Archaeological discovery of
tin ingots at the
River Erme estuary wreck show that the local area was a significant tin trading port in ancient times; it is unclear whether the ingots date from the Iron Age or Sub-Roman periods, however this discovery so close to Burgh Island has drawn comparisons with
Diodorus Siculus's 1st century BCE text, more often associated with
St Michael's Mount in
Cornwall: The island has been known by various names over the years. Early records and maps mention it as '''St Michael's Island
. The name later changed to Borough Island''', eventually shortened to Burgh. As late as 1947 an
Ordnance Survey map refers to the island as Borough Island. In 1908 a
postcard produced by Stengel & Co Ltd of London referred to it as Burr Island. A map published in 1765 shows "Borough or Bur Isle". It is believed a monastery was established on the island, most of the remains of which may lie beneath the current hotel. The ancient ''Pilchard Inn's'' history dates to 1336 and may have started life as the guest lodgings for the monastery. A small, possibly transient, population of fishermen occupied the island following the
dissolution of the monastery, specialising in
pilchard fishing. There are the remains of a
chapel atop the island, which later became a "huers' hut" — a place where fishermen would make a
hue and cry call to inform other fishermen of shoals of
pilchards. During this period, smuggling, wrecking, and piracy were common, benefiting from a natural barrier for half the day. Fear that
German landing forces might use the island as a beachhead during
World War II resulted in the area's fortification with anti-tank defences and two pillboxes, positioned on both sides of the causeway. An observation post was also established on the summit to monitor the coastline. A beach house was built for Agatha Christie as a writer's retreat and still exists on the island. ==The hotel==