
Herm (Guernésiais: Haerme, ultimately from Old Norse arms 'arm', due to the shape of the island, or Old French eremite 'hermit') is one of the Channel Islands and part of the Parish of St Peter Port in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is located in the English Channel, north-west of France and south of England. It is 2,183 m (7,162 ft) long and under 873 metres (2,864 ft) wide; oriented north–south, with several stretches of sand along its northern coast. The much larger island of Guernsey lies to the west, Jersey lies to the south-east, and the smaller island of Jethou is just off the south-west coast.
Herm Haerme (Guernésiais) | |
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![]() Flag ![]() Coat of arms | |
Anthem: Sarnia Cherie (Guernsey) | |
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Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Crown Dependency | Guernsey |
Parish | Saint Peter Port |
Official languages | |
Government | Parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
• Duke | Charles III |
• Lt Governor | Richard Cripwell |
• Tenants | John and Julia Singer |
Area | |
• Total | 2 km2 (0.77 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
Population | |
• 2002 census | 60 |
• Density | 30/km2 (77.7/sq mi) |
Currency | Pound sterlinga (GBP) |
Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (British Summer Time) |
Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
Driving side | Left |
Calling code | +44 |
UK postcode | GY1–GY8 |
ISO 3166 code | GG |
Internet TLD | .gg (Guernsey) |
The States of Guernsey, of which Herm is part, issue their own sterling coins and banknotes; see Guernsey pound. |
Designations | |
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Ramsar Wetland | |
Official name | Herm, Jethou and The Humps |
Designated | 19 October 2015 |
Reference no. | 2277 |
Herm was first discovered in the Mesolithic period, and the first settlers arrived in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Many tombs from that period remain today, the majority in the north of the island. The island was annexed to the Duchy of Normandy in 933, but was transferred to the English Crown with the division of Normandy in 1204. It was occupied by Germany in the Second World War and the scene of Operation Huckaback, but was largely bypassed. Herm is currently managed by Herm Island Ltd, formed by Starboard Settlement, who acquired Herm in 2008, following fears during the sale of the island that the 'identity' of the island was at threat.
Herm's harbour is on its west coast. There are several buildings of note in the vicinity, including the White House, St Tugual's Chapel, Fisherman's Cottage, The Mermaid pub and restaurant, and a small primary school with about eight pupils. During a busy summer season, up to 100,000 tourists visit the island, arriving by one of the catamaran ferries operated by the Trident Charter Company. Cars are banned from the island as are bicycles, although quad bikes and tractors are allowed for staff and luggage transport, respectively.
History
Prehistory
Herm was first found in the Mesolithic period (between 10,000 and 8,000 BC), when hunters were in search of food. In the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, settlers arrived; the remains of chamber tombs have been found on the island, and may be seen today; specifically on the Common, and the Petit and Grand Monceau; it has been suggested that the northern end of the island, i.e. the Common, was set apart for burials. After a three-year project by the University of Durham, supported by specialists from the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, and the Guernsey museum, they stated that the "density of tombs suggests that the northern end of Herm may have been a place set apart for funerary activity".
Middle Ages
The first records of Herm's inhabitants in historic times are from the 6th century, when the island became a centre of monastic activity; the followers of Saint Tugual (also called Tudwal) arrived, establishing Saint Tugual's Chapel. In 709 AD, a storm washed away the strip of land which connected the island with Jethou.
An important moment in Herm's political history was in 933 AD, when the Channel Islands were annexed to the Duchy of Normandy, they remained so until the division of Normandy in 1204, when they became a Crown Dependency. In 1111 Brother Claude Panton was a hermit in "Erm": 126 and in 1117 the then hermit, Brother Francis Franche Montague is recorded as living on "Erm".: 131 After the annexation, Herm gradually lost its monastic inhabitants, and between 1570 and 1737 the governors of Guernsey used it as a hunting ground; visiting to shoot, hunt, and fish.
19th century to the Second World War
In 1810, an inn was founded; and during the Industrial Revolution, roads, paths, a harbour, accommodation, a forge, blacksmiths, a brewery, a bakery and a prison were built to cater for the largest number of inhabitants since prehistoric times. Most were quarrymen working in new granite quarries. Several quarries can still be seen at present, such as on the Common. When Prince Gebhard Fürst Blücher von Wahlstatt and Princess Blücher leased the island from the British government in 1889, he introduced a colony of red-necked wallabies to the island, which lasted until 1910. Offspring were "said to have been eaten as food by English soldiers occupying the island during World War 2".
