Island 127, Bardsey, Lleyn Peninsula, Wales

Bardsey is a gem of an island and is definitely in my top 10 islands.  

It is located 2 miles west of the end of the Llyn Peninsula and is known in Welsh as Ynys Enlli (the island of the tides).  It was at one time divided into 8 or 9 farms.  It is still farmed but many of the former farmhouses are available for holiday lets on a self-catering basis.  The island is 1.5 miles long by just over half a mile wide at its widest part.  There is no food shop on the island but there are a couple of craft shops, a small café at the farmhouse and a few refreshments are on sale at the Observatory Shop.

 

It can be reached by a day trip from Port Meudwy near Aberdaron.  2 companies run ferries.  Details can be found here: http://www.bardsey.org/english/day_trips/day_trips.htm 

I travelled with Bardsey Boat Trips.  The first date I booked was cancelled due to bad weather but was rescheduled for a few days later when the weather was just perfect - calm and sunny.  The boat sails into a metal cage and is then hauled up the beach by a tractor.  It felt very odd starting the boat trip on the boat but on dry land.  On the way back to Port Meudwy the tide was so low that we had to get into a dinghy and travel out in that to the main ferry.  We had about 4 hours on the island, which was long enough to explore it all but didn't leave much time for 'standing and staring'.  

Most of the houses on the island were built in the 1870s by Lord Newborough when he owned the island in the 19th century.   In 1901 the population was around 100 but it declined sharply after 1925 when most of the people moved away to the mainland in search of an easier life.   Bardsey passed through successive generations the Newborough family until 1972 when it was sold to Lord Cowrday, who in turn sold it to the Bardsey Island Trust in 1979.

In 1998 it was discovered that the apple tree growing against the side of one of the farmhouses - Plas Bach - was unique.  It has been named the Bardsey Apple.

 

A square lighthouse - very unusual

The lighthouse was completed in 1821 and is 30 metres tall

 

Remains of St Mary's Abbey

Bardsey has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries.  St Cadfan came from Brittany to establish a monastery on Bardsey in the 6th century.  St Mary's Abbey, which was founded by Augustinian canons in the 13th Century, is on the site of the 6th Century chapel.  It was occupied until the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII in 1537.  Another chapel was built nearby in 1875 and is still functioning as such.  It is reputed that 20,000 saints are buried on Bardsey. In Medieval times 3 pilgrimages to Bardsey were said to equal one to Rome.

 

The Lighthouse is not open to the public

 

South end of the island from the top of the Mountain

North end of the island from halfway up the Mountain

The Mountain is 167 metres above sea level.  There are numerous paths up it and the views from the top make it a worthwhile walk. 

South end of the island looking north towards The Mountain

I saw some choughs on the Mountain and on the way back to the mainland on the ferry we sailed up the east coast of the island and saw puffins, razorbills and guillemots.  The island is also home to thousands of breeding Manx shearwaters but they only come back to their burrows on the Mountain under cover of darkness.

The Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory has been in existence since 1953.  The observatory is based at Cristin in the middle of the island. 

There were dozens of Atlantic grey seals lying on the beach at rocks at Yr Honnllwyn as we arrived.

I spent a lovely day on the island soaking up the peace and tranquillity.  I will be back.

 Memorial to 20,000 Saints

 Hut by landing slipway

 Old School

 Bardsey Ferry at Porth Meudwy

 Bardsey Church looking towards abbey ruins

Island 126 - Ynys Llanddwyn, Anglesey, Wales

Ynys Llanddwyn is a really magical place and it is one of my favourite islands.  It is separated from Anglesey by about 150 metres of sandy beach at Newborough Forest on the south west coast of Anglesey.  It is only cut off at high spring tides.  

When I paid my first visit in June 2011 the dunes had lots of wild flowers in full bloom and there were butterflies flitting around everywhere.  I paid a second visit in June 2014 on an equally sunny afternoon.  The flowers I could identify included bluebells, sea holly, meadow cranesbill, thrift, daisies, wild thyme, birds foot trefoil, purple vetch, red campion, speedwell and yellow horned poppies.  I saw lots of blue butterflies (I'm not good at telling the different blues apart from each other), small heaths and meadow browns.  There were skylarks singing beautifully way up in the sky and oystercatchers on the beaches.

The island doesn't get too busy because it is a mile walk along Llanddwyn Bay from the main Newborough Forest Car Park.

The marram grass on the island was used until the 1920s for producing ropes, baskets, matting and thatching materials.  The island is very interesting geologically with pillow lavas strewn across the beach as you approach from Newborough and a rare colourful melange of rocks at the south west end of the island. The wildlife artist Charles Tunnicliffe had a studio on the island for over 30 years. 

