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Bardsey Island

Bardsey Island
Bardsey Island seen from Mynydd Mawr
Bardsey Island is located in Gwynedd
Bardsey Island
Bardsey Island
Location within Gwynedd
Area1.79 km2 (0.69 sq mi)
Population11 (as of 2019)[1]
• Density6/km2 (16/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSH122218
Community
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPWLLHELI
Postcode districtLL53
Dialling code01758
PoliceNorth Wales
FireNorth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Gwynedd
52°46′N 4°47′W / 52.76°N 4.79°W / 52.76; -4.79

Bardsey Island (Welsh: Ynys Enlli), known as the legendary "Island of 20,000 Saints", is located 1.9 miles (3.1 km) off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd.[2] The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", while its English name refers to the "Island of the Bards",[3] or possibly the Viking chieftain, "Barda". At 179 hectares (440 acres; 0.69 sq mi) in area it is the fourth largest offshore island in Wales, with a population of 11.[4]

The north east rises steeply from the sea to a height of 548 feet (167 m) at Mynydd Enlli,[5] which is a Marilyn, while the western plain is low and relatively flat cultivated farmland. To the south the island narrows to an isthmus, connecting a peninsula on which the lighthouse stands.[6] Since 1974 it has been included in the community of Aberdaron.[7]

The island is claimed to be the burial site of Merlin.[8] It has been an important religious site since the 6th century, when it is said that the Welsh kings of Llŷn and Saint Cadfan founded a monastery there.[9] In medieval times it was a major centre of pilgrimage and, by 1212, belonged to the Augustinian Canons Regular.[10] The monastery was dissolved and its buildings demolished by Henry VIII in 1537,[11] but the island remains an attraction for pilgrims, marking the end point of the North Wales Pilgrims Way.[12][11]

Bardsey Island is famous for its wildlife and rugged scenery. A bird observatory was established in 1953.[13] It is a nesting place for Manx shearwaters and choughs, with rare plants, and habitats undisturbed by modern farming practices.[14] The waters around the island attract dolphins and porpoises and grey seals.[13]

In 2023, the island became the first site in Europe to be awarded International Dark Sky Sanctuary certification.[15]

  1. ^ Williams, Kelly (28 May 2019). "Why family that went to live on Bardsey Island quit it after just one day". Daily Post. Colwyn Bay. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  2. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica : Bardsey Island Retrieved 16 August 2009
  3. ^ Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales, 1849, S Lewis and Co, London, 474 pages
  4. ^ "Ynys Enlli". Natural Resources Wales. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  5. ^ Lleyn Peninsula West (Map). 1:25000. Ordnance Survey. 2005. ISBN 9780319244494. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  6. ^ Gwynedd Archaeological Trust : Bardsey Archived 16 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 16 August 2009 to 2010
  7. ^ Ordnance Survey : Election Maps : Gwynedd Retrieved 16 August 2009
  8. ^ "The enchanted wood". www.smh.com.au. The Age. 26 March 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  9. ^ BBC, Travel (13 April 2016). "The tiny island of 20,000 graves". BBC. Amanda Ruggeri. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference archaeology was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference history was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Taith Pererin Gogledd Cymru ~ North Wales Pilgrim's Way". www.pilgrims-way-north-wales.org. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  13. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference haven was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference core was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ "Dark Skies: Welsh island is first sanctuary in Europe". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2023.