Compton Mackenzie, an English-born Scottish novelist, acquired the tenancy in 1920. He recalled that his three years there had numerous logistical problems. It has been suggested that Mackenzie was the basis for the character Mr Cathcart in D.H. Lawrence's The Man who Loved Islands, about a man who moved to ever smaller islands much as Mackenzie moved from Herm to the smaller Jethou, but Lawrence himself denied it.Percival Lea Dewhurst Perry was the tenant from 1923 to 1939.
The German occupation of the Channel Islands during the Second World War essentially by-passed Herm. The island was claimed on 20 July 1940 by Nazi Germany, a few weeks after the arrival of German troops in Guernsey and Jersey; German soldiers landed on the island to shoot a propaganda film, The Invasion of the Isle of Wight. Herm's sandy beaches were soon used for practising landings from barges, in preparation for the invasion of England, but otherwise the island saw little of the Germans beyond officers making trips to shoot rabbits. Herm had only a little German construction during the war; a flak battery was placed on the island for a few weeks, and mines were placed in an area. Occasionally German soldiers would travel to Herm to cut wood for fuel.
Operation Huckaback
Operation Huckaback was a British Second World War military operation that was originally designed to be a raid on Herm, Jethou and Brecqhou, but instead became only a raid on Herm undertaken on the night of 27 February 1943, following an earlier attempt that had been aborted. Ten men of the Small Scale Raiding Force and No. 4 Commando under Captain Patrick Anthony Porteous VC landed 200 yards to the north-west of Selle Rocque on a shingle beach and made several unsuccessful attempts to climb the cliff in front of them. Porteous finally managed to climb up the bed of a stream and pulled the others up with a rope. They later reported that they had found no sign of any Islanders or Germans (who were supposed to be billeted near the harbour). They had failed to make contact with the few civilians on the island whose duties included looking after the sheep.
Since 1945
In 1949, the States of Guernsey bought Herm from the Crown because of the "unspoilt island idyll that could be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike". One of the island's most influential tenants was Major Peter Wood, who looked after the island from 1949 to 1980 with his wife. The island was run down when he arrived, with the manor hidden in undergrowth, the windows and roofs of the houses having been blown off by a sea mine drifting into the harbour shortly after their arrival, but they created a school, and restored St Tugual's Chapel. Major Wood's daughter Pennie Wood Heyworth and her husband Adrian succeeded them; Major Wood died in 1998. Their early efforts are recorded in Herm, Our Island Home, written by Major Wood's wife Jenny Wood.
On 17 May 2008, the BBC reported that the tenants had put the remaining 40 years of their lease up for sale, with an asking price of £15,000,000. Within four days, there were over 50 potential buyers. In September 2008 it was announced that Starboard Settlement, a trust, had acquired the remainder of the lease for considerably less than the asking price. The trust formed a company based in Guernsey, Herm Island Ltd, to manage the island for the trustees.
In 2013, negotiations for a 21-year extension to the lease broke down, with the tenant offering £440,000 and the owner requesting £6,000,000 plus improvements to infrastructure, the offer was later reduced to £2.44m. In 2023 the lease to Starboard Settlement Charitable Trust was extended to 2069 for an undisclosed sum.
Geography and geology
Herm is only 1+1⁄2 miles long (north-south) and less than half a mile wide (east-west). In the northern part of the island are two hills, Le Petit Monceau and Le Grand Monceau. To the north of these is a common, leading to Mouisonniere Beach on the northern coast, with Oyster Point in the northwestern corner and La Pointe du Gentilhomme or Alderney Point at the northeastern corner. To the east of the common is Shell Beach and to the west is The Bear's Beach, leading down to the harbour. Half of the coastline of the northern part of the island is surrounded by sandy beaches; the southern half is rocky. Much of Herm's bedrock is granite. In 2008, Adrian Heyworth, who was at the time the island's tenant, said that two or three metres of sand were being lost annually at Alderney Point. The northernmost point of the island, Alderney Point, sits directly south of the Isle of Portland.
