There’s something special about escaping to an island – even if you don’t need a boat to get there. Annabelle Thorpe picks a dozen British gems that you can reach by car or on foot – perfect for a day trip or a summer weekend away
1 Burgh Island, Devon
Despite its isolation, this island is all about glamour – 1930s glamour, to be precise, evoked by the art-deco hotel of the same name. Cars can’t reach the island at all but you can walk there at low tide or hitch a lift by sea tractor at other times. The island lies 250m off the south coast of Devon, close to the seaside town of Bigbury. There is an extensive network of footpaths across the island and a pub, the Pilchard Inn, as well as the hotel, which is most famous for its links to Agatha Christie, who used the setting for two of her books, Evil Under the Sun and And Then There Were None. It’s dressy and fun but very pricey, with doubles from £280.
• 01548 810514; burghisland.com
2 Isle of Sheppey, Kent
Twitchers and those in search of old-fashioned bucket-and-spade pleasures should head to the Isle of Sheppey, which combines long stretches of shingle beach with tranquil marshland. Avocets, owls and flocks of curlews and plovers are all easily spotted at the RSPB-managed Elmley Marshes, while families will enjoy Leysdown, which boasts safe shallow beaches. It’s ideal day-trip territory, but to make a weekend of it, the best bet is the Abbey Hotel (01795 872873; abbey-hotel.net), just outside Sheerness.
• tourism.swale.gov.uk
3 Hilbre Island, Cheshire
Take a picnic and a flask of coffee and settle in for a day of serious birdwatching on Hilbre Island, a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the middle of the Dee estuary. It’s worth the mile-long trek at low tide to see the grey seals, curlews and oystercatchers that call the island home. Hilbre is renowned as one of the best places in the country to see storm petrels, and in late summer the rocky landscape teems with terns, who come to the island to breed. There are no facilities on the island, although the Hilbre Telegraph Lookout Station has been renovated, and is open on selected dates.
deeestuary.co.uk/hilbre
4 Walney Island, Cumbria
Most islands have something of an old-fashioned atmosphere, and Walney feels as if it hasn’t changed in decades. Linked to Cumbria by a road bridge, it lies just half a mile from the town of Barrow-in-Furness and is home to two nature reserves, with more than 250 types of bird and 400 species of moth and butterfly. There are good coastal walking routes, and some of the best spots in the UK for kite-surfing. The best place to stay on the island is the Browhead Hotel (01229 473600; browheadhotel.co.uk), which offers comfortable, family-run accommodation.
walney-island.com
5 Anglesey
It’s worth the drive to get to Anglesey; latticed with cycling paths and walking routes, edged with gorgeous sandy beaches and home to several renowned gastropubs and boutique hotels, it’s ideal for a romantic weekend away. The picturesque town of Beaumaris makes a great base, and is home to a dramatic medieval castle and Victorian pier, as well as one of the island’s most famous pubs, Ye Old Bulls Head Inn (01248 810329; bullsheadinn.co.uk). Alternatively, hole up at the rurally located Neuadd Lwyd (01248 715005; neuaddlwyd.co.uk), a luxurious country house B&B that also offers fantastic suppers, and has breathtaking views across to the mountains of Snowdonia.
visitanglesey.co.uk
6 Nags Head Island, Abingdon, Oxforshire
Ideal for a waterside pint, this island in the Thames consists of a pub (named after the island and dating back to the 19th century), plus a few ship’s chandlers and boat hire firms. It is linked to the mainland by two bridges and accessible by car – there is a large car park at the pub and plenty of picnic space on the island. Daily boat trips run to and from Oxford.
