Steep Holm: visiting the secret island off Somerset's coast

I’m going to hold my hands up in complete honesty and admit, that until last year, I did not know that Somerset had an island! I’m admitting to having this gap in my knowledge in case there are any other fellow ‘not-in-the-knowers’ out there?

Preparing to set sail from Weston-super-Mare (Image: Rachel Mead)

With my confession out in the open, let me introduce you to this very special ancient outcrop of rock which has been inhabited on and off (for those who knew it was there) for over 8000 years. Meet my most recent acquaintance - the Somerset island of Steep Holm.

Arriving at the island via RIB (Image: Rachel Mead)

When you choose to step ashore on this ‘secret’ island, you’ll be committing to her from the off because once the boat drops you on ‘The Beach’, you’ll be waving goodbye to your ride home for twelve hours. The tidal range here is huge, it is in fact the second largest in the world, so depending on tide times, your day is likely to begin early doors (we set sail from Weston-super-Mare at 7am) and you won’t be back until the same hour later that evening. For the adventurers amongst you, you’ll be able to feel as though you are channelling your inner Captain Cook, or William Dampier if we’re keeping to our Somerset theme, because you can opt to explore the island blissfully solo because there's no enforced tour guides keeping you to a set route.

With 12 hours on the island this busy editor even found time to write an article (Image: Richard Howes)

For those of you who enjoy some camaraderie whilst stepping out onto new and exciting lands, then knowledgeable company is on hand in the guise of the volunteering team from the Kenneth Memorial Trust, who own and help maintain the island. These stalwart 'Steep Holmers' will take you on a guided tour, if you wish, and as a heads up they have so much knowledge of the place, you'll be shown things that you might otherwise miss if you're not eagle-eyed. Steep Holm was purchased as a living memorial to the broadcaster and conservation campaigner, Kenneth Allsop in the mid-70’s and since then these incredible volunteers have been sympathetically restoring the history of the island whilst preserving the unique landscape, flora and fauna for explorers like you and me.

The old inn is the first thing that greets you on arrival to the isle. (Image: Rachel Mead)

Your day begins bright and early in Weston-super-Mare, you’ll meet your fellow island hoppers at the Knightstone Harbour Slipway before all climbing aboard the Bay Island Voyages craft. The excitement starts here, because not only is your mode of travel a speedy RIB, it’s one of those sporty ones which invites you to sit astride your seat as if you’re riding a motorbike. With the sea air whipping through your hair, you’ll be across the six nautical miles in about twenty minutes and your day will have begun with a real adrenaline rush. As you disembark, you are greeted with the remains of the old inn, where the landlord served many a tax-free beverage in the 1800’s, before you pick up the zig-zag track of the old incline railway used by soldiers when Steep Holm was fortified during WW2.

The WW2 cannons are a favoured resting perch for the gulls. (Image: Rachel Mead)

This is the first hint of historical military occupation on the island, but as you explore further you will realise that a vast majority of the defences are Victorian from when Steep Holm was also a crucial link in the set of four Palmerston forts protecting the Bristol Channel from French attack. On digging even further back into the archaeological surveys and finds, it is believed that the Vikings were using Steep Holm as a secure base with which to raid the mainland in 870AD, plus there have been countless Roman artefacts uncovered which suggest that the Empire had also set up home here for quite some time too. But fear not, you have twelve hours to uncover all the mysteries and marvels from Steep Holm’s deep past and as you reach the top of the island at 256 feet above sea level, you’re not far from the museum, and the barracks where you can pore over plenty of books and informative displays.

The gulls take residence on the roof of the barracks. (Image: Meandering Wild)

Converted into the Visitor Centre, the old barracks is your base camp for the day, and it is here where you’ll be able to chat to the band of volunteers, enjoy your packed breakfast, lunch, and tea, and take cover from any poor weather, or from the gulls. It’s probably now that I should also make my second confession for the day - the gulls are very well established here and will, without fail, make a lasting impression on your trip. If you’re a keen birdwatcher and you want to experience a vivid insight into gull behaviour then make sure you time your visit to coincide with breeding season from late April to July.