Llanddwyn now belongs to Anglesey Borough Council, who manage it with the Countryside Council for Wales.

View from Twr Mawr (big tower)

Pilots' Cottages with exhibition and Warden's House

 
Twr Bach (little tower) and thrift in flower

Twr Mawr

 

The ruins of the early medieval church of St Dwynwen -

the Welsh patron saint of lovers

Legend has it that Dwynwen fell in love with Prince Maelon.  He tried to seduce her but she resisted and they parted.  She lived on Llanddwyn for the rest of her life.

Twr Mawr

Celtic Cross

Celtic Cross

Cross and Twr Mawr looking towards the mountains of Snowdonia

Melange of rocks at the SW end of the island



Llanddwyn Island from Newborough Beach



Looking north up the west coast of Llanddwyn towards Malltreath Bay

Twr Mawr and Ynys yr Ardar

Llanddwyn in June with thrift in flower

Twr Bach on a separate islet now joined to Llanddwyn by a manmade breakwater

Twr Mawr and Pilots' Cottages

Looking south west down the coast of Llanddwyn towards Twr Mawr

Cross and Twr Mawr

Island 125 - Salt Island, Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales

Salt Island, which is known in Welsh as Ynys Halen, will definitely not be winning any prizes in a beauty contest.  It is a tidal island, which has now been incorporated into the port of Holyhead and is linked to Holy Island by a short bridge.  Access is only allowed for those on port business or who are catching a ferry to Ireland.  It has a high wall around it. However when I arrived it was low tide and it was possible to walk across to it.  The rocky shore is on the outside of the wall and is therefore accessible.  There was a good deal of litter lying around on the rocks and in the mud.   The island is so called, as it once had a factory on it, which extracted salt from seawater.

Salt Island from Holyhead

Salt Island

Island 124 - South Stack, Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales

South Stack (Ynys Lawd)  is a tiny island located on the north west coast of Holy Island off Anglesey in Wales.  It is about 150 metres long by 100 metres wide.  It is part of the RSPB's South Stack reserve and is accessed down 400 steps and across a 30 metre long bridge.  There is an admission charge, which in June 2011 was £4.50 and it is only open from Easter to September.  You can climb up another 100 or so steps to the top of the lighthouse and the cliffs are teeming with seabirds such as guillemots, puffins, gulls and razorbills in the breeding season.  RSPB and Anglesey Council staff are on hand with telescopes to show you the seabirds and to tell you about the lighthouse.  There is however no toilet on the island!  However there are toilets by the visitor centre a few hundred metres (and 400 steps!) from the island. 

The lighthouse was built in 1809.  It was designed by Daniel Alexander and built by John Nelson.  It was fired by oil lamps initially, electrified in 1938 and automated in 1984.  The tower, which is currently 28 metres tall  was heightened in 1874 and the light has a range of 23 miles.

The first bridge across the chasm separating the island from Holy Island was a rope catwalk built in 1812.  This was replaced by an iron suspension bridge in 1828.  This in turn was replaced by an aluminium bridge in 1964.  This became unsafe at some point after the lighthouse was automated and after being closed for a while it was replaced in 1997.

South Stack is a very dramatic location and I thoroughly enjoyed my short visit in June 2011.

South Stack Lighthouse

South Stack Lighthouse

Bridge to South Stack

South Stack Lighthouse

Holy Island and Ellin's Tower from South Stack

Island 123 - Ynys Gaint, Anglesey, Wales

 

Bridge to Ynys Gaint from Menai Bridge

Ynys Gaint is a small tidal island, which is linked by a short bridge to the town of Menai Bridge in the south of Anglesey.  As you can see form the notice on the bridge, it is privately owned and visitors are not welcomed.  It was pouring with rain, there was no locked gate, there was no one around and only about 50 metres separated me from this island.   It was so tempting...!

Information about the island has proved hard to come by but a couple of people have added comments, which describe the island and give details of its recent history.  Many thanks to them for doing that.

Island 122 - Ynys Faelog, Anglesey, Wales

Ynys Faelog is a small tidal island located just off the south east coast of Anglesey at the town of Menai Bridge.  There is a tidal causeway to Ynys Faelog on the north side of the island but it had a big No Entry sign.  I think that part of the island is owned/managed? by Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences.  