Off the northwestern coast of Herm is the islet of Le Plat Houmet, and beyond that Fondu, which like Herm belongs to Guernsey. In Belvoir Bay on the eastern side of the island are the islets of Mouliere, situated off Frenchman's Point, which is to the northeast of the manor village, and Caquorobert, the latter of which can be accessed at low tide via a vaguely marked path. To the south of this off the southeastern coast is Puffin Bay, which contains the islet of Putrainez near the coast and the islet of Selle Rocque further out to the south. The far southwestern point of the island is Point Sauzebourge, and Bishop's Cove is just to the north of this. North of the cove and south along the beach from the harbour and White House are the Rosiere Steps, with a quarry and cottage of the same name in the vicinity. The Mouette and Percee reefs are offshore here. Hermetier, also known as Rat's Island, lies about 250 m (820 ft) off the western coast between Fisherman's Beach and The Bear's Beach, to the north of the harbour, linked by a low causeway from the beach. The islet can be accessed at low tide from the beach around Fisherman's Cottage.
The isle of Jethou is around three-quarters of a mile to the southwest beyond Point Sauzebourge. It is possible that in AD 709 a storm washed away the strip of land that connected Jethou to Herm. About 215 m (705 ft) off the northern coast of Jethou is the islet of Crevichon, which measures about 212 by 168 m (696 by 551 ft), with an area of less than three hectares. To the west, between Herm and Guernsey, lies the channel Little Roussel (Petit Ruau); between Herm and Sark, to the east, lies the Big Roussel (Grand Ruau).Bréhon Tower, a Victorian-era fortification, is in the Little Roussel between Herm and Saint Peter Port. The tower was created between 1854 and 1856 by Thomas Charles de Putron (1806–1869) using granite from Herm.
Politics
Herm is part of the St Peter Port parish of Guernsey but is not part of any canton. It belongs to the Electoral District of Saint Peter Port South. It is rented out to various tenants. Unlike the largely autonomous islands of Sark and Alderney within the Bailiwick, Herm is administered entirely by the States of Guernsey.
Cars and bicycles are banned from Herm, in order to keep "peace and tranquillity". Herm does allow quad bikes and tractors for staff and luggage transport, respectively.
Tenants
Holders of the post of tenant of Herm:
- Prince Gebhard Fürst Blücher von Wahlstatt (1889–1914)
- Compton Mackenzie (1920–1923)
- Percival Lea Dewhurst Perry (1923–1939)
- (1948–1949)
- Major (1949–1998)[citation needed]
- Adrian Heyworth and Pennie Wood Heyworth (c.1980–2008)
- The Starboard Settlement (John and Julia Singer) (2008- )
Economy and services
Tourism
Tourism is Herm's main source of income. During a busy summer season, up to 100,000 tourists visit the island, arriving by one of the Travel Trident catamaran ferries operated by the Trident Charter Company. Money is also made from vegetable growing, livestock and the occasional issue of postage stamps, which occurred between 1949 and 1969. The residents in Herm are workers on the island and their families. The island is very popular for camping, particularly favoured by schools in nearby Guernsey or Jersey conducting overnight field trips. There are ample camping grounds.
Crime and law enforcement
There are three volunteer Special Constables resident on the island, trained and supervised by the States of Guernsey Police Service. On Bank Holidays they are augmented by a visiting full-time Constable from Guernsey. Crime rates on the island are low.
Health
There are no medical facilities on Herm and no resident doctor. A small team of first aiders and community first responders is maintained amongst the resident population, and receives regular training from the Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service, a private company operating on a charitable basis under the umbrella of the Venerable Order of Saint John. Medical evacuation to hospital in Guernsey, where necessary, is achieved by means of the ambulance launch Flying Christine III operated by the Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service.
Public toilets
There are three sets of public toilets on the island, one in the west and two on the east coasts. The facilities on the east coast sit in between Shell Beach and Belvoir Bay, serving both beaches. The other set of facilities sit about a minute's walk north of the harbour, serving the shops in the village and the harbour itself.
Fire service
A operates on the island. Herm Fire Brigade operates a tractor-hauled fire tender with a , a pump, a 2,000-litre water tank, and basic fire-fighting equipment which they use while waiting for assistance from the , who also provide the Herm volunteers with training and support.
Transport
Herm is entirely car free. Transport around the island is mostly on foot via the footpaths snaking through the island, but quadbikes and tractors are also used by farm and island staff for agricultural activities and carrying luggage. Travel to the island can be completed through the Travel Trident ferry, which runs ferries throughout the day from Saint Peter Port in Guernsey. In 2022 a second ferry was run by the Herm Island owners, but this appears to have been discontinued as of 2024. Supplies also arrive on the Travel Trident ferry daily, such as newspapers and stock for island businesses. The ferry docks in Herm at the Harbour during high tides, but at low tides Rosaire Steps are used, which is approximately a 5 minute walk from the village centre.
