A walk through some of Lundy's History and Geology by Grant Sherman. Based on walks and talks that Grant gave during his 13 years of running the bar in the Marisco Tavern.
Lundy has been owed by the National Trust and run by the Landmark Trust since 1969. The island's ferry, MS Oldenburg, sails from Ilfracombe or Bideford three times a week from the end of March until the end of October.
https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/lundyisland/timetable/
The two hour crossing from Ilfracombe or Bideford gives opportunities to view the ever-changing waters of the Bristol Channel some of the life that call these place their home. From March to October, different sea-birds can be seen. Manx Shearwaters, Guillemots, Razorbills, Gannets, Kittiwakes and Herring Gulls are the most common seabirds. (Although I never understand why a some birdwatchers don't like word 'seagull') Less commonly seen birds include Puffins, Storm Petrels, Common Skuas, Arctic Skuas, and Terns. You might also see Common Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins or Porpoises if you are lucky.
The Jetty
was built in the late 1990's and provides a safe landing place is almost all summer sea-conditions. Before the Jetty, passengers had to dis-embark on to small boats and make their way to a small gangway on landing beach. Look out for Atlantic Grey Seals bobbing aroud the Jetty at high tide. The seals are not so easy to see at low tide when they are hauled-up on rocks the other side of Rat Island. The rocks here are fragile, contorted slates dating to the Devonian period of geological history. These slates accumulated as flat layers of fine sediment in shallow seas between the continents of Laurussia and Gondwana around 350-400 million years ago. The slates were folded when these two continents collided 300-250 million years ago - this was the time when the granites of Dartmoor and Cornwall were formed.
South Lighthouse
and North Light were completed in 1896 to replace the Old Lighthouse on Beacon Hill. The steps here only lead up to the South Light, there is no short cut to the village.
Follow the main road to the Landing Beach passing two sea stacks called the Constables. Take time to look up to the Castle which was build (or possibly re-built) during the English Civil War. Below the Castle you can see the entrance to Benson's cave - where outwardly respectable Bideford merchant Thomas Benson would hide smuggled tobacco in the 1750's.
The Castle dominates the landing bay and takes advantage of the geology of Lundy. Below Benson's cave is an almost vertical cliff that makes it difficult to attack. The cliff is formed of a reddish type of volcanic rock called trachyte. Trachyte can contain a range of different elements - the particular type here is known as Lundyite. You can see where the Lundyite cuts through the older slates on your left just before you reach the slipway down to Landing Beach. Geologists call this type of feature a 'dyke'. The Lundyite dyke is 6 feet (2m) thick by the road.
Landing Beach
This is where almost all of the island's people and supplies were landed until the Jetty was built. The east side of Lundy is sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds. The stone structure has been coated with sprayed concrete to protect slipway from winter storms. The beach road leads up the the village. In spring this path is a mass of flowers, including the Lundy Cabbage (Coincya wrightii).
Coincya wrightii, known as Lundy cabbage, is a species of primitive brassicoid, endemic to the island of Lundy off the southwestern coast of England, where it is sufficiently isolated to have formed its own species, with its endemic insect pollinators. Coincya wrightii grows natively only on the eastern cliffs and slopes of the island and nowhere else in the world and is a protected species. It reaches up to a metre in height and with its yellow flowers (seen from May to August) it looks a little similar to oil seed rape. Although it is a member of the cabbage family, it tastes unpleasant – it has been described as "triple-distilled essence of Brussels sprout". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coincya_wrightii
National Biodiversity Network Atlas https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NHMSYS0000457413
The road continues up to Millcombe, giving good views of the east side of Lundy. This is the softer side of the island. The cliffs are lower and there are occasional copses of trees that shelter migrating birds or the introduced Sika deer.
Millcombe
Millcombe is the name of the valley as well as the Late-Georgian house that nestles at the head of the valley. Originally called the Villa, it was built by William Hudson Heaven, who bought Lundy in 1836 with money received from the emancipation of the slaves on his Jamaican estates. The house is one of 23 self-catering properties on Lundy that are run by the Landmark Trust.