• Nags Head pub: 01235 536645
7 Isle of Skye
Towering peaks, lush valleys, long white beaches; Skye is all about natural drama – although the hearty outdoorsy vibe is mixed with a clutch of reassuringly indulgent restaurants and luxury hotels. There are challenging walking and cycling routes that traverse the peaks, while the bustling town of Portree makes a relaxing base, with galleries and boutiques to explore. Stop for a legendary haggis toastie at The Stein Inn at Waternish (01470 592 362; stein-inn.co.uk), and book into the Ullinish Country Lodge (01470 572214; theisleofskye.co.uk) in Struan, which serves spectacular seafood and has opulent bedrooms to match.
skye.co.uk
8 Canvey Island, Essex
Lying in the Thames Estuary and reached by road bridge from Benflett, Canvey Island has faded a little since its glory days in the early 20th century, when it became the fastest-growing seaside resort in the UK, but it still has a kitschly fun feel. Head to the Labworth Cafe (01268 683209) on the seafront, a 1930s design classic by Ove Arup revamped as a bistro, or head to West Canvey for birdwatching and a stroll across what is set to become a new RSPB nature reserve, after the charity purchased the land in 2006.
canveyisland.org
9 Holy Island, Northumberland
Steeped in myth and legend, Lindisfarne attracts an odd mix of new-agers and twitchers drawn, respectively, by the eighth-century monastery and ruined priory, and the tranquil nature reserve that is home to spectacular colonies of wintering birds. The island is famous for the Lindisfarne gospels – an illuminated manuscript dating back to the eighth century, now in the British Library – but the beaches are an equally big draw; long stretches of wild, unspoilt shoreline backed by dunes that are often surprisingly quiet. You can drive to the island, but only at low tide. Try the Crown and Anchor (01289 389215; holyislandcrown.co.uk), a welcoming pub with rooms.
lindisfarne.org.uk
10 Foulness Island, Essex
You’ve got to really want to get to Foulness, located along the Essex coast a few miles east of Southend-on-Sea. Home to just 200 residents, it is owned by the Ministry of Defence, and there are only two ways for the public to gain access to the island. The Heritage Centre opens from noon-4pm every Sunday between April and October, when the public have free access. At other times it’s necessary to call and make a reservation to eat at the George & Dragon pub on the island (01702 219460), which will take down your details, to be checked later by an MoD official at the checkpoint. It’s a desolate kind of place, with long stretches of empty beach and marshland, though rich in wildlife.
visitessex.com
Mersea Island, Essex
There’s an increasing “scene” on Mersea, reached by road bridge; the clean, sandy beaches have long been a draw for windsurfers and kite-boarders, but the growing number of good restaurants on the island, plus a clutch of diverse accommodation options mean it’s become a great place for an eccentric weekend away. There are ancient Roman sites to explore, a beautiful country park and as much seafood as you can eat: try the Mersea Oyster Bar (01206 381600) or the Company Shed (01206 382700), both of which offer fresh fish and oysters brought in by the local fleet each day. Follow it with a tasting at the Mersea Island Vineyard (01206 385900; merseawine.com), which offers beers from its microbrewery as well as wines to sample, and also has simple but comfortable B&B rooms.
mersea-island.com
12 Hayling Island, Hampshire
There are those on Hayling who claim that windsurfing was invented on the island, and it’s a great choice for a weekend break with teenagers; sailing, windsurfing and kite surfing are all on offer at the well-equipped watersports centre, and there’s an impressive skate park right on the seafront. Younger children are well catered for too, with an all-year funfair and a narrow gauge railway, and adults will appreciate the well-marked network of footpaths and cycleways as well as the long stretches of shingle beach. You can drive onto the island via a bridge, which can become congested in summer; stay at the Cockle Warren Cottage Hotel (02392 464961; cocklewarren.co.uk) for cosy rooms and lots of local knowledge.
hayling.co.uk
Wanee 2010 by Ian Rawn
Wanee 2009 by Saba
A crack team to take on cops who kill
Inquiries into the 954 deaths in custody since 1990 have all proved fruitless – and then this historic case comes along
Do make sure you’re sitting down. Something quite extraordinary has happened. The police have issued an abject apology for two deaths in their custody, and announced that the officer responsible will be prosecuted. How to put this momentous announcement into context? How to throw it into the sharp relief which is deserves? Well, according to monitoring carried out by the organisation Inquest, there have been 954 deaths in police custody in England and Wales since 1990 – the figure includes shootings – with nary a successful prosecution for murder or manslaughter.
