Steep Holm, an island in the Bristol Channel, UK. Credit: Karlton 15 at wikipedia

Steep Holm island is close to Flat Holm, in the Bristol Channel. It is located just off the coast of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, and is an English island, whereas Flat Holm is Welsh. Although the two islands are close to each other, because of bureaucracy you can’t simply ho from one to the other, but of course, you can visit both. Steep Holm is so called because it rises from the sea and Flat Holm, doesn’t rise steeply. It is isolated partly because of the swirling currents which surround it and partly because landing on the island can be tricky. It is famous for the wild peonies that grow there and for its unspoilt, natural beauty.

The peeble beach at Steep Holm island. Credit: TR001

Steep Holm is a Nature Reserve and a site of Special Scientific Interest. It also has the ruins of a 12^th century Augustine priory on it.

Depending on the weather, there are day trips to Steep Holm, from April to October, on small boats that hold a maximum of twelve passengers. It is advisable to book in advance to avoid disappointment, although if the weather is bad, there will be no boat. The boats leaves from Weston-super-Mare at Knightstone Causeway and you should be there at least half an hour before the boat is due to leave, so that you can have the safety briefing.

The sandy beach at Weston-super-Mare. Credit: Dave Taskis

If you are a stamp collector, then you probably know that Steep Holm issues its own stamps, as well as a postal service, so you can send postcards from the island. These and other souvenirs can be bought at the Victorian Barracks Visitor’s Centre. There is also a selection of hot and cold drinks and home-made delicacies to tempt your palate. You may have to pay for everything in cash as credit and debit cards weren’t accepted when I was last there. You can see an exhibition about the history of the island at the visitor’s centre and outside on the island there are Victorian gun placements and fortifications dating back to the Second World War.

The remains of a gun battery on the island of Steep Holm. Credit: NotFromUtrecht

You should be advised that you have to be physically fit to go on a trip to Steep Holm as although there are members of staff to help, you have to cross some rough terrain to traverse the island. Children under the age of five cannot go to the island because of the rules governing life jackets. Pregnant women and people with back problems are advised not to travel to Steep Holm.

The views from Steep Holm are spectacular, with views of the Bristol Channel and the English and Welsh coast. In May the European wild peonies are in bloom, but there is other vegetation for you to delight in as well as Muntjac deer and other wildlife. It costs £26 for an adult and £17.50 for children 5 -12 years of age. At least one adult has to accompany children who are of the correct ages to go on this trip. Safety is a big concern. You are allowed one small bag per person on the boat and should wear waterproof clothing and flat, sensible walking shoes or boots.

Flat Holm, a Welsh island in the Bristol Channel, UK. Credit TR001

Flat Holm is an island in the Bristol Channel, close to the Welsh capital of Cardiff. It has an interesting history and today has a visitor’s centre where tourists can stay for a day, a few days or a week. There are educational courses for school-age children and groups from universities are also encouraged to do research on the island.

 One of the first tourists to Flat Holm was the Welsh Saint Cadoc who visited it in the 6^th century and used it as a place to meditate, especially during Lent.  It would have been very peaceful, as it is now, with bird calls and the cries of the gulls to break the silence.

The boat that takes you to Flat Holm island. Credit: TR001

The other island close to Flat Holm, is Steep Holm, and these names show the contrasting landscapes of these neighbouring islands. The word Holm or Holme is of Scandinavian origin and means ‘river island.’ It is believed that the Danes used these islands to navigate their way around the Severn estuary when they were raiding the area. They may have landed on the islands, but there is no evidence for this.

 There is archaeological evidence that points to a Bronze age settlement on Flat Holme, although it could have simply been a hunting ground, as an axe-head dating from 900 – 700 BC has been found on Flat Holme.

Flat Holm Lighthouse (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is a lighthouse on the island that was first used on 1^st December 1737. The light was from a coal-fired brazier and 25 tons of coal a month was taken to Flat Holm from the mainland. (Of course, Wales had a lot of coal mines then!)

The Fog Horn station was built much later in 1908 but the lighthouse was still manned then. There were fortifications built during the Second World War and materials and supplies were transported around the island on a narrow gauge railway that had been of German construction in the First World War.

