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61-558: MS Oldenburg is a British passenger ferry serving the island of Lundy in the Bristol Channel . The Oldenburg was named after the former grand duchy of Oldenburg , Germany, and launched on 29 March 1958 in Bremen . On 6 August she was delivered to Deutsche Bundesbahn Schiffsdienst Wangerooge, and used for a ferry service between the mainland and the Frisian island of Wangerooge . She

122-1280: A Rüppell's warbler in 1979 was Britain's second, an eastern Bonelli's warbler in 2004 was Britain's fourth, and a black-faced bunting in 2001 Britain's third. Other British Birds rarities that have been sighted (single records unless otherwise indicated) are: little bittern ; gyrfalcon (3 records); little and Baillon's crakes ; collared pratincole ; semipalmated (5 records), least (2 records), white-rumped , and Baird's (2 records) sandpipers; Wilson's phalarope ; laughing gull ; bridled tern ; Pallas's sandgrouse ; great spotted , black-billed , and yellow-billed (3 records) cuckoos; European roller ; olive-backed pipit ; citrine wagtail ; Alpine accentor ; thrush nightingale ; red-flanked bluetail ; western black-eared (2 records) and desert wheatears; White's , Swainson's (3 records), and grey-cheeked (2 records) thrushes; Sardinian (2 records), Arctic (3 records), Radde's , and western Bonelli's warblers ; Isabelline and lesser grey shrikes ; red-eyed vireo (7 records); two-barred crossbill ; yellow-rumped and blackpoll warblers ; yellow-breasted (2 records) and black-headed buntings (3 records); rose-breasted grosbeak (2 records); bobolink ; and Baltimore oriole (2 records). Lundy

183-461: A cave built by the convicts, before setting sail again. Some days afterwards, when a homeward-bound vessel was sighted, the Nightingale was set on fire and scuttled. The crew were taken off the stricken ship by the other ship, which landed them safely at Clovelly . Sir Vere Hunt, 1st Baronet of Curragh , a rather eccentric Irish politician and landowner, and unsuccessful man of business, purchased

244-474: A dry heath/acidic grassland mosaic, characterised by heaths and western gorse ( Ulex gallii ), or semi-improved acidic grassland in which Yorkshire fog ( Holcus lanatus ) is abundant. Tussocky (Thrift) (Holcus/Armeria) communities occur mainly on the western side, and some patches of bracken ( Pteridium aquilinum ) on the eastern side. There is one endemic plant species, the Lundy cabbage (Coincya wrightii) ,

305-656: A few in gold, was issued to commemorate 40 years since Harman purchased the island. Harman's son, John Pennington Harman was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross during the Battle of Kohima , India in 1944. There is a memorial to him at the VC Quarry on Lundy. Martin Coles Harman died in 1954. Residents did not pay taxes to the United Kingdom and had to pass through customs when they travelled to and from Lundy Island. Although

366-470: A new aft canopy and undertake a refurbishment programme, bringing the total passenger capacity count to 267. Every year, the MS Oldenburg enters Sharpness docks for her annual refit. During these refits, essential maintenance is carried out in dry dock which are not possible during the sailing season. During the late 2019 refit, MS Oldenburg was fitted with a new rudder stock and foredeck crane, replacing

427-400: A new harbour. His choice of the church was not however in the best financial interests of the island. The unavailability of the money for re-establishing the family's financial soundness, coupled with disastrous investment and speculation in the early 20th century, caused severe financial hardship. Hudson Heaven died in 1916, and was succeeded by his nephew, Walter Charles Hudson Heaven. With

488-443: A result of commercial fishing for sand eels , the puffins' principal prey. Since the elimination of rats in 2006, seabird numbers have increased. By 2023 the number of puffins had risen to 1,355 and the number of Manx shearwater to 25,000, representing 95% of England's breeding population of this seabird. The island has since 2014 become colonised by European storm petrel . As an isolated island on major migration routes, Lundy has

