Flat Holm Island, a small yet rich island in the Bristol Channel about 6 km off Lavernock Point, is a unique mix of natural beauty, heritage, and coastal remoteness. The island is a designated nature reserve and SSSI, home to rare flora including wild leek, and supports large colonies of gulls, shelduck and other coastal birds. You can explore traces of its past: the foghorn station, WWII gun batteries, an abandoned cholera hospital, the 18th-century lighthouse now solar-powered, and the remarkable Victorian water catchment system.
Visits operate from March through October, with regular day-trip boat services from Cardiff Bay and Weston-super-Mare. There’s dormitory and cottage accommodation onsite for those wanting a longer stay. Self-guided trails and historic buildings are being made more accessible thanks to the “Flat Holm – A Walk Through Time” heritage project.