A fortress was built on Flat Holm between 1865 an 1869 as the Royal Commission decided that Flat Holm should be part of a “strategic defence system for the Bristol Channel”. The island was never attacked, however.

The ruins of the cholera hospital on Flat Holm. Credit:TR001

In 1883 the island played host to a cholera hospital so that any cases of cholera on the mainland could be contained in isolation on Flat Holm.

The island’s main claim to fame is that it 1897, Guglielmo Marconi and his assistant George Kemp transmitter the first wireless message that went across the sea from Flat Holm. The message was received at Lavernock Point.

The solar array on Flat Holm close to the Barracks. Credit Cardiff Council Flat Holm Project team

Today the island is developing sustainable energy, using solar energy for its hot water supplies, a wind turbine and a biomass boiler. There is no water supply on the island, so rainwater is collected, stored and filtered for use.

A Lesser Black-backed gull in flight. These nest on Flat Holm island. Credit: Andreas Trepte

You can visit the island on a day trip which takes five hours, including sailing time, or for an overnight stay, for a mid-week break or for a week’s holiday. There is one of the largest gull colonies in Wales, and the island is also home to dunlin, oystercatchers and rock pipits, among other birds. There are rabbits, slow worms and other wildlife as well as wild leeks, wild peonies and Rock sea lavender growing there.

If you visit Flat Holm, you will understand its attraction for Saint Cadoc!

Yesterday I wrote a blog about the ways which last week’s reshuffle has torn apart the former Environment portfolio, and how in doing so, the Welsh Government has appeared to have compromised its commitments to Sustainable Development; while also undermining Natural Resources Wales just two weeks before it comes into being.

While this was abundantly obvious to anyone who watched the National Assembly for Wales‘ Plenary session yesterday, what would also have been clear was the complete shambles which took the place of Ministerial questions. Rather than the usual (relatively) informed debate, we were instead treated to the embarrassing sight of Assembly Members being forced to ask questions on outdated portfolios, and of new Ministers making it abundantly obvious that they hadn’t done all their homework.

The reason for this was simple: last week’s reshuffle took place after the tabling deadline for Ministerial questions. This is the weekly deadline which defines which Assembly Members get to question which Ministers. Furthermore, apparently nothing was said by Welsh Government to suggest that the new Ministers would not be briefed to answer, or would refuse to meaningfully answer, tabled questions as normal.

Upon hearing about the reshuffle last week, I immediately assumed that either:

a) there would be no Ministerial questions this week to avoid what we witnessed yesterday;

b) Members would have another opportunity to table new questions on Monday; or

c) that former Ministers would pop up where appropriate to answer questions (after-all no-one got completely sacked despite their record).

Instead what happened was that new Ministers were left to face questions based on their predecessor’s briefs, and regularly failed/refused to answer them. Plus a weird question where Julie Morgan AM appeared to ask for a footbridge out to Flat Holm Island to extend the Wales Coastal Path (please pause and reflect on that one for a moment).

This was particularly true of Alun Davies AM [Minister for the Natural Resources and Food], who came down to earth with a bump upon clearly realising that his new portfolio lacked the remit to comment on central environment and resource issues such as planning and sustainable development.

While Assembly Members such as David Rees did their best to spontaneously modify their comments to meet this recalcitrance, a great many more were simply rebuffed by words to the effect of ‘planning matters are now the responsibility of the Minister for Housing and Regeneration’.

Aside from making Alun Davies look bad during his first day in front of the electorate, and removing the opportunity to fully scrutinise the Welsh Government on extremely important issues; today’s debacle showed just how misjudged the recent reshuffle really was.

If Wales is ever going to truly maximise its potential for sustainable economic development, become a world leader in the ‘green economy’, and protect its natural habitats; we need a government which is willing to take a pragmatic and holistic approach to our environment.

Splitting key issues across four separate Ministers (five if you include the First Minister’s self-proclaimed lead on energy policy) is simply not going to move us forward. If anything, early signs suggest we may be on a road to nowhere.

Related articles

• Impact of Welsh Government reshuffle on Natural Resources Wales (awelshmansblog.wordpress.com)

Flatholm Island

Flatholm Island – the island in the Bristol Channel that’s nearest to Penarth – is to be put up for sale by Cardiff County Council to help ease the council’s cash crisis.