549-846: A rich bird life and is a popular site for birdwatching . Large numbers of black-legged kittiwake ( Rissa tridactyla ) nest on the cliffs, as do razorbill ( Alca torda ), common guillemot ( Uria aalge ), European herring gull ( Larus argentatus ), lesser black-backed gull ( Larus fuscus ), northern fulmar ( Fulmarus glacialis ), European shag ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis ), Eurasian oystercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus ), Eurasian skylark ( Alauda arvensis ), meadow pipit ( Anthus pratensis ), common blackbird ( Turdus merula ), European robin ( Erithacus rubecula ), and linnet ( Carduelis cannabina ). There are also smaller populations of peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ) and raven ( Corvus corax ). Lundy has attracted many vagrant birds , in particular species from North America . As of 2007,

610-403: A rich bird life, as it lies on major migration routes, and attracts many vagrant as well as indigenous species. It also boasts a variety of marine habitats, with rare seaweeds, sponges and corals. In 2010, the island became Britain's first Marine Conservation Zone. Lundy is the largest island in the Bristol Channel . It lies 10 nautical miles (19 km) off the coast of Devon , England, about

671-467: A seasonal fair ). Later, in England, visits to stately homes by those who regarded themselves middle class became frequent, and it was the tradition to reward the butler or housekeeper with a tip (gratuity) for providing access to their employer's home. As such homes were meant for show, it is unlikely that the owning family would object, provided they were not in residence at the time. The arrival of

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732-461: A species of primitive brassica . By the 1980s, the eastern side of the island had become overgrown by rhododendrons ( Rhododendron ponticum ) which had spread from a few specimens planted in the garden of Millcombe House in Victorian times , but in recent years significant efforts have been made to eradicate this non-native plant. Two invertebrate taxa are endemic to Lundy, with both feeding on

793-517: A strong supporter of the Royalist cause and an expert on mining and coining. It was the last Royalist territory held between the first and second civil wars. After receiving permission from Charles I, Bushell surrendered the island on 24 February 1647 to Richard Fiennes, representing General Fairfax . In 1656, the island was acquired by Lord Saye and Sele . The late 18th and early 19th centuries were years of lawlessness on Lundy, particularly during

854-496: A third of the distance across the channel from Devon to Pembrokeshire in Wales. Lundy gives its name to a British sea area . Lundy is included in the district of Torridge in Devon. In 2007, it had a resident population of 28 people. These include a warden, a ranger, an island manager, a farmer, bar and housekeeping staff, and volunteers. Most live in and around the village at the south of

915-408: A wide variety of other invertebrate species which are not endemic to the island. Another resident invertebrate of note is Atypus affinis , the only British species of purseweb spider . The population of puffins ( Fratercula arctica ) on the island declined in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as a consequence of depredations by brown and black rats ( Rattus rattus ) and possibly also as

976-549: Is 28.8 °C (83.8 °F) on 2 August 1990, and the record low temperature is −4.5 °C (23.9 °F) recorded just six months later on 7 February 1991. Lundy is in the USDA 9a plant hardiness zone. The vegetation on the plateau is mainly dry heath, with an area of waved Calluna heath; the northern end of the island is largely bare rock. This area is also rich in lichens , such as Teloschistes flavicans and several species of Cladonia and Parmelia . Other areas are either

1037-518: Is Beacon Hill, 469 feet (143 metres) above sea level. A few yards off the northeastern coast is Seal's Rock which is so called after the seals which rest on and inhabit the islet . It is less than 55 yards (50 metres) wide. Near the jetty is a small pocket beach . One of the Meteorological Office's 31 sea areas announced on the BBC Radio 4 shipping forecast is named Lundy. The island

1098-425: Is home to an unusual range of introduced mammals, including a distinct breed of wild pony, the Lundy pony , as well as Soay sheep ( Ovis aries ), sika deer ( Cervus nippon ), feral goats ( Capra aegagrus hircus ), and European rabbit , some of which are melanistic . Day-tripper In medieval times a destination for such a trip would be religious (to a nearby shrine ) or commercial (for example, to

1159-816: Is managed by the Landmark Trust on behalf of the National Trust . The place-name Lundy is first attested in 1189 in the Records of the Templars in England , where it appears as [Insula de] Lundeia . It appears in the Charter Rolls as Lundeia again in 1199, and as Lunday in 1281. The name is Scandinavian and means ' puffin island', from the Old Norse lundi meaning 'puffin' (compare Lundey in Iceland ); it appears in

