# Steep Holm (Every seagulls final resting place?) - August 2013



## thebeachedwattle (Aug 13, 2013)

Having been allowed a day off during our family break in Somerset, I set off for a day on Steep Holm for some "me time." A mighty fine day out it was too 

Steep Holm is an English island lying in the Bristol Channel. The island covers 48.87 acres (19.78 ha) at high tide, expanding to 63.26 acres (25.60 ha) at mean low water. At its highest point it is 78 metres (256 ft) above mean sea level. It lies within the historic boundaries of Somerset and administratively, it forms part of North Somerset.

The island serves as a wind and wave break, sheltering the upper reaches of the Bristol Channel. The island is formed of Carboniferous Limestone and is geologically a continuation of the Mendip Hills at Brean Down. The island is now uninhabited and protected as a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), since 1952. Nearby is Flat Holm island (Welsh: Ynys Echni), part of Wales.

According to legend in the 6th century Saint Gildas lived on Steep Holm visiting his friend Saint Cadoc, who lived on Flat Holm as a hermit. Gildas supposedly left the island to become Abbot of Glastonbury.

Both Steep Holm and Flat Holm were fortified in the 1860s as a defence against invasion. They form part of a line of defences, known as Palmerston Forts, built across the channel to protect the approaches to Bristol and Cardiff.

The island was fortified following a visit by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert to France, where they had been concerned at the strength of the French Navy. The Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom, under direction of Lord Palmerston, recommended fortification of the coast and the island formed part of this strategic coastal defence system. Construction began in 1865 and was completed in 1869.

Steep Holm has several gun batteries, some of which are Scheduled Ancient Monuments, and a centralised group of brick-built barrack blocks.

These facilities were updated in both World War I and World War II; in World War II, search light batteries were built on Steep Holm. The Steep Holm batteries were also connected, by underwater telegraph cable, to the Brean Down Fort batteries, but parts of the cable were stolen for scrap after the end of World War II.

Worth noting also is the 40mm Bofors gun was not part of the island's Second World War weaponary. This was donated to the trust a few years ago and air lifted into place. The concrete bases, of which there are six, would have infact supported rocket launchers.

The island is now owned by the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust, a charity which took over the administration of Steep Holm in 1974 in memory of the broadcaster and naturalist Kenneth Allsop, and purchased it in 1976 for £10,000. The mission statement of the Trust is: "To protect, preserve and enhance for the benefit of the public the landscape, antiquities, flora, fauna, natural beauty and scientific interest of the island of Steep Holm in the County of North Somerset and to advance the education of the public in the natural sciences."

Visits can be made to the island. The trust runs day-long boat trips from Weston-super-Mare. One barrack block is in use to provide visitor facilities.

Anywhos, on with the snapshots...


Greeted by an Inn, on arrival. I was disappointed to discover last orders had been called some time ago! Flat Holm in the distance.





No bed or breakfast here...





or indeed room.





Appropriated during WWI, from the Germans this 60cm gauge railway was laid to assist in the WWII fortifications. Driven by a diesel engine and pulleys it pulled materials to 256ft above sea level onto the islands plateau. The picture does not do the incline justice... it was steep! 





From the now unused South Landing looking up to a searchlight post. The rusting pulley protruding from the left was used to winch goods/materials from the sea below. 





View from the searchlight post above South Landing.





A 40mm Bofors gun, donated to the trust. A Rocket Laucher would have infact been positioned here during WWII.





40mm Bofors gun details.



 



Rudder Rock WWII observation post.





This 7 ton canon was removed from its mount in 1898 when an experimental bombardment took place to test new defences.





WWII observation post hinge detail.





Winch on South Landing detail and rusty ring on canon emplacements.


 



7 ton canon at Split Rock. The upright mount was a Georgian canon buried to provide a pivot.





Summit Battery from behind.





Inside Summit Battery.





Steps up to the gun emplacement in Summit Battery.





Obligatory old rusty nuts.





Flat Holm through an old stores window and the very last standing remains of the nissen huts, demolished in the 1950's.



 



A spot of early friendly fire?





Farmhouse building.



​
Thanks for looking and for those so inclined there's a few extra ones in my signature.


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## Stealthstar79 (Aug 13, 2013)

Cracking pics!
What a lovely place,
Thanks..


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## Labb (Aug 13, 2013)

Great post. Lots of really good pictures.


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## The Wombat (Aug 13, 2013)

I'd never heard of these islands before, so rushed off to get the map
Interesting stuff, and good photos too


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## flyboys90 (Aug 13, 2013)

Ace report & photos thanks for sharing.


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## Sshhhh... (Aug 13, 2013)

Interesting place, great report, thanks


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## RichCooper (Aug 16, 2013)

Superb set of pics


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## cptpies (Aug 16, 2013)

An excellent set of pictures, when you are talking about the concrete bases for rockets do you mean those for a Z battery or something else like signal flares?


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## LittleOz (Aug 16, 2013)

Looks fascinating, thanks for sharing. It's flat Welsh neighbour looks interesting, too, especially as it also has a derelict hospital (and somewhere to land ones helicopter).


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## Big Bill (Aug 16, 2013)

Excellent report!

I was only yesterday looking out to this and was wondering if there was anything their!

Looks well worth a visit!


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## dmundy01 (Aug 16, 2013)

Cracking pics, really enjoyed these.


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## shane.c (Aug 16, 2013)

great pics thanks for posting,


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## krela (Aug 16, 2013)

cptpies said:


> An excellent set of pictures, when you are talking about the concrete bases for rockets do you mean those for a Z battery or something else like signal flares?



Only ever seen them described as projectile rockets, so that would have been z-rockets yeah.


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## gingrove (Aug 16, 2013)

If you want to know what a z rocket looks like that's one on my avatar!


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## cptpies (Aug 17, 2013)

krela said:


> Only ever seen them described as projectile rockets, so that would have been z-rockets yeah.



Any source for that info? It's not listed as an HAA site in Dobinsons book but that doesn't discriminate between z batteries and conventional batteries so I think many z batteries went unlisted.


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## night crawler (Aug 18, 2013)

There was I thinking it was going to be some olf buildings and a few birds intead a beilliant report on the old defences on the island.


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## forker67 (Aug 18, 2013)

Damn!...NEED a boat now, would love to visit.


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## krela (Aug 18, 2013)

forker67 said:


> Damn!...NEED a boat now, would love to visit.



http://www.steepholm.org.uk/sailings


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## thebeachedwattle (Aug 18, 2013)

Thanks for that krela, and your earlier input re. the rocket launchers.

The Bristol Channel has the second greatest tidal range in the world, a word of warning to the unwise


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## krela (Aug 18, 2013)

Yup, try going to Steepholm in a dinghy or even a small rib and you will end up as a story on the local news.


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