The island is one of the most prominent features of the Penarth sea-scape and a regular summer port-of-call for yachts and pleasure steamers and notable as the place where the Marconi experimented with over-water  radio signals. It’s operated under a charitable trust as a visitor centre .

In 1975 the island was acquired on  a 99 year lease from the Crown Estates  by South Glamorgan County Council.  In March 1995, the Cardiff Council acquired Flat Holm through a 50-year lease from the Crown Estate and  took over the management of the island in 1997.

The island makes about  £70,000 a year from visitors but costs the council around a quarter of a million a year to operate.

This was something I did yesterday afternoon, as I finish work around lunchtime on a Friday. It’s not far from Brean Down (north along the coast), where I went about two months ago. As I mentioned with my most recent poem, I was also intending to do two walks today… I got up early enough, showered, put on clean clothes, made my lunch and got all my stuff together… Everything was planned, until I arrived to park at my first destination in Blagdon, only to find that the free car park was full! I drove around for a bit but, it’s such a confined village with so many narrow roads that I wasn’t sure of where else to rest my car. Perhaps I’ll see the lake on another day.

Sand Point from Sand Bay

Failing that, I decided to head on towards what would’ve been my second destination; thinking that I could do the day in reverse. Instead of returning down the road I knew, I decided to ‘improvise’ by following my own senses towards the village of Draycott, located north of the city of Wells, just outside of Cheddar. According to Google Street View (“Google Godsend“, as I prefer to call it! ), there was a pub close to the start point where I could park. I drove straight through the village once, believing I must’ve missed it. On my return drive through (as the fuel warning light came on), I realised that the car park was sealed off beside what appeared to now be a house!

There was a school nearby with two cars resting but, I wasn’t sure if it would be right to park there or not… There is actually another pub further down past the-one-that-isn’t-anymore. If the rain holds off and I decide to try again tomorrow morning then, that is probably where I’ll park. No suggestions for car-parking were provided with this route.

Sand Bay to Weston-super-Mare

Now, let’s return to the sea of yesterday…

Sand Point lies next to Sand Bay, which is a place I remember hearing of during my childhood. I’ve probably each been to the beach before at some point in my youth. I know that I’ve been to most other local beaches in the area.

What I first noticed upon arriving was just how silent and peaceful it is around here. Whether you’re squelching aroud on the bay (stay away from the mud flats!) or, up on the hills, where I would’ve expected wind; there was nothing. Aside from the occasional bird (not a seagull), even traffic could not be heard from here. As you get closer to the cliff edges, waves can be heard but, beyond that, the sea was so peaceful and undisturbed in all directions. Has someone succeeded in blowing up the moon?!

Hole for a Hobbit?!

Walking back from the bay towards the beginning of the steps that lead up to the point, I noticed several interesting features within the landscape and cliff edges. There were a couple of small cave-like entrances. Too small for modern man but, a hobbit, perhaps? It’s the kind of image that could inspire a short story, in my mind and, as you’ll see further down, it wasn’t the only example from this trip.

Steep Holm

I made the mistake of wearing my thickest coat for this walk, simply because I took it with me to work, as I scraped ice from the van at 6.45am. It kept me warm as I returned home but, as I’ve learnt from my walking group; it really is better to wear several thin layers, so that you can adjust accordingly and walk comfortably. I was sweating quite a bit after this four-mile walk and the coat I was wearing is quite bulky and too big to fit in my bag.

Guardian Trees

I loved the way these two trees almost ‘guard‘ the footpath leading up from the car park – very much like those trees from the films, in my opinion…

Smoke in the distance

Up at the trig point, with smoke billowing from a few miles away… My guess is it’s actually something in Avonmouth. It’s not dark enough for fire and, every time I drive past there up the M5, there are always clouds like this.

Sand Bay

Those were the treacherous mud flats of Sand Bay (sorry, I keep wanting to type Sandy Bay!!).

Hole in the Earth

There was this strange hole in the Earth, up towards the end of the cliff, which reminds me of a Deftones song. I guess it could be there for drainage. Maybe it used to hold a post or pole, since it’s been concreted? It’s a little mysterious, a bit like many things on the LOST island!