1220-600: Is possible, based on emplacement of magmas of the basalt , trachyte and rhyolite types at a high levels in Earth's crust, that a volcano system existed above Lundy. Lundy lies on the line where the North Atlantic Ocean and the Bristol Channel meet, so it has quite a mild climate. The island has cool, wet winters and mild, wet summers. It is often windy and fog is frequently experienced. The record high temperature

1281-489: Is primarily composed of granite of 59.8 ± 0.4 – 58.4 ± 0.4 million years (from the Palaeocene epoch ), with slate at the southern end; the plateau soil is mainly loam , with some peat . Among the igneous dykes cutting the granite are a small number composed of a unique orthophyre . This was given the name Lundyite in 1914, although the term – never precisely defined – has since fallen into disuse. It

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1342-404: Is the special "Puffin" postage stamp, a category known by philatelists as "local carriage labels", a collectors' item. As a steep, rocky island, often shrouded by fog, Lundy has been the scene of many shipwrecks, and the remains of its old lighthouse installations are of both historic and scientific interest. Its present-day lighthouses, one of which is solar-powered, are fully automated. Lundy has

1403-664: The Knights Templar by Henry II in 1160. The Templars were a major international maritime force at this time, with interests in North Devon, and almost certainly an important port at Bideford or on the River Taw in Barnstaple . This was probably because of the increasing threat posed by the Norse sea raiders; however, it is unclear whether they ever took possession of the island. Ownership

1464-602: The United Kingdom 's Coinage Act of 1870 . His case was heard by Devon magistrates in April 1930, and he was fined £5 with £15 15 shillings (£15.75 in decimal currency ) expenses. He appealed to the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice in 1931, but the appeal was dismissed. The coins were withdrawn and became collectors' items. In 1965, a "fantasy" restrike four-coin set,

1525-521: The hundred of Braunton . Many of the buildings on the island, including St. Helen's Church , designed by the architect John Norton , and Millcombe House (originally known simply as "the Villa"), date from the Heaven period. The Georgian-style villa was built in 1836. However, the expense of building the road from the beach (no financial assistance being provided by Trinity House , despite their frequent use of

1586-437: The railway excursion , often using Day Tripper tickets, in the mid 19th century saw the blossoming of a distinctive day-tripper industry. Trippers also travelled in their thousands by paddlesteamer or steamship to the many piers around Victorian era seaside resorts . The General Slocum excursion was an example. Cycling became a very popular day-tripper activity, especially amongst urban and suburban workers, from

1647-588: The 12th-century Orkneyinga saga as Lundey . Lundy is known in Welsh as Ynys Wair , 'Gwair's Island', in reference to an alternative name for the wizard Gwydion . Lundy has evidence of visitation or occupation from the Mesolithic period onward, with Neolithic flintwork, Bronze Age burial mounds , four inscribed gravestones from the early medieval period, and an early medieval monastery (possibly dedicated to St Elen or St Helen ). Beacon Hill Cemetery

1708-644: The 1920s, the island's owner, Martin Harman , tried to issue his own coinage and was fined by the House of Lords . In 1941, two German Heinkel He 111 bombers crash landed on the island, and their crews were captured. In 1969, Lundy was purchased by British millionaire Jack Hayward , who donated it to the National Trust . It is now managed by the Landmark Trust , a conservation charity that derives its income from day trips and holiday lettings, most visitors arriving by boat from Bideford or Ilfracombe . A local tourist curiosity

1769-633: The British merchant ship Jenny was wrecked on the coast of Lundy on 20 January 1797. Only the first mate survived. The site of the tragedy ( 51°10.87′N 4°40.48′W  /  51.18117°N 4.67467°W  / 51.18117; -4.67467 ) has since been known as Jenny's Cove. Steaming in heavy fog , the Royal Navy battleship HMS  Montagu ran hard aground near Shutter Rock on Lundy's southwest corner at about 2:00 a.m. on 30 May 1906. Thinking they were aground at Hartland Point on