Notable landmarks
The nondenominational St Tugual's Chapel dates to the 11th century, but it is believed that there was a place of worship on Herm as far back as the 6th century, although it has not been confirmed whether the chapel was founded by St Tugual himself or his followers at a later date. The current building is Norman and appears to have been a monastery during medieval times. Of particular note is its stained glass windows featuring Noah's Ark and Guernsey cows and Jesus talking to the fisherman at Herm harbour. In 2010 and 2011, the chapel was closed for restoration work.
Other buildings on the island include the White House hotel, "The Mermaid" pub and restaurant, and 20 self-catering cottages. The most notable cottages are Fisherman's Cottage, north of the harbour, and Manor Cottage. There is an obelisk on The Common, in the north of the island. The White House has no clocks, televisions, or phones, which is described as "part of its charm", and has a customer return rate of 70% (i.e. each year, 70% of customers have been before). Herm has no consecrated religious buildings or resident professional clergy, but visiting clergy conducts non-denominational weekly services during the summer months, and monthly services, led by local lay people, are held during the winter.
Sculptor Antony Gormley had a sculpture installed on Herm in 2010, originally planned to be removed after one year, but it received such a positive reception that it was kept for two years, and removed in 2012. The statue was number XI (11) of the Another Time series.
Walking around Herm
The distance around the perimeter of the island is 6.3 km (3.9 mi) and walking it takes about two hours. If one cuts across the common the distance is 4.5 km (2.8 mi) and takes about an hour and a half. One can walk from the harbour to Rosaire Steps in about seven minutes. The walk from the harbour to Shell Beach takes about 20 minutes and from the harbour to Belvoir Bay it takes about 15 minutes. One can also walk in between Belvoir Bay and Shell Beach along the rocky eastern coast of the island. Beginning at the rock pools at Belvoir Bay's northern end, the route passes below the round-island path, and the walk takes about 20 minutes but does not follow a marked path.
Film of walking around Herm in 1948 is held by the Cinema Museum in London Ref HM0364
Education and culture
A number of French/Norman place names remain, from the period when the island was in the jurisdiction of the Duchy of Normandy. The Herm Island map, published by the tenant of Herm, states that main place names, including the island name itself, have unclear origins, although there is an unofficial Anglicisation of names; for example, La Pointe du gentilhomme was changed to Alderney Point. The primary present language on Herm is English.
Herm has one primary school, with around eight pupils; their teacher travels from Guernsey daily. Children over eleven are schooled in Guernsey, usually as boarders.
Herm has won Britain in Bloom categories several times: in 2002, 2008, and 2012, Herm won the Britain in Bloom Gold Award.
The island and its history has been depicted in a number of works of literature: the author Compton Mackenzie, who was the island tenant 1920–23, represented it in Fairy Gold, albeit in a fictional portrayal. Jenny Wood, the wife of tenant Major Peter Wood, published her memoirs in 1986. The island's history is told in Hidden Treasures of Herm Island by Catherine Kalamis. Paul Sherman has written two collections of short stories set on the island: Where Seagulls Dare and One Flew Over the Puffin's Nest.
The northern part of the island was recognised in 2016 as an area of international environmental importance under the Ramsar Convention.
See also
- List of car-free places
Notes
- The UK is the sovereign state that is responsible for Guernsey internationally, Guernsey not being sovereign in its own right. But Guernsey is not part of the UK.
References
- "Herm, Jethou and The Humps". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- "Bailiwick of Guernsey". Crwflags.com. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- National Archives accessed 11 February 2016
- "History – Up to the 16th Century" (PDF). Herm Island. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- "Introduction". Durham University. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
- "Welcome to the Herm Home Page". Island Life. 2011. Archived from the original on 16 August 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
- "Sark and Herm Travel Guide". iExplore. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
- "Legal Dispositions of Herm Island" (PDF). Herm Island. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- Berry, William. The History of Guernsey from the remotest period of antiquity to the year 1814.
- Evelyn 1921, p. vii.
- Long 2003, p. 42.
- "Compton Mackenzie: Biography on Undiscovered Scotland". Undiscoveredscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- Bunting, Madeleine (8 October 2016). "Island mentality: how the Hebrides shaped British culture". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- Page 1995.
- Le Page, Martin. A Boy Messenger's War: Memories of Guernsey and Herm 1938-45. Arden Publications (1995). ISBN 978-0952543800.
- Forty 2005, p. 195.