Terrain up here was less comfortable than over on Brean Down, especially as you got closer to the end of the cliffs, pointing towards Flat Holm. Saying that, as I got closer, a man appeared who was quite comfortably walking his dog so, I guess it’s natural to some! Thinking about it, I’d quite like to bring my dog up here some time, even though she struggles with anything more than thirty-minutes long these days.

It was in areas like this that you could begin to hear the waves splashing in with the mud. I could hear the faint voices of others and, although I talk very discreetly to myself, I began to wonder whether they might be able to hear me…

Did J.R.R. Tolkien visit Sand Point???

Somewhere up here is a place called Middlehope. I’m not exactly sure of where but, if that’s Tolkien-enough for you then, just take a look at the scene above!

Nature’s beauty

Nature can create true beauty.

…To a castle?

Another scene reminiscent of ‘The Rings’… A cliff-lined path leading towards a castle or tower, perhaps?

Brean Down, beyond the pier

Beyond that pier (not to be mistaken for Weston’s Grand Pier), that’s Brean Down, off in the distance.

Hill Fort remains?

Somewhere up here as supposedly the remains of an old hill fort (as you may remember, there were several at Brean Down). This was all I could find, near the halfway point, even though the map (from my memory) seemed to indicate that that the remains were further towards the point.

I tried to end the day with a shot of the sun fading (it was only about 15.00 at this time).

I am disappointed that my plans weren’t realised this morning and, again, I’ve faced a ‘wasted’ day with no back up plan. I’ve not been nearly as upset as I was when recently let down by a friend (again, not her fault) but, it’s always surprising how something like this can knock you back so easily after a positive week. I’m not that low, to be honest, as I’m still optimistic about getting something done tomorrow and, even if that doesn’t happen, at least I managed a couple of hours on Friday.

For all of my photos from Sand Point, please click here.

Now, we’re officially in to December, meaning that the ‘end of the world‘ is less than three-weeks away and then, if we’re fortunate, we’ll have Christmas after that.

We left the town centre behind to rejoin the Sea front and continue our walk along the prom. The first building I noticed as we strolled on was the “Winter Gardens Pavilion”. The Winter Gardens and Pavilion were built during the early C20th and officially opened on 14th July, 1927 by Ernest Palmer, deputy chairman of the Great Western Railway. The Pavilion is still used to today for dances, concerts and conferences. It was even used in the 1995 film “Remains of the Day” starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.

We took a leisurely pace for a while with our walk to enjoy the lovely view across the bay. Weston bay overlooks two particular islands, Flat Holm and Steep Holm. We spotted the passenger boats which would have taken us across to these lovely islands. They run to a strict timetable due to the Weston Tide, it would not have been today as the tide was out. Steep Holm is a privately owned island and holds quite a history with the remains of C12th Augustinian priory and was later fortified by the Victorians. Flat Holm, although it is near to the English coast, is officially run by Cardiff Council and encourages educational trips as well as visitors to enjoy the island

From 2012 – 08.09.2012 – Weston – Birnbeck Pier

We continued on our walk on to Knightstone Island. The “Island” seems to have some lovely and very expensive looking flats that now seem to have been built here. A far cry from what the original buildings were used for. During 1828, Dr Edward Long Fox purchased the island and where he built “Medicinal baths”. It seems that during the late C18th / early C19th that bathing was deemed good for the health, as discovered Lord Churston’s Bathing house in Devon which may have been used for similar health purposes! (if not just for fun!)

As we came around the Island we found a walkway, which seemed to create an artificial lake, which popularly known as “Marine Lake”. Residents and Day trippers alike both wanted to be able to regularly bathe in the sea at Weston, but due to the large tidal range that occurs here this was rather difficult. Someone had the ingenious idea of creating an artificial lake by the addition of building a causeway in 1928 to ensure that the tide was permanently in! They also devised a filtering system to ensure that the water did not end up stagnant.

The lake was popular in its heyday with a bandstand was built nearby, a diving stage, slides, bathing tents were all added, even boating on the lake took place. In 1937 there was an addition of an Art Deco colonnaded walkway, changing rooms and even a nearby music pavilion. We enjoyed walking along the causeway as it felt a bit surreal with walking with the water one side and the tide completely out on the other!

