Looe Island
Looe Island, also known as St George's Island, sits just three-quarters of a mile off the coast of Hannafore Point near West Looe in Cornwall, England. Rising to around 26 metres at its highest point, this small but enchanting island covers approximately 22 acres and is one of the few inhabited islands off the Cornish coast. It was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 2000 and is managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, making it a remarkable sanctuary for wildlife in the waters of the English Channel. The island is notable not only for its natural beauty and biodiversity but also for its colourful human history, its isolation, and the extraordinary story of two sisters who lived there alone for decades.
The island has a long and layered history stretching back to antiquity. There are traditions suggesting that Joseph of Arimathea once visited the island with the young Jesus Christ during his supposed travels to Britain, a legend that forms part of the broader mythos attached to Cornwall and Somerset. More reliably documented is the island's use during the medieval period as a place of religious retreat; a small chapel dedicated to St George stood on the island, and there are references to a hermitage there. During the age of smuggling, which flourished along the Cornish coast in the 18th century, Looe Island was reputedly used as a staging post for contraband being run ashore. Its caves and isolated position made it ideal for concealing brandy, tobacco and lace brought over from Brittany and the Channel Islands.
Perhaps the most captivating chapter in the island's recent history involves sisters Babs and Evelyn Atkins, who purchased Looe Island in 1965 after a lifelong dream to own their own island. The two women lived there together in remarkable self-sufficiency, weathering storms, isolation and the considerable practical challenges of island life, including fetching fresh water and managing supplies. They wrote about their experiences in a book called "We Bought an Island," which became beloved in Britain. After Babs died in 1978, Evelyn continued to live on the island alone until her own death in 2004, at which point she bequeathed the island to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, ensuring its protection for future generations. Their story is one of quiet courage, eccentricity, and deep love for the natural world.
Physically, Looe Island is a jewel of the Cornish coast. It has a roughly oval shape with steep, rocky cliffs on its southern and western flanks and slightly more gentle terrain on the northern and eastern sides. The interior features scrubby grassland, bracken, bramble thickets and some trees, all shaped by the salt winds. In spring and summer the island is thick with wildflowers, and the air carries the sharp, mineral scent of the sea mixed with vegetation. The surrounding waters are notably clear by English standards, and the rocky shoreline reveals rich intertidal life when the tide drops. Seabirds nest here in significant numbers, including shags, gulls and cormorants, and grey seals are regularly spotted hauled out on the rocks or bobbing inquisitively in the waters around the landing beach. The sense of remoteness, just minutes from the mainland, is striking.
The island lies within the broader setting of the South Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the town of Looe itself visible across the water — a pretty fishing town built on either side of the River Looe estuary, with a working harbour, narrow streets and a sandy beach. The waters around the island are popular with divers, drawn by the clear conditions and the variety of marine life that colonises the rocky reef. Dolphins and porpoises are occasionally seen in the wider bay, and basking sharks pass through these waters during summer months.
Visits to Looe Island are possible but regulated, in keeping with its status as a nature reserve. The Cornwall Wildlife Trust runs boat trips to the island during summer months, typically from May to September, weather and tides permitting. The trips depart from Looe harbour and are popular with families and nature lovers. Once on the island, visitors can explore its paths, view the resident wildlife, and learn about the Atkins sisters' remarkable story in a small display. Landing is tide-dependent and the sea crossing, while short, can be lively in a breeze. There is no accommodation available for general visitors, and the island's use is carefully managed to minimise disturbance to nesting birds and seal populations. The best time to visit is late spring or early summer, when wildflowers are blooming and seabird activity is at its peak.
One fascinating detail is that the island has its own postbox and at one point had a resident population counted officially in UK censuses — the Atkins sisters being among the very few humans recorded as living there. The island also reportedly has a ghost, with stories of a 17th-century wreck and the spirit of a drowned sailor said to linger near the shore. Whether or not one believes such things, standing on the island as the mainland recedes and the sound of seabirds fills the air, it is easy to understand why two sisters chose to spend their lives here, and why the place has cast a spell over visitors for centuries.