Home alone

Just off the North West coast of the Wirral peninsula is a set of islands referred to as Hilbre islands. They are accessible at low tide and are a regular tourist attraction. There is a colony of seals, several privately owned cottages, and a research station on the three pieces of land

Hilbre Island is the largest island of the group , that sit at the mouth of the River Dee estuary.
Situated 2 miles from the coast at West Kirby it is the smallest inhabited island off the coast of the British mainland, or at least it was.

The island sits at the end of the group of three, the other two smaller islands being called Little Eye and Middle Eye.

Hilbre also hosts a ten foot solar powered lighthouse, operated by Trinity House, a few other out buildings and did have one inhabited house lived in by the R.S.P.B warden who looked after the islands for the present owners.

Its history goes back to the Bronze age, but during the late 1700's until the mid 1800's it was a place of commerce, hosting a customs house and Inn. In 1856 it was bought by Liverpool Docks, and remained with them until 1945, when a local council took it over and used it as a telegraph post. In 1974 the borough council took it over, using it as a tourist retreat for walkers and bird spotters.

Due to it's large bird population, seal invasion and it's own endemic species of Field Vole, the island became of significant interest to nature lovers, and was bought by the R.S.P.B in 1983.
This then lead to it being cited as a Site of Special Scientific Interest ( S.S.S.I ) in 2001.

The problem now is that the current warden has retired, or given up their monastic existence, and the island is now without a permanent and resident warden.

Now you would think this an ideal get away from it all sort of job, but then consider, no electricity, no running water and open to the full blast of the Irish Sea as well as being cut off from the mainland 12 to 14 hours a day. The list of applicants is not a long one!

What's for tea tonight dear? Seal soup again, with gull eggs and cockles?