Lundy Island…

The Hidden Gem Of The Bristol Channel…

My tale of Tallship exploration continues, this time exploring a lesser known island off Britain’s coast.

Having departed Southampton, we continued our trundle along the Channel. The Needles, Portland Bill, Start Point, Lizard Point and Lands End were all observed, and We had brief stops in Plymouth, Falmouth and the Isles of Scilly.

In the Scillies, we had planned to go ashore. Unfortunately, the weather was not in our favour, and the fog made visibility almost impossible. The sound of the bell ringing became a constant, and as we left Scilly, the mood was glum. The first place we could have got ashore properly, we didn’t…

The was some good news though, as enroute to Cardiff (our next destination from the Scillies) we had planned on stopping off for a night anchored off an island called Lundy.

This remote, isolated island has a permanent population of 30, and is somewhat of a haven for natural observations and research.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, it’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit, mainly because of the fact it is meant to be an incredible beautiful place.
Let me tell you something…I wasn’t let down!

Landing on the island takes place at the aptly named Landing Bay. From here you can see how high the rocky cliffs are, and it makes you appreciate why not many people would want to live here. It also makes you appreciate why so many people have shipwrecked their vessels on the shore. To think that sailors all throughout history have been caught out by the weather and have ended up smashed up on the rocks is frightening to think about, especially considering that emergency services and lifeboats weren’t available.

As you wander up the road towards the village, you have a great view of Landing bay and the incredible rock structures that decorate Lundy.

Seeing Pelican anchored in the bay made me feel really pirate like, and I was glad to know the other people I had landed with felt the same!

An interesting observation a pal of mine made was the fact there were 0 trees on the island, I suppose it’s no wonder, bearing in mind the island is situated right in the middle of the Bristol Channel with zero protection from the prevailing wind and weather. (This probably also contributes to the incredible coastline and weatheredness of it!)

My intention on Lundy was to explore the island as much as possible, unlike the vast majority who either went straight to the pub or stayed down at the beach (though who could blame them, since during our time onboard there hadn’t been any alcohol permitted, and nobody had yet gone swimming)

I was lucky enough to walk all the way from Landing bay to the northern tip. On the 2 mile walk, I was really impressed by the incredible natural beauty and wildlife.

Beautiful green pastures and rocky tors littered the landscape, as herds of goat, sheep and highland cattle all wandered calmly around the fields. It was interesting to observe that despite being so rugged, there is a somewhat beautiful and elegant charm about it, especially through the sense of hearing….

One of the things which really stood out to me on the walk to the north point was the peace and serenity of the nature. All that you could hear was the crashing of the occasional wave hitting the cliffs below, the occasional mooing of a stray cow, and the rare motor from one of the few cars on the island.

After exploring the inland and northern tip, I took leave to the pub for a drink and snack, before continuing to walk around the island.

Another point of interest I visited was the church, which I always like to do when I’m somewhere new. Unlike in the Greek islands where the monasteries are adorned beautifully with gold and authentic frescoes, Anglican churches are somewhat calmer with the extravagance of the gold and colours. However, it was really lovely to see some Stained Glass windows, which you don’t get in most Romanian, Greek or Bulgarian monasteries/churches.

I found it quite interesting comparing Lundy to some of the small Greek islands I’ve visited, especially the likes of Kasterlerizo, Psara and Halki. One thing remained true to all those places, which was the sense of community between the residents, and there welcoming spirits. They differed historically, geographically and naturally, but the everyone on Lundy was extremely friendly and welcoming.

Lundy island is certainly a place I’d recommend to anyone who considers themselves an intrepid adventurer, and bearing in mind Lundy is so small, unfortunately not many people know about it!
Anyone who has the chance, make sure you go!
Thank you Lundy Island!

(To conclude this blog, I’d like to once again stress the fact that I’m sorry I’ve not published in a while. It really is difficult to find the time, especially since when you have internet there is always something that has to be done. Then when there isn’t much to do, which is generally at sea, we are to far away from land to get any internet connection. So you all know, I’m currently writing the blogs offline, and as soon as I have WiFi, I’m publishing them.)

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