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Lundy Island - Devon

By Rod Booth

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 23Sep2008 Word count: 603 Viewed: 372 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Lundy is an enjoyable unspoiled haven, a Devon venue well away from the hustle and bustle of daily life; a place to relax and "get busy doing nothing"! (Although with walking, diving, canoeing, climbing, church-bell ringing, birdwatching, fishing, snorkelling, photography and painting on offer, the more active visitor will certainly never be bored!)

Lundy Island is essentially a granite outcrop approximately three and a half miles long by half a miles wide, rising some four hundred feet out of the sea, 12 miles off the coast of Devon where the Bristol Channel meets the Atlantic. With its West Side being hit by the prevailing south-westerly winds and the East Side being much more sheltered, there is a profound difference between the flora that grows on the two opposite sides of Lundy.

But that's not the only reason why Lundy Island is a unique place. Visitors tend to return for its clear seas, spectacular landscape and clarity of the night sky, a vision which remains unobscured by city and street lights.

And visitors come to Lundy from all over the world: perhaps just to relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility; maybe to watch the wildlife, or to paint, or to take photographs, or even to ring the Church Bells. Then there are those active types who come to Lundy to expend a little more energy by walking, climbing, canoeing or diving.

To enhance your enjoyment of this beautiful place, there are various walks, talks and activities organised by the Island's warden. There are "rocky shore rambles", "Lundy by land and sea" lectures, wildlife and seabird walks and snorkeling trips.

The great thing is that all these events are free of charge and open to all (except snorkelling, which has a nominal charge to cover equipment hire and maintenance). Of course, while there is no compulsion, donations to the Lundy Island Fund will always be gratefully received!

The abundant flora and fauna on Lundy is so rich and diverse that most of the Island has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Indeed Lundy is often referred to as one of Britain's greatest natural wonders, having gained this accolade in a BBC Radio Times vote in 2005. The clear seas surrounding the island make up England's only statutory Marine Nature Reserve.

Whether you are bird spotting - puffins, without doubt being the most popular species to see - or whether you wish to see basking sharks, seals, the Lundy pony or even corals and seaweeds, then Lundy is where you're going to see them.

Lundy Island offers the visitor a variety of accommodation in which to stay - 23 properties in total - including a 13th century castle, a late Georgian gentleman's villa, a fisherman's chalet and even a lighthouse. There is also a campsite at the southern end of the island.

Most of the island's buildings have been built from the local, lightly-coloured granite, and many have been adapted from previous use, or made from stone reclaimed from redundant buildings. All properties offer heating: some have open fires as well. There are baths or showers with running hot and cold water, mains drainage, and gas and electricity. To ensure you need bring a minimum of equipment, most properties offer sheets, pillowcases and towels on a per person rate in the price of all property rentals. And most unusually, each building comes with a library of relevant reference books.

You can travel to Lundy either by scheduled steamer (April to October only), a journey of approximately two hours, from Bideford and Ilfracombe, or by helicopter or light aircraft from Hartland Point.

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