From 2012 – 08.09.2012 – Weston – Birnbeck Pier

Once we left the causeway behind, we carried along the seafront. I came across an interesting Wooden Sculpture, which I would like to find out more about? I am unsure of the sculptor, so if any one can help I would appreciate it as I am very curious. Our walk then took us past a small shop. The shop stocked everything to do with the RNLI, the “Royal National Lifeboat Institution”. However, there was no sign as to where the actual life boat station was actually based!

As we turned the corner, we saw another pier home into view. This pier did not look as busy or as modern as the “Grand Pier” that we had just seen. I was quite keen to carry on and investigate it. As we turned the corner we were able to see “Birnbeck pier” properly. The first thing that I noticed about the pier was it’s sad and sorry state. It still seems to be standing and as far as I can see and have read the RNLI station is actually based on the Island. The lifeboat station was built in 1882 quite a while after the Pier was built which was built in 1867. I think I saw a lifeboat but I was not too sure, as there were lots of signs saying keep out

The pier was designed by Eugenius Birch who designed 14 in total including one in Margate and West Pier in Brighton. Sadly this is the last remaining example. The pier suffered when the “Grand Pier” had a funfair added with all the new entertainments and the main attention of visitors shifted back to the town. The pier sadly suffered decline ever since. Birnbeck is the only pier in the world which is joined to an island, and it’s one of the oldest piers in the country. I seriously hope there are people out there who want to save this pier! Luckily we found “Pier View”, which is run by a local society wanting to save it

From 2012 – 08.09.2012 – Weston – Birnbeck Pier

This is the second pier that I have discovered like this – we found Hastings Pier in a bad way too . We couldn’t explore the area much more, as everything seemed fenced off, which is a shame really as I would like to have walked further along the seafront. Perhaps this will be rectified one day. We therefore turned back and retraced our steps back along the seafront and headed back towards Weston.

As we strolled along we found a commemorative stone which we did not notice previously. It was dedicated to a Miss Kathleen Thomas who was the first woman to swim the Bristol Channel from Penarth to Weston Super Mare, in 1927. The local paper picked up on the story that she was going to attempt the swim and crowds of locals lined the beach to cheer her on. It took her 7 hours and 20 minutes to complete the task and when she reached Weston she was welcomed by cheering crowds. What a fantastic achievement!

We continued to wander back along the seafront and to the “Grand Pier” which we decided to walk along. This pier, as I said in previous blog, has just undergone a restoration and when we entered the pavilion at the end of the pier, we were extremely surprised how much has been packed in such a small space! Although it was exciting to the inside, I will admit to walk outside and be at the end of the pier to look at the view was lovely too. We left the pier behind and headed into town and towards station where we were going to end our walk.

As we walked into Surburbia and left the seafront behind, we saw a large floral display with a steam train! This was originally the “Floral Clock” which was built in 1935. The train commemorated the site had been Weston’s first railway station. During WW1 a large tank was installed in the Parade, but by the 1930′s it fell rusty and the residents no longer wanted a reminder of the war so they wanted it removed. When it was dismantled the metal was used to build a beautiful floral clock In later years a “cuckoo” was added, but all that remains is a small wooden hut! Shame as I would like to have seen it!

We turned off here to the station and finished our walk for the day. For the afternoon stroll photographs , please click on the photo below -

2012 – 08.09.2012 – Weston – Birnbeck Pier

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Dwight L Moody

The white lighthouse on Flat Holm island just off the Cardiff Bay. This is where Marconi first transmitted radio waves over water in 1897.

I was very grateful to my local newspaper, the Weston Mercury for publishing this article and my photo:

They are not quite correct in saying that FARHOLM is based in the real islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm, although I used their Scandinavian names. If anywhere, Rathlin island off the coast of beautiful County Antrim is my inspiration, but Farholm Island is definitely an English island, not Irish.

It’s not quite true, however that I was inspired by Steep Holm and Flat Holm – the names were a trigger certainly, but although Farholm Island is an English island, I got more inspiration from Rathlin Island off the coast of County Antrim.  There is also a certain play on words in the name itself, which I’m sure readers will appreciate!