Historic England Millcombe House Grade II. Built in 1836 for and possibly designed by William Hudson Heaven, the owners of the island. Stone, rendered and blocked out. Lead roof behind parapet, with central valley to collect rainwater. Rendered axial stacks with square yellow clay pots. Double depth plan with narrower service block at the back. 3 rooms at the front; the central entrance hall with a staircase behind, is flanked by the drawing room on left and dining room on right. The kitchen is behind the dining room and other service rooms to the left are behind the drawing room and stairs.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1326626
At the white metal gates of Millcombe Drive this walk follows the road around to the left (the quickest route to the village is up Millcombe Drive, near the house take the steps to the right). The road zig-zags up towards St John's Valley, first under trees and then giving wide views of the landing bay. St John's Valley is higher than Millcombe which has led to the suggestion that these valleys were carved by glaciers. Geologists visited Lundy in 2011 to find out whether Lundy was covered in ice during the last ice-age. They examined many features on Lundy, however Millcombe is not mentioned as a glacial site in their report. Timing of the maximum extent of Late Pleistocene glaciation in NW Europe: Evidence from Lundy
A granite wall at the top of St John's Valley marks the extent of the Heaven family's private grounds. Here we turn left towards the Castle.
The Castle
The path rises from St John's Valley with exposed slate on either side. At the crest of the hill we have good views of the Castle and the North Devon coast. The keep is divided into three self-catering properties, but it is possible to enter the small cobbled courtyard. Leaving the courtyard, turn right around the castle, passing Castle Cottage which leans against the outside of the keep. Continue to the parade ground which has commanding views of the landing bay, jetty and MS Oldenbrug.
Henry III ordered the construction of a castle on Lundy after the capture and execution of William de Marisco. There was no evidence of 13th occupation when the National Trust surveyed the site in the 1980s, however restoration work on the curtain walls in the 2010s suggested that the lower parts of the wall might be 13th century. The present keep was built by Thomas Bushell during the Englsih Civil War. The stone house in the parade ground with its 17th bread oven has been attributed to Bevil Grenville, Thomas Bushell or Sir John Borlase Warren who all owned Lundy at different times.
Historic England The monument includes Marisco castle, situated in a prominent cliff-top setting at the south east corner of Lundy. The history of a castle on this site begins with the construction of a shell keep and bailey on the order of Henry III in 1243. In 1643, during the Civil War, the royalist Thomas Bushell restored the castle `from the ground at his own charge'. The present remains seem to date from this restoration as well as including subsequent additions and comprise a keep, a parade ground revetted with stone, a curtain wall on the north side, a fosse or outer ditch on the north and west sides and a storage cave to the east.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016034
It has recently been suggested the Lundy was occupied by Barbary pirates for 5 years during its ownership by Bevil Grenville. Primary court records for the time suggest that Lundy was not held for more than two weeks. See C.G. Harfields's paper 'In the shadow of the Black Ensign: Lundy's part in piracy' for more information.
http://www.lundy.org.uk/resources/annual-report-archive
https://lfs-resources.s3.amazonaws.com/ar47/LFS_Annual_Report_Vol_47_Part_16.pdf
Looking west from the castle we see the wide sweep of the Rattles anchorage below us. On the far headland we can see the Rocket Pole. Before us are walls and ditches that formed the part of the landward defences of the castle. A narrow track runs across these walls. We will follow this track around Castle Hill to the stile. Cross the stile, turn left and follow the track between the cliff and the stone wall of Tent Field.
Kistvaen
Where the wall of Tent Field turns right there is a track leading of the the right. Between this track and the track to the Rocket Pole there is a shallow depression (about 10 feet/3 metres from the junction). This depression is one possible site of the Kistvaen - a bronze age burial site that was discovered in the 1850s. R
Historic England The monument includes a stone-built cist lying in the depression formed by a 19th century excavation. Surrounding stonework suggests that it is the remains of a chambered tomb. The excavation revealed a block of granite 0.47m thick resting on two upright slabs enclosing a chamber about 1.8m wide and 1.8m deep. This slab appears to have been moved to the north to expose the interior. It still lies in this position with the interior of the cist open, although now partly filled with soil and vegetation. A fragment of pottery, now lost, was found in the cavity but no other dating evidence remains. Although the chamber has been exposed, other details of the original construction including buried features such as pits, secondary burials and the remains of the covering cairn will survive.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1015931
After examining the Kistvaen, continue along the track towards the Rocket Pole.
Rocket Pole Pond
The Rocket Pole stands like a isolated telegraph pole on this windswept corner of the island. It was used as a target for testing the rocket-propelled lifesaving equipment that was issued to Lundy in the 1890s. Nearby is Pocket Pole Pond, a flooded quarry that is home to fish and occasional ducks. From Rocket Pole Pond head to the edge of the island at South West Point.
South West Point
South West Point was one of our favourite places when we lived on Lundy. The strong tides where the waters of the Bristol Channel meet Celtic Sea form an ever-changing pattern between the rocks at this corner of the island. Before us is the sheer slab of Great Shutter Rock, beyond it are Little Shutter Rock and Black Rock. At low and high tide the waters can be calm, but at mid tides the sea roars between the rocks and waves crash and splash over the rocks.