And so to this historic case, which has seen top brass abandon their traditionally minimalist statements on such tragedies, unless of course they take the bizarre decision to pretend that the victim had leapt over a ticket barrier or some such. The deaths have caused “immense sadness”, according to the relevant force’s chief superintendent. “We will certainly take any lessons we can get from this process, and make sure we put them in place so this sort of thing never happens again. We understand the upset that this has caused the public and members of our staff … There is a sense of shock and sadness at the news of the death of two of our police dogs.”
Ah yes. Forgive my getting your hopes up. It’s the case of those two dogs who expired in a car outside Nottingham police headquarters earlier this month, having been left in the vehicle on a searingly hot afternoon. Following an urgent RSPCA investigation, the officer responsible will face animal cruelty charges. The force’s own inquiry apparently continues.
A horrible business, evidently, and we must pass on our condolences to those who knew the animals. Indeed, the police have established a tribute area, where they and members of the public have laid wreaths.
But after we’ve done that, I’m afraid we must contrast Plod’s reaction with, say, that to the death of Ian Tomlinson, who died of abdominal bleeding at the G20 protests in March, shortly after being struck by a Met officer. The police have sweetly judged this to be something worth offering their “sincere regret” about, but refuse to comment further, while the Independent Police Complaints Commission continues one of its famously fast-paced investigations. It would be funny if it weren’t so bleeding wretched.
The contrast has not been lost on some of the families with relatives who have died in police custody. At a recent meeting of their number, a speaker read out the Nottingham chief super’s expressions of anguish. One attendee says the room went quiet as everyone wondered to which death in custody such expressions of frank remorse related. When the dog punchline was revealed, how they didn’t laugh.
There isn’t quite the space to reproduce the official police comments on all those 954 deaths, but let’s challenge any copper who fancies a grim afternoon to delve among them and produce a statement as abjectly apologetic or anguished as the one concerning the two dogs.
Of course, there’s a point to be made about some people’s prioritising of animal injustice, where its human equivalent elicits less concern in them. In 2006, more money was given to a single Devon donkey sanctuary than to all the most prominent charities dealing with violence and abuse of women.
For today, though, these are diversions, because there is something so undeliciously neat about the dog tale that you could be forgiven for thinking it was a staged satire. In an alternate reality, the police would have offered a variation on that cliched explanation for a death in custody – the suspect kicked himself down the nick stairs – perhaps suggesting that the dogs were involved in some sort of asphyxiation game gone tragically wrong.
If the story had failed to catch on, they might have floated a version of the theory that the Met put to Ian Tomlinson’s family in the days after his death – namely, that the officer who struck him could have been a member of the public “dressed in police uniform“.
This idle speculation could go on for ever, or at least until the IPCC completes its inquiries into the G20 cases, which increasingly seems a similar time frame. Nicole Fisher, the protester who was filmed being struck by a police sergeant, told the home affairs committee that the IPCC had informed her that they expected it would take “between 12 and 18 months” to complete their inquiry. Considering it was such a “distressing” and high-profile case of assault, ran the committee’s report, “we cannot imagine why this amount of time is needed”.
An obvious solution suggests itself. A crack team of RSPCA investigators must be seconded to the IPCC to teach the latter how to bring in an investigation in under 18 months. Or would that upset the fine equilibrium of this most credible of public bodies, in whose official logo the “I” is helpfully greyed out? After all, a third of the IPCC’s investigators are former police officers. Given their continuously triumphant record, one can’t help feeling that’s a little like a third of the RSPCA’s investigators being former circus lion tamers.