Holm or holme crops up in place names all around Britain, such as towns like Holme-next-the-Sea in Norfolk and Holmfirth not so near the sea in Yorkshire, and is Scandinavian in origin. A quick visit to Wikipedia will give many examples and a Google trawl will bring more information on the Viking connections. From the beach near the village where I live, two holms are clearly visible, Steep Holm and Flat Holm; neither of these islands are anything like Farholm.

“The island was maybe a half dozen miles long humped at one end like the shoulders of a beast and dropping down towards the east where the wood crested tail twisted round enclosing the harbour.” This was Deke’s first view of the island as she approached it on the ferry but she got to know it very well over the next two weeks.

“A huddle of buildings hunched beyond the harbour, then single storey cottages spaced around the bay towards the castle at the end of Farholm. On the hill above the clustered buildings, stood the church, its graveyard spilling down the hillside, the gravestones like a congregation standing waiting for a sermon. On the western side of the harbour the land gradually rose to steep cliffs; there were a couple of buildings, the last like a Swiss chalet with brightly coloured flags hanging limply over the balustrade.”

There is a small village on Farholm, little more than a hamlet clustered round the harbour, then along the coast road are holiday cottages. Up on the rest of the island are isolated farms earning their living from sheep and tourists. There is a ruined castle, two lighthouses, a disused windmill, a hippy commune and a bird sanctuary. The island and the sea around it are teaming with wildlife, birds such as puffins, gulls, kittiwakes, guillemots, oystercatchers and fulmars nest along the cliffs and seals play around the rock pools. Porpoises and dolphins can be spotted in the sea which is fished by the islanders.

Farholm is a rugged and beautiful place but you need to read my story to discover what Deke finds there.

Barry (Y Barri) - and the former Barry Island (Ynys y Barri), now linked to the town since the 1880s by an embankment and the docks – is a town of extremes. You wouldn’t think so now, looking at its genteel Victorian housing stock, the modern estates ringing the edges, and the centre of town (Canol y dref in Welsh) which desperately needs an infusion of commercial life, but this sleepy little town was once the busiest coal port in the world. The ‘black gold’ of the Welsh Valleys, good Welsh steam coal and the harder anthracite, flowed down railways in the direction of the coal ports of Cardiff and Barry. The output of Rhondda, Ebbw Vale, CynonTaff and many other parts of the South Wales Coalfield caused a huge boom in Barry as coal exports grew and grew. Indeed, by 1913, Barry had become the busiest coal port in the world with 11 million tons exported (Cardiff managed only 10 million). What caused it to shrink to almost nothing? Changing technology meant that the Royal Navy built no more coal-fired ships after 1914, and neither did many other countries. Also, at the end of World War One, Germany had massive reparations to pay to the victorious Allies, about the only way she could pay was in German coal! This almost destroyed the market for Welsh coal in Europe.

Coal was also used for powering the steam engines on British railways, of course, and when the change to diesel-electric mainline motive power came (the first, in 1947, was No. ’10000′ was built in Derby, by the London, Midland, Scottish Railway Co.) that was a body-blow from which coal did not recover. Many of the withdrawn locomotives from the Southern and Western Regions of British Rail came through the Woodham Brothers scrap yard, following the withdrawal of steam traction. By 1968, there were 217 locomotives stored, awaiting scrapping. My brother lived on Broad Street, opposite the Woodhams yard, in the early 1970s, and I remember being utterly amazed at the rows and rows of steam locomotives. Dai Woodham was heavily involved in scrapping freight waggons and brake vans, at this period – they were easier – and railway enthusiasts began to  make bids for the locomotives, which lead to the rise of heritage railways!

Barry is remarkable for having the second highest tidal difference in the world at 45 feet (the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada holds the record at 48 feet), so it is hardly surprising that large areas of beach and foreshore should be available for bathing and recreation. Here you can see a small beach, below Redbrink Crescent, to the west of Barry Yacht Club. The cliffs are spectacular, and exhibit some of the local sedimentary Carboniferous limestone strata, overlaid with Mercian mudstones of the Triassic Period. The limestone is very fossiliferous, containing many examples of crinoids, solitary corals, colony corals and productid brachiopods.

