Lihou

"Not to be confused with Lihou Reef and Cays"

Lihou /'li.u/ is a small tidal island (95 vergées; 38½ acres; 15.6 hectares) that is part of the Channel Islands. It lies off the west coast of Guernsey and is the most westerly point in the Channel Islands. Coordinates: coord|49|27|38.16|N|2|40|4.44|W|. The island was bought by the States of Guernsey in January 1995. Lihou is connected to Guernsey at low tide by an ancient stone causeway between the island and L'Eree headland. It is part of the Parish of St. Peter's. Lihou's bird and marine life makes it an important conservation area.

History

Like many other Channel Islands, Lihou's name contains the Norman language suffix "-hou" of Old Norse origin.

On the island are the ruins of the priory of St. Mary which is believed to have been established by Benedictine monks in the 12th century. The monks of the priory were by no means generally popular with the local people, who suspected them of devil worship. This animosity may be due to the monks' insistence on rights of wreck. Until 1415 it was under the control of Mont Saint Michel and thereafter under Eton College until the Reformation when it was closed and fell into disrepair.

The house on Lihou was used for target practice by heavy artillery during the German Occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II. It has now been rebuilt as accommodation for school groups, and is used as an educational resource.

"Vraic" (seaweed) was harvested and dried on frames set up on the beach. A 1927 factory building produced iodine from seaweed. All traces of the industry disappeared during the German Occupation.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/guernsey/content/articles/2004/12/01/lihou_history_feature.shtml "History of Little Lihou"]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/archaeology/ser3pro4_1.shtml Archeology on Lihou]

References

* "BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names" (Oxford UP, 1971)