The trip to Steep Holm was rather different this time. This season, the island’s trust has engaged the services of Cardiff Sea Safaris who employ high-speed, rigid inflatable boats (ribs) each of which can carry twelve passengers. The two ribcraft arrived on time at 9 am and loading/embarkation was quick and easy. Children got themselves into the front seats, almost beside themselves with excitement - fitting the life jackets just heightened the sense of anticipation. And then we were off!! The two powerful Suzuki Marine engines opened up and we left Knightstone Harbour with a silky roar.
After weeks of sunny weather, the morning was overcast but still warm. A slight Force 3-4 breeze blowing from the south-west. The sea was reasonably calm with only a moderate swell - which probably disappointed the youngsters because we only really took off three or four times! But it was very exciting and surprisingly comfortable. The harbour and pier disappeared to our stern while Brean Down slid away to port with us barely noticing. Meanwhile the island was coming towards us as though viewed through a zoom lens. Well maybe not quite like that - but you know what I mean! And then we were there, after about twelve minutes of blistering activity we were pressing against the pebbles of Steep Holm’s East Beach. A wide metal gantry was pushed into place and disembarkation was easy with no wet feet. Each craft was emptied within a matter of minutes and set off immediately for the further 24 passengers waiting at Knightstone. It seemed like an impossibly short time before the boats were back and everyone was ashore.
Yellow wallflowers illuminated the eastern cliffs and, after all the dry weather, I was surprised at how green the island was. Wardens, Chris Maslen and Jenny Smith had already been able to spend a week or two on the island and the cleared paths were in perfect shape. The gulls appeared to agree because they were nesting on the short, warm turf all along the path sides and most of the nests had three eggs. Last year, many gull chicks had perished during the dry summer - so far as I could tell that hadn’t affected gull numbers. On the brambles above Rudder Rock (the western tip), caterpillars of the Brown-tail moth were at work stripping the leaves and beginning to move onto the cherry and whitebeam trees. Jenny assured me the brown-tail season will soon end - but then comes the Lackey moth time and we have had serious plagues of those in the past - practically defoliating the island. Unfortunately, the celebrated Steep Holm peonies had already flowered a few weeks previously. Usually, if you get to the island in early May, you’ll catch them. Ah well, there’s always next year.
At the Priory site, a team of National Trust dry-stone wallers were at work repairing the south perimeter wall. One of the main problems is the availability of suitable stone - there’s a lot of scavenging and gleaning to be done before the work can actually start. Steep Holm’s lucky, for two of the wallers had worked on Mendip’s dry stone walls at Wavering Down.
The weather held all day. The ribcraft arrived on time and proceeded with the furiously exciting return journey - whoops and shrieks all the way. We had to wait awhile at Knightstone for the tide to catch up but the consensus was the trips had been brilliant!!
Howard Smith
Steep Holm Trips for 2011
May: 18, 21.
June: 2, 4, 16, 18.
July: 2, 4, 16, 18, 30.
August: 2, 14, 16, 18, 30.
September: 11, 14, 17.
October: 1, 15.
June: 2, 4, 16, 18.
July: 2, 4, 16, 18, 30.
August: 2, 14, 16, 18, 30.
September: 11, 14, 17.
October: 1, 15.
For information about Steep Holm visit: www.steepholm.org.uk
Or contact the Booking Secretary on 01934 522125.
Download the podcast: May: Notes From An Even Smaller Island
Download the podcast: May: Notes From An Even Smaller Island