I have visited Barry so much over the years that it has a pleasant, ‘familiar’ feel to it. Whether you are just relaxing on the beach, watching the ships move down the Bristol Channel towards the Atlantic, taking a quiet drink in a country pub, sailing out towards the islands of Flat Holm (Ynys Echni ) - part of Wales, or Steep Holm – part of England, or just prospecting for fossils, it has much to offer.

Matt Lipton, Flat Holm Warden

Wind-lashed and stormy, Flat Holm island, just five miles from Cardiff, is a popular destination for day trippers who clamber aboard the Lewis Alexander boat for the sometimes choppy 45 minute trip from the Bay.

However for Matt Lipton, the warden of Flat Holm, it’s much more than a day trip destination; it’s home. Since March last year, Matt, 25, has spent three weeks out of every four on the island, living in a beautiful 16th century farmhouse and disturbed only by the gulls and sheep with whom he shares the 56-acre strip of land.

It wouldn’t be for everyone, but for Matt, a self-confessed hermit with a passion for conservation, life on Flat Holm is perfect. It lacks just one thing: someone with whom to share it. So, in January this year, he appeared on BBC Wales’s Jamie and Louise radio show in search of a girlfriend.

Matt said: “I’ve been living on islands for three years now and it’s not really done relationships any good to be honest. I’m a genuinely nice person, and I’m just looking for someone who’s enthusiastic, bubbly and wouldn’t mind if I was away for a few weeks at a time.” But, as yet, his plea remains unanswered.

He originally came to Flat Holm as a seasonal volunteer in 2007, his first full-time post after graduating from De Montfort University with a degree in environmental studies. After a stint on the Farne Islands, he returned to Wales in March 2009 as the Flat Holm warden. Along with a handful of other volunteers, he is responsible for conserving the buildings, plants and animals on this Site of Special Scientific Interest.

He said: “I do like living out in these strange places and it’s very different lifestyle. I can leave the doors unlocked, I get to wake up on a lovely unique location, there are no cars, no pollution, no noise. Well, there is noise, there’s about 10,000 gulls making noise, but it’s more peaceful than 10,000 cars! I just feel very lucky to be able to live and work there.”

After almost a year as warden Matt still sounds as if he is in love with Flat Holm. Even being left on the island for eight weeks on his first stint rather than four did not faze him; if the boat can’t reach him the only thing he worries about is running out of food. He said: “I can walk round there in the dark without any worries. I recognise most of the pathways under my feet, I know it so well now.”

Flat Holm Farmhouse, Matt's home on the island

Much as he loves his solitude, one of his favourite aspects of his job is showing people around the island when they come on the three-hour tours which run from March until December. He said: “It’s just a chance to show the people of Cardiff what they’ve got here and to share it with them and to tell them about its history. I love telling people about it.”

Primarily funded by the council, the island is also supported by the Flat Holm Society, which raised more than £10,000 last year. Small-scale farming, tours and mini conservation breaks also help to generate income for this historic island, once the site of a cholera hospital. Matt intends to spend another four years on Flat Holm, and with a new cottage development, a new assistant warden and increased farming, he has big plans for the island. All he needs now is a girlfriend.

“I’m just a fun, genuinely nice person who’s just looking for someone to spend time with. I’m very passionate about the environment so I’m looking for someone else who’s very passionate as well, and who won’t mind me being away for a while. I do love going to the cinema and I do love going out to restaurants, so those are the two things I miss the most. So if I did have a girlfriend then she’d be treated to a lot of nights out.”

Reposted from Capture Cardiff

• Cardiff Weston Barrage – crossing the Severn estuary from Brean Down, near Weston super Mare to Lavernock Point, near Cardiff (estimated capacity over 8.6GW, or nearly five per cent of UK electricity).
• Shoots Barrage – further upstream of the Cardiff Weston scheme (1.05GW, similar to a large fossil fuel plant).
• Beachley Barrage – smallest barrage on the proposed shortlist, just above the Wye River (625MW).
• Bridgwater Bay Lagoon – sited on the English shore between east of Hinkley Point and Weston super Mare (1.36GW).
• Fleming Lagoon – on the Welsh shore between Newport and the Severn road crossings (1.36GW).

