№ 19Islands · Devon, England

Lundy

A granite island in the Bristol Channel with puffins, a ghost lighthouse — and its own postage stamps.

Granite pinnacles and seabird-stained cliffs tower over a small boat at Jenny's Cove on Lundy's west coast. — Pl. IIPuffin cliffs at Jenny's Cove

Broken granite faces and fallen blocks of the old quarry on Lundy's east sidelands, half swallowed by bracken. — Pl. IIIGranite, the island's bones

Photographs MichaelMaggs (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Lewis Clarke (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Simon Willison (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons

Twelve miles off the Devon coast, Lundy is three miles of granite with one pub, one church, a castle, and a name that means 'puffin island' in Old Norse. The birds still oblige, along with seals, sika deer and England's first Marine Conservation Zone in the waters around it.

Cut off from the Royal Mail, the island has issued its own 'puffinage' stamps since 1929 — you'll still need one to post a letter home. The old lighthouse on the summit was built so high its lamp sat above the fog, which is why there are now two newer ones lower down.

Field notes

The knowledge

Getting there: The MS Oldenburg sails from Bideford and Ilfracombe roughly March to October; a helicopter service covers winter. Day trips give about six hours ashore.
Best time: April to July for puffins and razorbills; any clear day for the walk to the old light.
Local tip: Climb the Old Light tower — the view down the island is the best thing on it, fog permitting.

Field position51.1780° N · 4.6670° W

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