- Messenger 1985.
- Taylor, Jerome (25 September 2008). "Herm Island: Lovers' rock". The Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- Wood, Jenny (1986). Herm, Our Island Home. Guernsey: Linton. ISBN 978-0951118702.
- "Herm Island Staff Handbook 2013" (PDF). Herm Island. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- "A Life Less Ordinary". 20 March 2006. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- Wood 1972.
- "Lease on Channel Island for sale". BBC. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- "Candidate picked for Herm tenancy". BBC. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- Eames, Andrew (7 June 2008). "Island for sale: A Herm from home". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- "New company is set up to run Herm". BBC. 7 October 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- "New Herm tenants vow to keep it open to all". This Is Guernsey. 23 September 2008. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- "Deputies want to know why Herm talks broke down".
- "P&R refuses to reveal cost of Herm lease extension". 7 June 2023.
- "Herm map". BBC. 1986. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- "Herm map". BBC. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- Herm Island Map. Herm Tenant.
- "Trench B". Durham University. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- "Herm struggling to stem tide of erosion". The Guernsey Press. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- Stevens & Jee 1987, p. 128.
- "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
- "About Herm". Island Life. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- "Brehon Tower". BBC. 1 July 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- Lowry 2006, p. 53-4.
- "Guernsey Election of States Deputies, 2008". Islandlife.org. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- "Seventh Periodic Report from the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territories, the Crown Dependencies" (PDF). UK Government. December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- "General Election – 23.4.2008". Guernsey Government. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- "New Herm tenants vow to keep it open to all", This is Guernsey, 23 September 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
- "Getting Here". Herm Island. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- "CD of British Locals (Including English, Welsh and Scottish Islands)". Pabay.org. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- Richard Ashton (April 2019). "There's no place like Herm". Stamp Magazine. Vol. 85, no. 4. My Time Media. pp. 78–83. ISSN 0307-6679.
- "Recruitment". Herm Island. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- "Policing on Herm". Herm Island. 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- "Policing on Herm". 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
- "Herm has more First Responders". Herm.com. 2 November 2012. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- "About Us › 75th Anniversary". Guernsey Ambulance & Rescue Service. Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- "Shell Beach to Belvoir Bay Beach Path - Public Toilets". AccessAble. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
- "Harbour Village Public Toilets". AccessAble. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- "New trailer for Herm firefighters". This is Guernsey. 11 January 2003. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- "1,400 years of religious history in Herm's chapel". BBC. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- "Church out of service". Guernsey Post. 10 December 2010. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- Mann, Clare (29 June 2009). "Herm, Channel Islands: where small is beautiful". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
- Duncan, Fiona. "The White House hotel, Herm, Channel Islands: review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- "1,400 years of religious history in Herm's chapel". BBC News. 21 May 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
- "Antony Gormley statue on Herm". Herm Island. 31 March 2010. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - "Antony Gormley leaves Herm". Herm Island. 11 June 2012. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- "Another Time XI On Herm, Guernsey". Antony Gormley. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- "Cinema Museum Home Movie Database.xlsx". Google Docs. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- "Herm aims for fourth gold medal in Britain in Bloom". BBC. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
- "Herm Garden Tour". Herm Island. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
- Wood, Jenny, Herm, Our Island Home (Linton, 1986)
- Kalamis, Catherine, Hidden Treasures of Herm Island (Herm, 1996)
- Sherman, Paul, Where Seagulls Dare and other tales from Herm Island (Blue Ormer, 2018).
- Sherman, Paul, One Flew Over the Puffin's Nest - more tales from Herm Island (Blue Ormer, 2023).
- "Herm and Jethou get Ramsar status". Guernsey Press. 28 January 2016.
References
- Backman, Anders & Forrester, Bob (1981). The Postage Stamps of the Smaller Channel Islands, Channel Islands Publishing.
- Evelyn, Princess Blücher (1921). An English Wife in Berlin. Constable.
- Forty, George (2005). Channel Islands At War: A German Perspective. Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-3071-8.
- Long, John (2003). Introduced Mammals of the World: Their History, Distribution and Influence. Csiro Publishing. ISBN 978-0-643-09916-6 (citing G. Niethammer, Die Einburgerung von Saugetiere und Vogeln in Europa (Hamburg & Berlin: 1963)).
- Lowry, Bernard (2006). Discovering Fortifications: From the Tudors to the Cold War. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7478-0651-6.
