Let’s Visit Three Tiny Devon Islands!

Kittiwakes, Gill Wild

Devon is one of England’s largest counties, and also home to the longest coastline (surprisingly, the second longest coastline is Essex, which many mistakenly believe to be mostly urban).

But Devon is also home to a few islands. Three of note are:

Lundy Island (just 4 miles long!)

This island is situated in the Bristol Channel. 12 miles off the North Devon coast, it’s now managed by the National Trust as a reserve, due to being a haven for grey seals and many seabirds (including kittiwakes and razorbills). It’s also visited by the migrating hoopoe bird.

Here you’ll also find pygmy shrews, Soay sheep (originally from St Kilda in Scotland, they have curly horns) and semi-feral ponies (who aside from vet care and hoof-trimming) are left alone to live in the wild.

Burgh Island (links with Agatha Christie)

This island can be walked to at low tide, the rest of the time people have to take a sea tractor to reach this tiny island, often featured in Agatha Christie films. The beach house at the hotel was built for the crime writer, who would often visit here to write her novels (and lived nearby).

Great Mew Stone (was home to ‘Hermit Samuel!’)

This is a rocky island off the coast a South Devon village, previously used as a prison, and now a bird sanctuary owned by the National Trust. In 1744, ‘Hermit Samuel’ chose to be sentenced here for 7 years for a minor crime, rather than being sent to Australia.

He liked it so much, he married here and raised three children – even offering boat trips from Wembury beach. Alas his dual life as a smuggler caught him out, and he had to leave the island. Apparently nobody has lived there since!