore from Cape Cornwall in Cornwall, on the south-western coast of Great Britain.^[1]

The Brisons
Islet
The Brisons from above The Brisons seen from Porth Nanven beach
The Brisons Location in Cornwall
Coordinates: 50.12039°N 5.72229°W / 50.12039; -5.72229
Location	Cornwall, UK

Geography

The Brisons (the name is French: brisant, 'reef, breaker') are 22 m (72 ft) and 27 m (89 ft) high and are said to resemble General Charles de Gaulle lying on his back ("General de Gaulle in his bath").^[2] The rocks are connected to Gribba Point (Cornish: Pen an Gribow, meaning head of the reefs) by the Guthen Gwidden reef (Cornish: Kudhen Gwydn, meaning white hidden one). The gap in the reef is called the Adgiwar Gap (Cornish: Aja Wer, meaning green gap). In 1878, an article in the Cornishman newspaper names the reef between the ″Brissons″ and the land as Bridges, and the reef had three gaps; the nearest known as Rose-an-pons.^[3]

Wildlife and ecology

In 2016 the rocks were visited by the West Cornwall Ringing Group where they heard at least two European storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) calling; an indication of breeding on the only known site in Cornwall.^[4] Sixty-six birds were ringed:

• European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) – 42 including two adults
• razorbill (Alca torda) – 13 including seven adults
• guillemot (Uria aalge) – 11 including eight adults.

History

In 1851, the 250 ton brig New Commercial was wrecked, striking the ledge between the Great and Little Brisons. A dramatic rescue of the surviving crew was attempted, resulting in the death of all but two of the members. As a result, the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck (later the RNLI) established a lifeboat in Sennen Cove in 1853, where one is still based today.^[5]

Recreation

During "Cape sports" an annual water sports event based on the beach at Cape Cornwall, swimming races are conducted from the Brisons back to the beach.