- Messenger, Charles (1985). The Commandos: 1940–1946. Grafton Books. ISBN 978-0-586-21034-5.
- Page, Martin J. Le (1995). A Boy Nessenger's war. Arden Publications. ISBN 978-0-9525438-0-0.
- Stevens, Joan; Jee, Nigel (1987). The Channel Islands. M. Joseph. ISBN 978-0-7181-2765-7.
- Wood, Jenny (1972). Herm: Our Island Home. New English Library. ISBN 978-0-450-02080-3.
External links
- Official website
- Herm, Channel Island website
- Map
- Map of the harbour and manor showing some landmarks
- Major Peter Wood – The Independent obituary
- Blue Islands – Airline servicing the Bailiwick of Guernsey
- Ralph Phillips. Modern British Locals Catalogue. Part I [CD-ROM] (title from CD-ROM label). [S.l.]: British Locals Philatelic Agency, 2009.
- Ramsar wetland
Herm Guernesiais Haerme ultimately from Old Norse arms arm due to the shape of the island or Old French eremite hermit is one of the Channel Islands and part of the Parish of St Peter Port in the Bailiwick of Guernsey It is located in the English Channel north west of France and south of England It is 2 183 m 7 162 ft long and under 873 metres 2 864 ft wide oriented north south with several stretches of sand along its northern coast The much larger island of Guernsey lies to the west Jersey lies to the south east and the smaller island of Jethou is just off the south west coast HermHaerme Guernesiais Part of Guernsey Bailiwick of GuernseyFlagCoat of armsAnthem Sarnia Cherie Guernsey Sovereign stateUnited KingdomCrown DependencyGuernseyParishSaint Peter PortOfficial languagesEnglishGuernesiaisFrenchGovernmentParliamentary constitutional monarchy DukeCharles III Lt GovernorRichard Cripwell TenantsJohn and Julia SingerArea Total2 km2 0 77 sq mi Water negligiblePopulation 2002 census60 Density30 km2 77 7 sq mi CurrencyPound sterlinga GBP Time zoneUTC GMT Summer DST UTC 1 British Summer Time Date formatdd mm yyyyDriving sideLeftCalling code 44UK postcodeGY1 GY8ISO 3166 codeGGInternet TLD gg Guernsey The States of Guernsey of which Herm is part issue their own sterling coins and banknotes see Guernsey pound DesignationsRamsar WetlandOfficial nameHerm Jethou and The HumpsDesignated19 October 2015Reference no 2277 Herm was first discovered in the Mesolithic period and the first settlers arrived in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages Many tombs from that period remain today the majority in the north of the island The island was annexed to the Duchy of Normandy in 933 but was transferred to the English Crown with the division of Normandy in 1204 It was occupied by Germany in the Second World War and the scene of Operation Huckaback but was largely bypassed Herm is currently managed by Herm Island Ltd formed by Starboard Settlement who acquired Herm in 2008 following fears during the sale of the island that the identity of the island was at threat Herm s harbour is on its west coast There are several buildings of note in the vicinity including the White House St Tugual s Chapel Fisherman s Cottage The Mermaid pub and restaurant and a small primary school with about eight pupils During a busy summer season up to 100 000 tourists visit the island arriving by one of the catamaran ferries operated by the Trident Charter Company Cars are banned from the island as are bicycles although quad bikes and tractors are allowed for staff and luggage transport respectively HistoryThe common in the north of the island Standing stones can be seen on the grass while the island of Sark lies in the background Prehistory Herm was first found in the Mesolithic period between 10 000 and 8 000 BC when hunters were in search of food In the Neolithic and Bronze Ages settlers arrived the remains of chamber tombs have been found on the island and may be seen today specifically on the Common and the Petit and Grand Monceau it has been suggested that the northern end of the island i e the Common was set apart for burials After a three year project by the University of Durham supported by specialists from the University of Cambridge the University of Oxford and the Guernsey museum they stated that the density of tombs suggests that the northern end of Herm may have been a place set apart for funerary activity A prehistoric grave known as Robert s CrossMiddle Ages The first records of Herm s inhabitants in historic times are from the 6th century when the island became a centre of monastic activity the followers of Saint Tugual also called Tudwal arrived establishing Saint Tugual s Chapel In 709 AD a storm washed away the strip of land which connected the island with Jethou An important moment in Herm s political history was in 933 AD when the Channel Islands were annexed to the Duchy of Normandy they remained so until the division of Normandy in 1204 when they became a Crown Dependency In 1111 Brother Claude Panton was a hermit in Erm 126 and in 1117 the then hermit Brother Francis Franche Montague is recorded as living on Erm 131 After the annexation Herm gradually lost its monastic inhabitants and between 1570 and 1737 the governors of Guernsey used it as a hunting ground visiting to shoot hunt and fish 19th century to the