Also known as St George’s Island, Looe Island is just a mile off the beautiful South coast of Looe in Cornwall. Managed and nurtured by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, this magical and mysterious place is made up of 22 acres of different habitats from woodland to maritime to grassland. Take a day trip to Looe Island and find out what you’ll discover in this haven of wildlife.
More than just a beautiful area of Cornwall, this island is bursting to the brim with interesting facts and boasts a quirky history. Once of religious and historical importance, this island was purchased by spinster sisters Babs and Attie Atkins in 1965. The sisters spent many happy years here, living in the famous Island House and writing about their unique and interesting experiences in their books ‘We bought an Island’ (1976) and ‘Tales from our Cornish Island’. Evelyn passed away in 1997, then Babs remained on the Island until her death in 2004 – it was then that she entrusted her home to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust to keep it flourishing for years to come.
Nowadays, Looe Island is open to the public throughout Spring and Summer for both visitors and locals to enjoy. Take a boat trip, or if you time the tide correctly you can even walk it from Looe beach, and spend a day walking through the area and spotting a variety of wildlife and buildings, including a museum dedicated to the Atkins sisters. There are guided tours available for those who want an insight into the conservation work as well as an expert to help you spot the different species of flowers, animals and insects. A trip to Looe island isn’t complete without seeing the playful Grey Seals and walking on the shingles to see the pretty reef below; an ideal day out for anyone staying in Cornwall. 4
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www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/looeisland
