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English island in the Bristol Channel
Photo: MichaelMaggs, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lundy is an island 3 miles (4.8 km) long and ½ mile (0.8 km) wide off the coast of North Devon in the south west of the United Kingdom, where the Bristol Channel meets the Atlantic Ocean.
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Old Light is reputed to be the highest lighthouse in England and was decommissioned as it spends much of its time in bad weather with its head in the clouds. The lighthouse is still open to visit and you can climb the very steep and precarious spiral staircase to the very top where the light platform now accommodates two deck chairs, from which the whole island can be observed.
A grade-II listed lighthouse which was built in 1897.
The island's second 'modern' grade-II listed lighthouse, which together with the South Lighthouse have replaced the Old Light.
Built by King Henry III in the 13th century to establish sovereignty and the rule of law over the island. It is named after the Marisco family, who had earlier in the century tried to have Henry III killed.
The current church building is from the late-19th century, but is on a site where there has been a graveyard and chapel since at least the 9th century.
The largest pool on the island, which was built to store water for the summer. Local flora and fauna can still be seen surrounding the pond, and carp can still be found in it.
In 1941, during World War II, two German Heinkel bomber planes crashed on the island. Although most of the wreckage has been since salvaged or plundered, some remnants of the planes can still be seen here. The other plane's crash site is on the cliffs, to the west of Pondsbury.
Now ruined cottages that were built in the 1860s to house some of the staff who worked for the company operating the nearby quarry.
The island was quarried for granite during the mid-19th century, and the remains of these quarries can still be seen today on the eastern edge of the island.
The food at the Marisco Tavern is good quality and plentiful, and uses much of the island's own produce. The main meals are kept on a warm burner, so you will not have to wait for your meal unless you order something different; the cooks are very flexible. A main meal costs about the same as a normal UK pub meal, but the quantities are far larger and the quality of cooking exceeds that of many very expensive restaurants. Breakfast, lunch and tea are available, and the desserts are amazing.
The Landmark Trust operates all accommodation on Lundy. It runs 23 self-catering properties, using many of the renovated original buildings, all with the basics such as water, bedding, and heating. It is advertised as the place to 'get away from the modern world', and so there are no TVs, phones, or radios in any property; and electricity is usually turned off overnight (apart from in one property where there is no electricity at all).
There is a camp site for 40 people on the island, which offers a cheap way of staying there. It is only open, however, during the summer when the MS Oldenburg is running. This campsite has been named one of 'Britain's best island campsites' by the Guardian.
The Landmark Trust also occasionally runs working holidays, where in return for a few days' work building walls, roads and helping out with the upkeep of the island, volunteers get free accommodation and food.
This is the one shop on the island. It sells food, camping supplies, and souvenirs. If staying on Lundy, you can order what you'd like to have during your stay to your accommodation, but make sure to do this at least 14 days before your arrival.
The main way of getting to Lundy is by boat - from the end of March until the end of October, you can visit Lundy for the day (or longer) by travelling on the MS Oldenburg from Ilfracombe or Bideford.
Read in the guideThis is a small island and the only way of exploring it is on foot - if looking to hike around the island, Ordnance Survey sell a 1:25,000 map of the area (which includes some of nearby Devon), the OS Explorer Map 139.
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