Steep Holm
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| Steep Holm | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Elevation | 78 m (256 ft) |
| Location | Bristol Channel, England |
| Prominence | 78 m |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 182 |
| OS grid reference | ST229607 |
Steep Holm (grid reference ST228607) is a 48.87 acre at high tide, expanding to 63.26 acres at mean low water, 25.51 hectare, English island lying in the Bristol Channel.[1] Administratively it is now part of North Somerset unitary authority. It was formerly in Somerset; then it became part of Avon on 1 April 1974.[1]
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.[2] The island is now uninhabited, with the exception of the warden and protected as a nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), notification having taken place in 1952. Nearby is Flat Holm island, part of Wales.
Both Steep Holm and Flat Holm were fortified in the 1860s as a defence against invasion: Steep Holm having 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; and in WW 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 WW II.[3]
The island is owned by the Kenneth Allsop Memorial Trust, a charity which took over the administration of Steep Holm in 1974, in memory of the well-known broadcaster and naturalist; and purchased it in 1976.[1] 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."
One barrack block is in use today to provide visitor facilities.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Legg, Rodney (1995). The Steep Holm Guide: The history of the Island off Western-super-Mare (2nd Ed). Wincanton: Wincanton Press. ISBN 0-948699-49-3.
- ^ Coysh, A.W.; E.J. Mason & V. Waite (1977). The Mendips. London: Robert Hale Ltd. ISBN 0709164262.
- ^ van der Bijl, Nicholas (2000). Brean Down Fort: Its History and the Defence of the Bristol Channel. Cossington: Hawk Editions. ISBN 0-9529081-7-4.
[edit] External links
[edit] Further reading
- Brown, Donald (1999). Somerset V Hitler: Secret Operations in the Mendips 1939–1945. Newbury: Countryside Books. ISBN 1-85306-590-0.
- Rendell, Stan and Joan, (1993). Steep Holm: The Story of a Small Island. Stroud: Alan Sutton Publishing. ISBN 0-7509-0323-6.
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