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Historic lighthouse
Old Light
Lighthouse of 1819-20 designed by Daniel Alexander; so high that cloud often hid it, it was replaced by two new lights in 1897.
A mini guide to
Lundy island
A granite island in the Bristol Channel with three lighthouses, a castle and seabird cliffs
Photos
1 / 8Welcome to the area
A granite island in the Bristol Channel with three lighthouses, a castle and seabird cliffs
Lundy is an island in the Bristol Channel, about 5 km long and 1 km wide, and part of Torridge district in Devon. The National Trust owns it and the Landmark Trust runs it, funding the island from day trips and holiday lets. In 2007 it had 28 residents, most of them living in the village at the south end.
Visitors land at the jetty in the Landing Bay and walk up the road to the village, where the Marisco Tavern and the shop are. From there tracks and paths run north past the Old Light, the quarries and the three cross-island walls to the North Light. There are no roads for visitors' cars: the island is explored on foot.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Castle
Marisco Castle
Castle above the Landing Bay, named after the island's 13th-century lords; Henry III ordered a stone tower here.
Parish church
St Helen's Church
Church completed in 1897 for the island's owner, the Rev. Hudson Grossett Heaven; open to visitors.
Lighthouse
North Light
Lighthouse at the northern tip, completed in 1897; the last keepers left in 1976 and it now runs on solar power.
Lighthouse
South Light
Working lighthouse of 1897 at the south-east tip, one of the two lights that replaced the Old Light.
Bay and jetty
Landing Bay
The only beach where boats can land, sheltered from westerly winds, with the jetty and a road built in 1838.
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Lundy island and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Watch the return time
The Oldenburg sails back at a set time, and on a day trip that decides how far north you can walk. Check the time when you land.
2
Mind the cliff edges
The Lundy Field Society describes the Montagu Steps as distinctly dangerous; keep to the paths near the western cliffs.
3
Book stays with the Landmark Trust
All accommodation on Lundy is let by the Landmark Trust. Its website refused our automated check, so we do not list properties: book there directly.
4
Bring what you need
The island has one shop and one pub, so carry water, waterproofs and food for a long walk.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Photo credits
- Lundy island (area photo): Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Old Light: MichaelMaggs, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Marisco Castle: Simon Willison, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- St Helen's Church: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- North Light: Steve Hodgson from Edinburgh, Scotland, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- South Light: Dickelbers, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Landing Bay: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The Earthquake: Martin Richard Phelan, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The Battery: James Ayres, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Halfway Wall: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pondsbury: Nilfanion, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Beacon Hill cemetery: Miles Wolstenholme, CC BY 2.0, source
- VC Quarry: David Medcalf, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tibbetts: Kognos, CC BY 4.0, source
- Jenny's Cove: Philip Halling, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Bideford, Appledore & Westward Ho!: Sannse at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Lundy