Sully Island

 

After walking Barry Island we travelled by car to Sully and parked by the Captain’s Wife pub. Low tide was at 11.45 and a traffic light system serves as a high tide warning. The light was green for us at 11.30 and we had over 5 hours to walk across the causeway and back, according to the automatic sign. So many people have been caught by the tide that comes in rapidly (around half a metre every 10 minutes) sweeping visitors off the slippery rocks of the causeway. There is a sign warning you that you may be charged for any rescue mounted on your behalf near the traffic lights.

It is supposed to take 40 minutes to reach the island but I don’t think it took this long despite us gingerly picking our route across the natural paving slabs- a bit like the Yorkshire limestone though it must have been harder than that, being under water so much. It wasn’t covered in seaweed or algae that we could see but we slipped nonetheless. It was easier further out as the rocks supported barnacles, though not a lot, giving some grip to our boots.

We turned right around the base of the island, prepared to walk around Sully’s edge. We didn’t fancy climbing up to the grassy top. As we reached the seaward side flanked by pink stones and crazed grey slabs we easily mounted and found ourselves on a well- made path through lush grass.

We saw fishermen taking advantage of the solitude as we went east to the highest point. Bracken obscured the route across to the other side and then trip wires of bramble viciously attached itself to us and our clothes but we made it across.

There are no buildings allowed on Sully but we understand it was bought recently for £99,000. In the past it has been used by pirates to terrorise the locals. We believe we found the site of the hill fort (marked on the highest point on the map) by the different stones embedded in the grass there.

There are no trees but a few shrubs. Most signs are on the wild side where there are no paths seemingly and no easy route down to the shore. On the way back to the causeway we passed the skeleton of a boat- just its ribs. People we saw on the way over had been told that it was a Viking ship but we think it is maybe 19^th or early 20^th century. It contains rusting iron parts and is a fair size.

 

 

We were quite relieved to reach the “mainland” without acquiring a twisted ankle. It was straight into the” Captain’s wife” for a good meal and a warm in front of the fire. It must have been a substantial house as it had several large areas within and corridors leading off. The story went that the captain took his wife on board his ship and while on the sea she died. Not wishing to alarm or bring bad luck on the superstitious crew he hid her body in a box.  It was only years later after it became a pub that her body was discovered  ( hard to believe) The place had been haunted but this stopped once her body was given a Christian burial. Another story is that the box with her body was stolen by pirates thinking it was treasure. ..