It must be stressed that the consultation is not designed to decide which of these options to pursue, but instead to ascertain whether this is a relevant shortlist. DECC has at the same time announced £500,000 of new funding to develop technologies like tidal reefs and fences. The progress of these technologies will be considered before decisions are taken on the final shortlist, which will be subject to a second public consultation (probably in 2010).

Having said that, it still looks like the Cardiff Weston Barrage is the favourite, with industry lobbying heavily in spite of the potential ecological disaster. Friends of the Earth have released a statement reacting angrily to the exclusion of larger offshore tidal lagoons.

I will be taking some time to consider my response to this consultation. I will post further thoughts on here.

BBC News video

Backers include the Welsh Assembly and the Southwest Regional Assembly, a number of cross-party MPs and Gaia theorist James Lovelock. Opponents include the Green Party, Friends of the Earth, the WWF and the RSPB.

The Friends of the Earth website explains some of the risks:

Why would the Barrage be environmentally damaging?

• The Barrage wall would create a 5 metre deep lake to its eastward side, losing an inter-tidal habitat, feeding grounds for tens of thousands of birds
• The Barrage would halve the tidal range and sensitive flora and fauna would be lost, and the famous Severn Bore diminished
• The Barrage could also have a significant impact on fish species of conservation interest, through use of fish sluices within the barrage wall
• The Barrage could significantly damage the viability of ports. It would also generate new traffic on existing road networks around Lavernock and Cardiff airport and cause development pressures in rural Somerset
• The government’s own statutory advisers state that ‘a Severn Barrage project would not be possible within the current legal framework provided by the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. The estuary is also being proposed for designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), the highest protection in European Union law

It recommends a number of other means on generating energy from the Estuary, such as tidal lagoons located a mile off the Severn coast, a shorter flood defence barrage near the Second Severn Crossing, marine current turbines, wind energy or Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) fitted to coal or gas power stations.

My gut reaction is that Sabrina should be protected, that her tidal activity is the essence of her nature, and that as a result she would be desecrated by such a violation.

I have a particular interest in this issue, as the proposed Barrage would link my family home in Somerset with my chosen home in Cardiff, and Sabrina has been a constant presence throughout my life. I am also a member of the Flatholm Society, although I don’t know if they have an official view on this. I will try to find out.

The possibility of so much renewable energy is massively attractive, but not at the expense of our land and its heritage. I think the money would be better spent on education programmes teaching us how to live within our energy means, simplifying and reducing our need for energy. This, combined with a wind generation and CCS programme would be my favoured approach. While there is still so much invested in a growth economy, however, this seems doubtful.

This morning I was at the Bishop of Llandaff High School for an Assembly with year 10 pupils. Fr Ben was also taking an assembly in another part of the school and we were accompanied by Sister Jane Louise from Walsingham who has been spending a week in Grangetown as part of their parish mission. I love watching people’s reaction to seeing a ‘real’ nun! A mixture of bemusement, surprise and curiosity as if some strange alien has landed in their midst. To a lesser degree, clergy get a similar response with stares and double takes. Mind you, is it really the collar the does that? This afternoon though, I slipped my collar out: I was delivering a PSE lesson in Radyr Comprehensive School on behalf of Bulliesout, an anti bullying charity, so I removed my collar so as not to confuse the young people! Or was it not to confuse me? Maybe a bit of both. I’m confused now!

On Saturday, at last, I visited the island of Flat Holm, sitting five miles off the coast of Cardiff. It’s situated in the Parish of Cardiff where I live and Fr Graham (the parish priest) tries to get across to say Mass once a year with parishioners, though he hasn’t been for several years: the crossings are often cancelled due to the weather and high winds. It was a great experience: we had an outdoor Mass to celebrate St Cadoc who often visited and stayed on the island in the sixth century. It was a still, warm day with no wind across the island and it was hard to imagine that the sea had swallowed a contemporary of Cadoc, St Baruc as he was returning from the island back to the monastery at Llancarfan. Mind, you I suppose he was sailing in a coracle not a boat carrying forty other passengers armed with packed lunches and cameras. His body was washed up at Barry Island: hence the place name, and when I was curate in the parish of Merthy Dyfan in Barry I could see across the channel from my flat to the island and had always wanted to visit but was one of the many little things I hadn’t got round to.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6991351.stm