On the sloop below us to the south is the Devil's Limekiln. This is a blow-hole, a collapsed cave where to seas have carved their way through the softer rocks of two dykes - one dyke angled north-south the other east-west. For a long time you could seen the waves at the bottom of the Devil's Limekiln but a rock fall in the winter of 2007-8 has filled the bottom of the Limekiln with rubble.
Turning to the west, On the next headland to the north you can trace the path heading down to Montagu Steps. (That track is not for the faint-hearted - a walk down granite gravel with a 200ft drop to the left) HMS Montagu was wrecked on the reef here in May 1906.
Historic England On the afternoon of 29 May 1906, the five-year old Montagu anchored off Lundy during a Fleet exercise to test recently installed wireless telegraphic signalling apparatus. The Montagu was to communicate with the Isles of Scilly but the distance proved too great to enable suitable transmission and reception. In normal circumstances the Montagu would have steamed closer to Scilly to continue the trials but she had become enveloped in thick fog and given the risk of mid-channel collision the ships’ Captain decided to move closer to Lundy.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1440450
Return to Rocket Pole Pond and take the track that heads north-east towards the gate on the road between the village and the Old Lighthouse.
WW2 Anti-Aircraft Ditch
When you reach the gateway you will see a long shallow ditch heading left towards the sea. This is the remains of an anti-aircraft ditch. Millions these ditches were dug in southern Britain during the Second World War. They were meant to stop German aircraft landing in case of a German invasion.
From this gateway you can head east back to the village or head north towards the Old Lighthouse and Beacon Hill Cemetery.
Beacon Hill Cemetery
At Beacon Hill Cemetery the granite walls give way a overgrown grassy bank. This bank is all that remains of the circular 'lann' that has enclosed this cemetery since at least the 5th Century AD. The cemetery is still owned by the Church of England and access is allowed through the gate on the right on the bank.
Historic England In the centre and west side of the burial ground are the excavated remains of an early Christian shrine which had associated graves. It was from here that the earliest graves and four memorial stones originate. These were discovered on the site at various times and date back to the fifth-seventh centuries, AD.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016040
Leaving the cemetery, head right towards the Old Lighthouse and enter the compound by the stile or the gate.
Old Lighthouse
The light first shone in the Old Lighthouse in 1819. It was built on the highest point of Lundy so that it could be seen from all directions. unfortunately, the light was obscured by low cloud and was replaced in 1896 by the North and South Lighthouses that are still in operation. The keeper's accommodation form two Landmark Trust letting properties, however it is possible to climb almost 150 steps to enjoy the views from the lantern. The tower and accommodation are joined by a covered, granite passageway. Head through the doors and turn right to the lower lantern room and the steps to the upper lantern.
Historic England The monument includes a disused lighthouse on the summit of Beacon Hill, the highest point of Lundy. The monument is linked to the keeper's house and a small complex of buildings within a walled enclosure. The keeper's house and associated buildings, together with the enclosing wall, are not included in the scheduling. The lighthouse was built in 1819 on a foundation laid in 1787. The architect was Daniel Alexander and the builder Joseph Nelson for Trinity House. The lighthouse is Listed Grade II*. The tower is built of granite ashlar and stands about 30m high.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016039
Leave the Lighthouse and go around the lighthouse until you see the stile that takes you north out of the compound and on to Ackland's Moor.
Airfield
Follow the path across Ackland's Moor to the Airfield. Continue along the airfield in a north east direction until you reach the main road. Head left along the road to Quarter Wall Gate. The airfield was constructed in the 1930s to attract visitors to Lundy. It still attracts light aircraft, many arriving at the annual 'Fly-in' in early August.
Quarter-wall Gate
When you reach the gate, look at the overgrown wall to your left. There is a stone block with 1864 carved upon it. This stone dates to the time of the Lundy Granite Company, but the rest of the wall may be much older.
Lundy Field Society Quarter Wall is the oldest of the three main cross-island walls and may, indeed, have prehistoric origins. Early maps show that the wall's meandering course was produced because it formed the northern edge of a series of small fields rather than being laid out in a straight line.
https://www.lundy.org.uk/about-lundy/island-tour?location=114
Heritage Gateway Unlike halfway and threequarter walls, quarter wall is sinuous and of more ancient appearance. Up to 2m wide at its base and faced with smaller stones than the other two walls. Some "herring-bone" work in these facings and the wall has a considerable batter on both sides. Stones packed in hard with earth and turf. Widespread collapse, but vertical stone capping survives in places. Building attributed to sir john borlase warren in the c18, but there is no real evidence for this. More likely he repaired a much earlier wall (nt).
https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?resourceID=104&uid=MDV14987
Lundy Granite Company
North of Quarter Wall you will see the low walls which are the remains of the some of the workers' cottages from the Lundy Granite Company. Follow the main road as it turns to the right and then take the right fork towards the sea. The whole area between this track and Quarter Wall was covered in quarry buildings. Now all that remain are low walls that are covered by bracken. The substantial buildings near the cliff are variously called Belview Cottages or Quarterwall Cottages. These were the houses of the professional employees; engineers, agents, or doctors.