1830-401: The British government as a base for troops. After the 1st Baronet's death his son, Sir Aubrey (Hunt) de Vere, 2nd Baronet , also had great difficulty in securing any profit from the property. In the 1820s, John Benison agreed to purchase the island for £4,500 but then refused to complete the sale, as he felt that de Vere could not make out a good title in respect of the sale terms, namely that

1891-533: The English mainland, a landing party went ashore for help, only finding out where they were after encountering the lighthouse keeper at the island's north light. Strenuous efforts by the Royal Navy to salvage the badly damaged battleship during the summer of 1906 failed, and in 1907 it was decided to give up and sell her for scrap. Montagu was scrapped at the scene over the next fifteen years. Diving clubs still visit

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1952-457: The Government to transport a shipload of convicts to Virginia , but diverted the ship to Lundy to use the convicts as his personal slaves. Later Benson was involved in an insurance swindle. He purchased and insured the ship Nightingale and loaded it with a valuable cargo of pewter and linen. Having cleared the port on the mainland, the ship put into Lundy, where the cargo was removed and stored in

2013-574: The King. At some point in the 13th century the monks of the Cistercian order at Cleeve Abbey held the rectory of the island. Over the next few centuries, the island was hard to govern. Trouble followed as both English and foreign pirates and privateers  – including other members of the Marisco family – took control of the island for short periods. Ships were forced to navigate close to Lundy because of

2074-459: The Martello Tower ( Aldeburgh , Suffolk ), and Clavell Tower ( Kimmeridge Bay , Dorset ). The island is visited by over 20,000 day trippers a year, but during September 2007 had to be closed for several weeks owing to an outbreak of norovirus . An inaugural Lundy Island half-marathon took place on 8 July 2018 with 267 competitors. Near the end of a voyage from Africa to Bristol ,

2135-457: The Portledge Hotel at Fairy Cross, in Devon, England. Jenny was a three-masted full-rigged ship reputed to be carrying ivory and gold dust that was wrecked on Lundy on 20 January 1797 at a place thereafter called Jenny's Cove. Some ivory was apparently recovered some years later but the leather bags supposed to contain gold dust were never found. William Heaven was succeeded by his son

2196-478: The Reverend Hudson Grosset Heaven who, thanks to a legacy from Sarah Langworthy (née Heaven), was able to fulfill his life's ambition of building a stone church on the island. St Helen's was completed in 1896, and stands today as a lasting memorial to the Heaven period. It has been designated by English Heritage a Grade II listed building . He is said to have been able to afford either a church or

2257-511: The castle (sometimes referred to as the Marisco Castle) in an attempt to establish the rule of law on the island and its surrounding waters. In 1275, the island is recorded as being in the Lordship of King Edward I but by 1322 it was in the possession of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster and was among the large number of lands seized by Edward II following Lancaster's execution for rebelling against

2318-480: The command of a Dutch renegade named Jan Janszoon , flew a Moorish flag over the island. Slaving raids were made embarking from Lundy by the Barbary Pirates, and captured Europeans were held on Lundy before being sent to Salé and Algiers to be sold as slaves. From 1628 to 1634, in addition to the Barbary Pirates, the island was plagued by privateers of French, Basque, English and Spanish origin targeting

2379-412: The crane installed at the beginning of her Lundy tenure in 1986. Lundy Lundy is an English island in the Bristol Channel . It forms part of the district of Torridge in the county of Devon . About 3 miles (5 kilometres) long and 5 ⁄ 8  mi (1 km) wide, Lundy has had a long and turbulent history, frequently changing hands between the British crown and various usurpers. In

2440-633: The dangerous shingle banks in the fast flowing River Severn and Bristol Channel , with its tidal range of 27 feet (8.2 metres), one of the greatest in the world. This made the island a profitable location from which to prey on passing Bristol -bound merchant ships bringing back valuable goods from overseas. In 1627, a group known as the Salé Rovers , from the Republic of Salé (now Salé in Morocco ) occupied Lundy for five years. These Barbary pirates , under

