Lundy Island

England, South-west, United Kingdom

William Mackesy’s account of this walk

The crossing out was rough, a smallish boat tossing and [yawing] into post-storm waves, and I have to admit that I was sick as the proverbial parrot. And, some of it ended up on my pack (don't ask), which followed me fragrantly around the island all day. Good thing it was blowing hard...

I'm not normally susceptible.

As day visitors needing to get the return ferry, we had limited time, so from the jetty in the far south-east, we did the following.

We climbed the well-walked track from the jetty to the village some 100m above. 

And then across the top of the south of the island between the church and the castle. It was blowing a blustering near-gale as we got round to the exposed western cliffs. A thrilling picnic perched above the long grassy slopes which dropped steeply to the foaming sea of the south-western end.

Walked on up the west coast to the lighthouse. Beautiful walk. We climbed the lighthouse, which is worth it for the extraordinary atmosphere in the light room up top (a deck chair) and vast views of the island and surrounding seascape.

We then crossed diagonally across slightly the dull plateau to the access track, just short of the “half-way wall”, to the old mining track which winds rather amazingly across the cliffs and steep grassy slopes of the eastern coast. A thrilling traverse, half way down the cliffs, back to the jetty.