Historic England The quarry was initiated by the Lundy Granite Company in 1863 and ceased trading in 1868. The quarry consists of five cliffside workings with their spoilheaps, a terrace revetted by massive stone walls serving as access to the workings, a floor for a light railway to each of the workings, a dressing floor, two inclines to carry the machinery to lift and lower the stone from the workings to a landing beach, two buildings for stabling and storage, and a time hut for the staff to supervise the operation.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016041
From here you can take the path along the top of the Eastsidelands to the village, or return to Quarterwall Gate and head south along the main road to the village.
Campsite and General Stores.
Head into the village past the farmyard and generator building. Just before the General Stores there is a gate to your right to the campsite. Archaeological work was conducted in 2000 before pipework was laid to carry hot water from the diesel generators to the heat the village. The excavation uncovered medieval walls and pottery. They also found two pieces of late 5th century pottery that came from the eastern Mediterranean, pottery from storage jars that may have brought red wine from Syria or Cyprus to the monks on Beacon Hill.
John Allan & Shirley Blaylock "Medieval Pottery and Other Finds from Pigs Paradise, Lundy" Devon Archaeological Society Proceedings 63: 2005
http://www.devonarchaeologicalsociety.org.uk/proceedings/
In the north wall of the campsite you will see a small gate. Do not go through this gate into Bull's Paradise, but look at the lumps at bumps in this field. These were excavated in the 1960s and revealed thick walls and burials that may mark the location of the Marisco's stronghold.
Historic England The monument includes earthwork remains of a chapel, a cemetery, a medieval defended homestead and a medieval midden contained in two enclosed paddocks to the west of Barton Cottages and Manor Farm north and west of the present village, on Lundy. The larger area, known as Bull's Paradise, has been partly excavated and subject to geophysical survey, revealing remains of a defended medieval homestead.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1016035
Return to the main road turn right (downhill). On your left is the Rocket Shed which is a small museum. On your right is the General Stores, which sells food and souvenirs, including Lundy stamps and some of the many books that have been published about Lundy. Leave the shop and head downhill to the Marisco Tavern.
Marisco Tavern and Old House
The Marisco Tavern was built as the company shop and bakery for the Lundy Granite Company in the 1860s. It was known as the canteen in the 1920s when Evelyn Waugh visited Lundy. It is now the social heart of Lundy life.
Old House was built in the 1770s for Sir John Borlase Warren, whose grand plans for Lundy were interrupted by the American War of Independence.
Historic England House. Late C18 for Sir John Barlace Warren. Restored in late c20 by Landmark Trust. Granite rubble with dread granite quoin lintels and stringcourse. Slate roof with lead roll ridge and granite coped gable end and parapet. Gable end stacks with short rebuilt granite shafts.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1104915
St Helen's Church
Leave the village by the cattle grid and visit the recently restored Church of St Helen. The church was designed by John Norton and built in 1896 for Hudson Grossett Heaven with £5,000 left to him by a distant aunt Sarah Langworthy.
Historic England Grade II Parish church. 1896 by J. Norton for H.G. Heaven, the owner of Lundy Island. Granite ashlar. Slate roofs with crested ridge tiles and stone coped gable ends.
Plan: nave with porch under tower of west end of north side of nave, chancel with transept vestry on north side. Northwest-southeast orientation. Victorian Gothic Early English.
Exterior: nave has two-light plate tracery windows on north and south sides and two lancet west window with rose window above, its tracery blocked off. Transept vestry has two-light window in gable and with plate tracery and lean-to porch in north east angle with shouldered head doorway. Large three-stage unbuttressed north west tower with battlements, square stair turret with battlements in angle with nave, gargoyles at corners and large two-light lancet bell-openings with trefoil heads and slate louvres. Clock face at first stage above niche containing figure of St Helena which is above the deeply chamfered two-centred arch doorway to the porch, with wooden gates; the inner doorway has arch of four arches.
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1104955
The restoration has included a new education and information centre https://sthelenslundy.co.uk/
Leave the church and turn right down the main road to the jetty and MS Oldenburg.
Re-dedication on St Helen's 2018 Photo Grant Sherman