Second World War In 1810 an inn was founded and during the Industrial Revolution roads paths a harbour accommodation a forge blacksmiths a brewery a bakery and a prison were built to cater for the largest number of inhabitants since prehistoric times Most were quarrymen working in new granite quarries Several quarries can still be seen at present such as on the Common When Prince Gebhard Furst Blucher von Wahlstatt and Princess Blucher leased the island from the British government in 1889 he introduced a colony of red necked wallabies to the island which lasted until 1910 Offspring were said to have been eaten as food by English soldiers occupying the island during World War 2 Compton Mackenzie an English born Scottish novelist acquired the tenancy in 1920 He recalled that his three years there had numerous logistical problems It has been suggested that Mackenzie was the basis for the character Mr Cathcart in D H Lawrence s The Man who Loved Islands about a man who moved to ever smaller islands much as Mackenzie moved from Herm to the smaller Jethou but Lawrence himself denied it Percival Lea Dewhurst Perry was the tenant from 1923 to 1939 The German occupation of the Channel Islands during the Second World War essentially by passed Herm The island was claimed on 20 July 1940 by Nazi Germany a few weeks after the arrival of German troops in Guernsey and Jersey German soldiers landed on the island to shoot a propaganda film The Invasion of the Isle of Wight Herm s sandy beaches were soon used for practising landings from barges in preparation for the invasion of England but otherwise the island saw little of the Germans beyond officers making trips to shoot rabbits Herm had only a little German construction during the war a flak battery was placed on the island for a few weeks and mines were placed in an area Occasionally German soldiers would travel to Herm to cut wood for fuel Operation Huckaback Operation Huckaback was a British Second World War military operation that was originally designed to be a raid on Herm Jethou and Brecqhou but instead became only a raid on Herm undertaken on the night of 27 February 1943 following an earlier attempt that had been aborted Ten men of the Small Scale Raiding Force and No 4 Commando under Captain Patrick Anthony Porteous VC landed 200 yards to the north west of Selle Rocque on a shingle beach and made several unsuccessful attempts to climb the cliff in front of them Porteous finally managed to climb up the bed of a stream and pulled the others up with a rope They later reported that they had found no sign of any Islanders or Germans who were supposed to be billeted near the harbour They had failed to make contact with the few civilians on the island whose duties included looking after the sheep Since 1945 White House Herm In 1949 the States of Guernsey bought Herm from the Crown because of the unspoilt island idyll that could be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike One of the island s most influential tenants was Major Peter Wood who looked after the island from 1949 to 1980 with his wife The island was run down when he arrived with the manor hidden in undergrowth the windows and roofs of the houses having been blown off by a sea mine drifting into the harbour shortly after their arrival but they created a school and restored St Tugual s Chapel Major Wood s daughter Pennie Wood Heyworth and her husband Adrian succeeded them Major Wood died in 1998 Their early efforts are recorded in Herm Our Island Home written by Major Wood s wife Jenny Wood On 17 May 2008 the BBC reported that the tenants had put the remaining 40 years of their lease up for sale with an asking price of 15 000 000 Within four days there were over 50 potential buyers In September 2008 it was announced that Starboard Settlement a trust had acquired the remainder of the lease for considerably less than the asking price The trust formed a company based in Guernsey Herm Island Ltd to manage the island for the trustees In 2013 negotiations for a 21 year extension to the lease broke down with the tenant offering 440 000 and the owner requesting 6 000 000 plus improvements to infrastructure the offer was later reduced to 2 44m In 2023 the lease to Starboard Settlement Charitable Trust was extended to 2069 for an undisclosed sum Geography and geologyAn aerial shot showing Herm centre Jethou to the right Sark in the right background and Guernsey in the foreground Herm is only 1 1 2 miles long north south and less than half a mile wide east west In the northern part of the island are two hills Le Petit Monceau and Le Grand Monceau To the north of these is a common leading to Mouisonniere Beach on the northern coast with Oyster Point in the northwestern corner and La Pointe du Gentilhomme or Alderney Point at the northeastern corner To the east of the common is Shell Beach and to the west is The Bear s Beach leading down to the harbour Half of the coastline of the northern part of the island is surrounded by sandy beaches the southern half is rocky Much of Herm s bedrock is granite In 2008 Adrian Heyworth who was at the time the island s