2501-479: The endemic Lundy cabbage ( Coincya wrightii ). These are the Lundy cabbage flea beetle ( Psylliodes luridipennis ), a species of leaf beetle (family Chrysomelidae) and the Lundy cabbage weevil ( Ceutorhynchus contractus var. pallipes ), a variety of true weevil (family Curculionidae). In addition, the Lundy cabbage is the main host of a flightless form of Psylliodes napi (another species of flea beetle) and

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2562-407: The island from John Cleveland in 1802 for £5,270. Hunt planted in the island a small, self-contained Irish colony with its own constitution and divorce laws, coinage, and stamps. The tenants came from Hunt's Irish estate and they experienced agricultural difficulties while on the island. This led Hunt to seek someone who would take the island off his hands, failing in his attempt to sell the island to

2623-497: The island of Lundy in May 1986, under the management of the owner's parent, Landmark Trust . In 1999, the Lundy Co. Ltd received a Heritage Lottery Fund Grant which was used to upgrade the ship with two new 6-cylinder Cummins KT19-M425 diesel engines, each capable of producing 317 kW (425HP) at 1800RPM, increasing her top speed from 11.5 to 12.5 knots. The grant was also used to construct

2684-545: The island since then, deriving its income from arranging day trips, letting out holiday cottages and from donations. In May 2015 a sculpture by Antony Gormley was erected on Lundy. It is one of five life-sized sculptures, Land , placed near the centre and at four compass points of the UK in a commission by the Landmark Trust, to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The others are at Lowsonford ( Warwickshire ), Saddell Bay ( Scotland ),

2745-423: The island was free from tithes and taxes. William Hudson Heaven purchased Lundy in 1834, as a summer retreat and for hunting , at a cost of 9,400 guineas (£9,870). He claimed it to be a "free island", and successfully resisted the jurisdiction of the mainland magistrates. Lundy was in consequence sometimes referred to as "the kingdom of Heaven". It belonged in law to the county of Devon, and had long been part of

2806-450: The island was ruled as a virtual fiefdom , its owner never claimed to be independent of the United Kingdom, in contrast to later territorial " micronations ". Following the death of Harman's son Albion in 1968, Lundy was put up for sale in 1969. Jack Hayward , a British millionaire, purchased the island for £150,000 (£3,118,000 today) and gave it to the National Trust , who leased it to the Landmark Trust . The Landmark Trust has managed

2867-430: The island's bird list totals 317 species. This has included the following species, each of which represents the sole British record: Ancient murrelet , eastern phoebe , and eastern towhee . Records of bimaculated lark , American robin , and common yellowthroat were also firsts for Britain (American robin has also occurred two further times on Lundy). Veerys in 1987 and 1997 were Britain's second and fourth records,

2928-448: The island. Visitors include day-trippers and holiday makers staying overnight in rental properties or camping. In a 2005 opinion poll of Radio Times readers, Lundy was named as Britain's tenth greatest natural wonder. The island has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and it was England's first statutory Marine Nature reserve , and the first Marine Conservation Zone , because of its unique flora and fauna. It

2989-466: The lucrative shipping routes passing through the Bristol Channel. These incursions were eventually ended by John Penington , but in the 1660s and as late as the 1700s the island still fell prey to French privateers. In the English Civil War , Thomas Bushell held Lundy for King Charles I , rebuilding Marisco Castle and garrisoning the island at his own expense. He was a friend of Francis Bacon ,

3050-507: The mid-1880s onwards. Coach and charabanc outings followed as the internal combustion engine became reliable enough to get the paying customers out and back again. Works outings and church or chapel excursions were extremely popular until the 1970s. While all of the foregoing still exist, the modern day-tripper experience is usually by motor car as a result of the growth of car ownership. Also, airlines such as (formerly) Palmair promote day trips. In Germany in 2011, day trips were

3111-584: The outbreak of the First World War , matters deteriorated seriously, and in 1918 the family sold Lundy to Augustus Langham Christie. In 1924, the Christie family sold the island along with the mail contract and the MV Lerina to Martin Coles Harman . Harman issued two coins of Half Puffin and One Puffin denominations in 1929, nominally equivalent to the British halfpenny and penny, resulting in his prosecution under

