Island 229 - Little Eye, Dee Estuary, Wirral

Little Eye is a very small tidal island that is rapidly disappearing, as it get eroded by the sea.  I am sure that there was more of it when I previously visited in 2010.  At that time I didn't think it was big enough to qualify as an island but I have now changed my mind!  It is located about 800 metres to the west of West Kirby on the Wirral and is part of a chain of islands with the larger Middle Eye and Hilbre Island. My second visit was in June 2014.

The photos I took make it look like it was a lovely sunny day.  However looks can be deceptive.  By the time I had walked on to Middle Eye and Hilbre thunder clouds had appeared.  On my return journey when I was halfway between Middle Eye and Little Eye the sky darkened dramatically and there were several bolts of spectacular forked lightning to the south but I wasn't sure how far away they were.  A tidal sand flat is one of the last places I would choose to be in the middle of a thunderstorm, as there was nothing taller than me for about 500 metres in any direction.  If there had been a prize for speed walking I would have won it that afternoon!  When I reached Little Eye, I sat down on one side of it for a while to allow the thunderstorm to pass.  At least the top of the island was higher than me.  For a few moments I thought I could feel the island vibrating underneath me but then I realised that what I could feel was actually my own heart thumping very loudly!  Thankfully the storm soon moved away and I could resume my journey back to West Kirby.  When I was about 400 metres away from the slipway there the heavens opened and it tipped down with rain and I was soaked by the time I got back to my car.



Little Eye

West Kirby from Little Eye

I am sure this concrete object was located on top of the island on my last visit.

Little Eye

Island 103 - Middle Eye, Dee Estuary, Wirral

Middle Eye is a small uninhabited tidal island located to the south of the larger Hilbre Island in the Dee Estuary about a mile offshore from Hoylake.  The vegetation is grass and wildflowers - thrift, bracken and a few gorse bushes and heather plants. There is access onto the island at both ends and paths run along both sides of the island.  Like Hilbre and Little Eye Middle Eye can be accessed across the sand from West Kirby for at least 3 hours either side of low tide.  For more information see my entry on Hilbre. 

 

Middle Eyre from the track up onto Hilbre
 

Middle Eye 

 Hilbre from Middle Eye

 

 Hilbre from Middle Eye

 Middle Eye

Middle Eye

Natural Arch, Middle Eye



The low cliffs at the north end of Middle Eye

Island 102 - Hilbre, Dee Estuary, Wirral

There are 3 islands in a chain in the Dee Estuary - Hilbre, Middle Eye and Little Eye.  They are part of the Bunter Sandstone Ridge and were once much larger but erosion has reduced their size.   Hilbre can be accessed on foot across the sands from West Kirby on the Wirral 4 hours either side of high tide.  The instructions from the Wirral Council, which owns the island, say that you should not try and walk to the islands direct from Hoylake.  The islands are about a mile offshore but the route you have to take to Hilbre is via Little Eye and Middle Eye and is about 2 miles in total.

I visited Hilbre in May 2010 and June 2014.

All 3 islands are designated as Local Nature Reserves.  The Dee Estuary is one of the top 10 most important estuaries in Europe for overwintering wildfowl and waders.  The islands are also visited by lots of migrating birds.  There has been a bird observatory on the island since 1957 and they use a Heligoland Bird Trap to capture birds for research and ringing purposes before setting them free again.

Neolithic remains have been found on the islands.  There was once a small church and monastic cell with a shrine dedicated to St Hildeburgh.  It was in use by Benedictine monks of St Werburgh, Chester for 400 years until the dissolution in 1538.  After the dissolution ownership of the islands passed to the Dean and Chapter of Chester Cathedral, who leased them to a succession of private individuals.  There was a pub on Hilbre by the late 18th Century.

In 1828 the lease was obtained by the Trustees of Liverpool Docks, who bought the island in 1856.  In 1945 they sold them to Hoylake Urban District Council.  They passed to Wirral Borough Council when it was formed in 1974 and they still own them.

There are a couple of private cottages on Hilbre, the Mersey Canoe Club, the remains of a lifeboat station and a slipway.  There are no visitor facilities on the island but it is a great place to come to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  

Hilbre

One of the cottages on Hilbre

The wardens' landrover

I'm not sure of the original purpose of this building.  The storm clouds are gathering

Another of Hilbre's cottages

I presume this low stone wall has been constructed to slow down the rate of erosion

Old Lifeboat Station at the north end of the island

The track up on to Hilbre

Freshwater pond

Slipway at the Old Lifeboat Station



The track on and off the island - looking towards Middle Eye