During gull breeding season, it is wise to sit beneath a brolly to avoid a swoop or a poop from above! (Image: Rachel Mead)

With 1000 gulls choosing Steep Holm as their ideal nesting ground, the very cute and very fluffy chicks fearlessly toddle around, but what is also crucial to know is that gulls are incredibly protective parents so you’ll need to walk around with a brolly as a defensive mechanism against the occasional swoop, or more likely ‘poop’.

The gulls set up camp on the disused military outposts (Image: Rachel Mead)

If you’ve brought your binoculars along then other notable spots are cliff-top Cormorants, Water Rails (who are a bizarre sighting as they normally prefer the Somerset Levels) and the superstar crowd pleaser (and logo for the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust charity), the Peregrine Falcon. For those visitors who prefer to explore this remarkable island without fear of a dive-bombing gull, then book aboard the boat later in August and head to the island for an early autumnal trip instead. Remember, it’s just you and your fellow 11 visitors taking up temporary residence for the day so it’s incredibly peaceful and gives you ample opportunity to switch off, explore at leisure and just be.

Walk through living history and explore the old buildings of Steep Holm. (Image: Rachel Mead)

By now you’re probably realising that a trip to Steep Holm is not a standard walk in the park. Steep Holm is very much an island which is celebrated as a nature reserve and bird sanctuary whilst also being recognised as a key Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its rare plants such as the Mediterranean Wild Peony. It is rugged, in places it is overgrown, and the facilities are somewhat rustic, but this is where its charm and authenticity prevail. For the naturalists amongst you, a day trip to Steep Holm is the VIP ticket, it’s the front row seat at a nature documentary screening.

The fluffy chicks are fearless and wander along the footpaths though keep an eye out for their parents who won't be far away! (Image: Meandering Wild)

For the lovers of our coastline, you’ll get unique views of the Somerset and Welsh mainlands in addition to tangible insights into the workings of this exclusive 50-acre island. For the historians, there are so many stories to uncover plus you’ll have open access to the aged gun emplacements, ammunition stores and searchlight posts. From legends of Steep Holm being a monks retreat to tales of bears having brawls in the inn there’s much to discover. It seemed there was even a bit of a loophole in the law when it came to the selling of alcohol on Steep Holm during the 1800’s. Although the island falls under Somerset’s county jurisdiction, the landlord of the inn believed that he was outside the mainland laws of licensing due to the fact that he was 6 miles off the coast and he managed to serve drinks for 50 years before being summoned to court. Once the law had finally caught up with him, he realised that he’d need to relocate his business however he didn’t go far - just a short boat trip across to the neighbouring Welsh isle of Flat Holm, Cheers!

Views across to the Welsh isle of Flat Holm: (Image: Rachel Mead)

Steep Holm is, without doubt, one of our county's gems which deserves more of a spotlight, and yet due to the very nature of her location, she is able to maintain a sense of exclusivity. It is a privilege to be one of those few who have ventured across the Bristol Channel to walk amongst her histories and current Laridae inhabitants (thank goodness for my brolly!) Under the care of the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust, humankind very much comes second place here, the island is home foremost to the birds, and I do confess, gull poop and all, that after making acquaintance with Somerset’s secret isle there is a certain magnetism about her which ensures I’ll be going back to improve my knowledge of our county’s secret island even more.

Steep Holm Island (Image: Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust)

The Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust

Best known as a broadcaster, writer and environmentalist in the 1960’s, Kenneth Allsop was a regular face on the BBC’s Tonight programme. Steep Holm island was bought as a living memorial in his name and is maintained as a nature reserve and bird sanctuary. The island survives on monetary donations and the incredible gift of time from the volunteers. The team are always keen to hear from potential volunteers, those who can help with maintenance tasks as well as helping out in the café, shop or fundraising. steepholm.online

Sunset on Steep Holm, looking across to the mainland (Image: Tim Barrett)

Set Sail in Somerset

The trips to Steep Holm are organised by Bay Island Voyages with 2024 sailings starting on March 29th at 07.30. The cost of the return trip is £45 per person which includes a donation to the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust. The nature of the RIB means that the trip is only suitable for those over 1.1metres tall. bayislandvoyages.co.uk