At the south end of the island there is a concrete pedestrian walkway, which can be accessed from St George's Road in Menai Bridge, which looked to be above the high tide level.  This did not have a No Entry notice, so I walked across it.  At low tide the island doesn't look its best - lots of mud surrounding it.  When I visited it was pouring with rain and nowhere looks its best in that kind of weather!  There was also a large amount of dog mess on the rocks and on the walkway at the island end.  I didn't venture far onto the island.   There is at least one house on the island, maybe more.  I couldn't tell if this was one house or 2:

Ynys Faeolog

Ynys Faelog

Island 121 - Church Island, Anglesey, Wales

Church Island is aptly named as all the space on it is taken up by the small 14th century church of St Tysilio and its graveyard.  This church was built on the site of a church founded by St Tysilio in 630 AD.  It is accessed by a causeway from the town of Menai Bridge on the southern coast of Anglesey.

 

Causeway to Church Island

 



St Tysilio's Church



War Memorial

Menai Straits with Church Island and Menai Bridge in the middle of the photo



 

Island 120 - Looe or St George's Island, Cornwall

Looe or St George's Island is situated less than a mile off the coast at Looe in Cornwall.  Its two names seem to be used interchangeably.  The island is about 600 metres long at its widest part by 400 metres wide.  I visited for an afternoon in April 2011.

The island can be accessed by the Islander boat from Looe.  However it doesn’t operate to a published timetable, which makes it difficult to plan a visit if you aren’t staying in Looe.  The boat only operates 2-3 hours each side of high tide from Easter to September and weather permitting.  If you are staying in Looe for a few days there is a board on the harbour railing with a sheet for you to book your place. If you are making a special journey as I was then I suggest you contact Tim the boatman in advance to check sailing times.

You get 2 hours ashore, which is long enough to explore the island quite thoroughly.  There is one main circular path round the island and a shorter one from the information centre to the Chapel site.  Laminated sheets with details about the history and wildlife are available from the information centre for you to walk around the island with.  The wardens are very knowledgeable and friendly and are happy to answer any questions about the island. At very low spring tides it is possible to walk/wade across to the island.  Deer have occasionally been known to find their way to the island either by swimming or wading from the mainland.

Local legend says that Joseph of Arimathea visited Cornwall and left Jesus who was a child at the time on Looe Island while he traded for tin from Cornish miners.  It is thought that this is the reason that a chapel was built on the island c1139 and another at Hannafore on the mainland opposite the island.  It was part of Glastonbury Abbey until the late 13th century and 2 Benedictine monks were living there in around 1200.  by the early 16th century it had become a chantry - a place where the Courtenay family who owned the island at the time paid someone to say prayers for them, in the hope they would get to heaven as a result.  In 1547 all chantries become possessions of the English Crown.  The island was known as St Michael's Island until after 1588 and it was also previously known as St Nicholas's Island.

There have been many shipwrecks around the island and it was used by smugglers who hid their contraband in the caves around the island.

In 1743 the island was bought by Edward Trelawny, a local MP and Governor of Jamaica.  It was leased out to various tenants who farmed it and it remained part of the Trelawny estate until 1921.  In 1830 coastguards posted to the island to watch out for smugglers.  

After 1921 it changed hands several times until 1965 when it was bought by 2 sisters - Babs and Evelyn Atkins, who set up a pottery there and welcomed visitors.   Evelyn Atkins, who died in 1997 aged 87, wrote two books about their life on Looe Island, which are fascinating and inspiring accounts of island life - We bought an Island (1976) and its sequel Tales from our Cornish Island (1986).  Babs Atkins died in 2004 and she bequeathed the island to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

 

The island is small but perfectly formed and has a surprising variety of landscapes for such a small island.  The north eastern side, which is protected from the wind by a hill is covered with trees, the south east side is where the 3 houses and their vegetable gardens are located and the western side is maritime grassland, which is grazed by Hebridean sheep.  The island is home to a colony of grey seals and to a large number of greater black backed gulls as well as shags, cormorants and oystercatchers.  The trees were planted around 1870.

 

There is a compost toilet on the island and the tractor shed doubles as an information centre and small shop.  There is no café on the island but I did buy some excellent runner bean chutney made by one of the wardens.

Looe Island from Hannafore

Looe Island from the Hore Stone

Island House

This was built by the Customs Service to keep a watch on possible smuggling activities in the area

Island House and Jetty Cottage in the background

All that remains of an ancient chapel on the highest point on the island

On the top of the highest point on the island (45 metres) there are a very few remains of St Michael’s Chapel.  Time Team paid a visit in 2008 to excavate the site.  They drew up a plan of the building, and below the floors the team uncovered the burial of a man and a piece of pottery dating to the 13^th century. There is a World War 2 bomb crater near the chapel remains on the island.

Looking towards Hannafore from the Tractor Shed

 

Looking towards the SE corner of the island and Little Island

 

Smuggler's Cottage

 

Ferry from Looe

Several boatmen run trips around the island but this is the only ferry that it allowed to land on it.

 Babs Atkins' grave in a peaceful spot on Looe Island