- Looe Island
Looe Island, also known as St George's Island, is a small island a mile from the mainland town of
Looe inCornwall ,United Kingdom . Until recently it was owned (and inhabited) by two sisters, Babs and Evelyn Atkins, who have made a gift of the island to theCornwall Wildlife Trust in perpetuity.It is an island of outstanding natural beauty, about 22.5 acres (91,000 m²) in area and a mile (1.6 km) in circumference. The highest point is 47 m above sea level. With frost and snow virtually unknown it has an exceptionally mild climate.Daffodil s bloom atChristmas and, unlike most small islands, it is partly wooded. A natural sanctuary for sea and woodland birds and one time haunt to smugglers, its history includes aBenedictine chapel built in1139 of which only a few stones remain visible. Legend has it thatJoseph of Arimathea landed here with the child Christ.Evelyn Atkins wrote two books — "We Bought An Island" (1976) and its sequel "Tales From Our Cornish Island" (1986) — about the purchase of the island and what it is like to live there. She died in
1997 at the age of 87 but her sister Babs continued to live on the island until her death in2004 , at the age of 86, leaving the island to theCornwall Wildlife Trust which will preserve it as anature reserve .The island is normally accessible only by boat, but at low spring
tide s it is possible for the journey to be made by foot across the rocky sea floor. The island is open to day visitors (a landing fee is payable) during the summer. This is a non-profit making venture, the landing fees and other income being devoted to conserving the island's natural beauty and to providing facilities for visitors without commercialising it in any way. Jetty cottage has a license for weddings and couples may stay the night in a teepee on the island after their wedding service.Further reading
* "We Bought an Island". Evelyn E. Atkins, 1976. ISBN 0-340-22688-9
* [http://www.polperropress.co.uk/viewbook.php?id=21 The Looe Island Story: An Illustrated History of St. George's Island] , Mike Dunn, 2006. ISBN 978-0954913724
* [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1411689178 "Island Life: A History of Looe Island"] , David Clensy, 2006. ISBN 978-1-4116-8917-8External links
* [http://www.looeisland.com Looe Island Website]
* [http://www.geocities.com/looesmugglers/ Smuggling history]
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