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3172-538: The ownership of Thomas Benson (1708–1772), a Member of Parliament for Barnstaple in 1747 and Sheriff of Devon , who notoriously used the island for housing convicts whom he was supposed to be deporting. Benson leased Lundy from its owner, John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower (1694–1754) (who was an heir of the Grenville family of Bideford and of Stowe, Kilkhampton in Cornwall), at a rent of £60 per annum and contracted with

3233-578: The predominant type of tourism. According to figures from the Hanover Chamber of Industry and Commerce, 2.84 billion day trippers spent an average of 28 euros in total (gross) that year, around 79.5 billion euros and 564 million Day business travelers €14.2 billion. Other surveys also assume an added value of between €20 and €30 per day tourist. The city of Berlin has, on average, calculated an added value of €32.50 per visitor in recent years with 132 million day visitors. The numbers are i. i.e. R. collected by

3294-750: The road following the construction of the lighthouses), maintaining the villa, and the general cost of running the island had a ruinous effect on the family's finances, which had been diminished by reduced profits from their sugar plantations, rum production, and livestock rearing in Jamaica . In 1957, a message in a bottle from one of the seamen of HMS  Caledonia was washed ashore between Babbacombe and Peppercombe in Devon . The letter, dated 15 August 1843, read: "Dear Brother, Please e God i be with y against Michaelmas. Prepare y search Lundy for y Jenny ivories. Adiue William, Odessa". The bottle and letter are on display at

3355-461: The site, where armour plating remains among the rocks and kelp. During the Second World War two German Heinkel He 111 bombers crash landed on the island in 1941. The first was on 3 March, when all the crew survived and were taken prisoner. The second was on 1 April when the pilot was killed and the other crew members were taken prisoner. This plane had bombed a British ship and one engine

3416-483: The south of Wales; and Stowford , Jacobstowe , Lydford and Instow , in Devon. Thomas proposed the following sequence of site usage: Twenty-three cist graves were found during this excavation. Considering that the excavation only uncovered a small area of the cemetery, there may be as many as 100 graves. Four Celtic inscribed stones have been found in Beacon Hill Cemetery: Lundy was granted to

3477-465: Was damaged by anti aircraft fire, forcing it to crash land. Most of the metal was salvaged, although a few remains can be found at the crash site to date. Reportedly, to avoid reprisals, the crew concocted the story that they were on a reconnaissance mission. The island of Lundy is 3 miles (5 km) long from north to south by a little over 5 ⁄ 8 mile (1 kilometre) wide, with an area of 1,100 acres (450 hectares). The highest point on Lundy

3538-448: Was disputed by the Marisco family who may have already been on the island during King Stephen's reign. The Mariscos were fined, and the island was cut off from necessary supplies. Evidence of the Templars' weak hold on the island came when King John , on his accession in 1199, confirmed the earlier grant. In 1235, William de Marisco was implicated in the murder of Henry Clement, a messenger of Henry III . Three years later, an attempt

3599-817: Was excavated by Charles Thomas in 1969. The cemetery contains four inscribed stones, dated to the 5th or 6th century AD. The site was originally enclosed by a curvilinear bank and ditch, which is still visible in the southwest corner, however, the other walls were moved when the Old Light was constructed in 1819. Celtic Christian enclosures of this type were common in Western Britain and are known as Llans in Welsh and Lanns in Cornish . There are surviving examples in Luxulyan , in Cornwall; Mathry , Meidrim and Clydau in

3660-663: Was first chartered in winter of 1975 by Reederei Warrings for duty-free shopping cruises in East Frisia . In 1982 she was sold to Harle-Reederei Warrings in Carolinensiel, Lower Saxony , Germany. In November 1985 she was sold to The Lundy Co. Ltd. to replace Lundy 's transport boat, the Polar Bear . After a refurbishment at Appledore Shipyard including fitting a new crane and bringing the ship up to modern British shipping standards, she began her journeys for passengers and supplies to

3721-416: Was made to kill Henry III by a man who later confessed to being an agent of the Marisco family. William de Marisco fled to Lundy where he lived as a virtual king. He built a stronghold in the area now known as Bulls' Paradise with walls 9 feet (3 metres) thick. In 1242, Henry III sent troops to the island. They scaled the island's cliff and captured William de Marisco and 16 of his "subjects". Henry III built

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