Day trip to Lundy Island
In fairness I was only about eight so I can probably be forgiven for my lapse of memory. It must have left some sort of lasting impression on me though as when I heard that the classic cruise ship Balmoral, was sailing from Swansea to Lundy on 23rd August I didn’t hesitate in making a booking. I soon discovered I was not alone in wanting to visit this tiny island off the coast of Devon – our photographer Liz Barry, her partner Gareth and John Ashley were soon enlisted as ship mates along with Simon and me.
The ship was due to leave Swansea at 10:00 with a bus to transport us from the park and ride car park. We arrived in good time to find that we were by no means alone in our desire to visit this tiny island. Literally hundreds of people were queuing for the shuttle bus!
Eventually we were all aboard – the ship’s purser apologised for the delay and admitted they had been totally caught unawares by the number of people wanting to board.
The term cruise ship doesn’t usually conjure up an image of a little vessel like the Balmoral, but this is a beautifully restored ship with the charm of a bygone age. It appeared to be like the Tardis – where had all those bus loads of people gone? They were sitting in the ships comfortable lounge areas, restaurant or like us intrepid folk sitting up on deck with the wind in our faces.
Our first stop was Ilfracombe where we were welcomed by the Town Crier who implored us not to feed the seagulls. If we liked them enough to feed them we were welcome to take them home with us! Some passengers disembarked and some more embarked and off we went again, down the coast to Lundy.
The crossing was very calm and I felt a little over-protected with my dose of sea-sickness tablets and my acupuncture bands on my wrists – yes I am a belt and braces sort of girl!
Lundy Island is a granite outcrop measuring three and a half miles by half a mile. In January 2010 it was designated as England’s first Marine Conservation Area. It’s not the place to visit if you are seeking wild nightlife and chic wine bars but if you want tranquillity, peace and quiet then Lundy is your place. There are plenty of opportunities for walking, diving, climbing, fishing, painting and photography. There’s a small community shop and a lovely tavern serving great food, a disused lighthouse and a church. Plenty to occupy you on a two and a half hour visit.
Accommodation is available if you want to stay longer either by camping or staying in one of the Landmark properties which range from a 13th century castle to a fisherman’s cottage.
In our two and a half hours we managed to cover quite a bit of ground between us and have time for a drink in the tavern before making our way back down the hill to the ship.
Our return journey was equally calm and sitting with our backs to the engine room was also toasty warm! Sitting up on deck for the whole journey we were rewarded with a fantastic display by a pod of dolphins and a spectacular sunset.
All in all it was a fine day out which I hope to repeat next year.