tenant said that two or three metres of sand were being lost annually at Alderney Point The northernmost point of the island Alderney Point sits directly south of the Isle of Portland Shell Beach northeastern coastCaquorobert east coast of Herm Off the northwestern coast of Herm is the islet of Le Plat Houmet and beyond that Fondu which like Herm belongs to Guernsey In Belvoir Bay on the eastern side of the island are the islets of Mouliere situated off Frenchman s Point which is to the northeast of the manor village and Caquorobert the latter of which can be accessed at low tide via a vaguely marked path To the south of this off the southeastern coast is Puffin Bay which contains the islet of Putrainez near the coast and the islet of Selle Rocque further out to the south The far southwestern point of the island is Point Sauzebourge and Bishop s Cove is just to the north of this North of the cove and south along the beach from the harbour and White House are the Rosiere Steps with a quarry and cottage of the same name in the vicinity The Mouette and Percee reefs are offshore here Hermetier also known as Rat s Island lies about 250 m 820 ft off the western coast between Fisherman s Beach and The Bear s Beach to the north of the harbour linked by a low causeway from the beach The islet can be accessed at low tide from the beach around Fisherman s Cottage The isle of Jethou is around three quarters of a mile to the southwest beyond Point Sauzebourge It is possible that in AD 709 a storm washed away the strip of land that connected Jethou to Herm About 215 m 705 ft off the northern coast of Jethou is the islet of Crevichon which measures about 212 by 168 m 696 by 551 ft with an area of less than three hectares To the west between Herm and Guernsey lies the channel Little Roussel Petit Ruau between Herm and Sark to the east lies the Big Roussel Grand Ruau Brehon Tower a Victorian era fortification is in the Little Roussel between Herm and Saint Peter Port The tower was created between 1854 and 1856 by Thomas Charles de Putron 1806 1869 using granite from Herm PoliticsHerm is part of the St Peter Port parish of Guernsey but is not part of any canton It belongs to the Electoral District of Saint Peter Port South It is rented out to various tenants Unlike the largely autonomous islands of Sark and Alderney within the Bailiwick Herm is administered entirely by the States of Guernsey Cars and bicycles are banned from Herm in order to keep peace and tranquillity Herm does allow quad bikes and tractors for staff and luggage transport respectively Tenants Holders of the post of tenant of Herm Prince Gebhard Furst Blucher von Wahlstatt 1889 1914 Compton Mackenzie 1920 1923 Percival Lea Dewhurst Perry 1923 1939 1948 1949 Major 1949 1998 citation needed Adrian Heyworth and Pennie Wood Heyworth c 1980 2008 The Starboard Settlement John and Julia Singer 2008 Economy and servicesHerm Harbour in 1968The inner harbour in 2004 Tourism Tourism is Herm s main source of income During a busy summer season up to 100 000 tourists visit the island arriving by one of the Travel Trident catamaran ferries operated by the Trident Charter Company Money is also made from vegetable growing livestock and the occasional issue of postage stamps which occurred between 1949 and 1969 The residents in Herm are workers on the island and their families The island is very popular for camping particularly favoured by schools in nearby Guernsey or Jersey conducting overnight field trips There are ample camping grounds Crime and law enforcement There are three volunteer Special Constables resident on the island trained and supervised by the States of Guernsey Police Service On Bank Holidays they are augmented by a visiting full time Constable from Guernsey Crime rates on the island are low Health There are no medical facilities on Herm and no resident doctor A small team of first aiders and community first responders is maintained amongst the resident population and receives regular training from the Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service a private company operating on a charitable basis under the umbrella of the Venerable Order of Saint John Medical evacuation to hospital in Guernsey where necessary is achieved by means of the ambulance launch Flying Christine III operated by the Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service Public toilets There are three sets of public toilets on the island one in the west and two on the east coasts The facilities on the east coast sit in between Shell Beach and Belvoir Bay serving both beaches The other set of facilities sit about a minute s walk north of the harbour serving the shops in the village and the harbour itself Fire service A operates on the island Herm Fire Brigade operates a tractor hauled fire tender with a a pump a 2 000 litre water tank and basic fire fighting equipment which they use while waiting for assistance from the who also provide the Herm volunteers with training and support Transport Herm is entirely car free Transport around the island is mostly on foot via the footpaths snaking through the island but quadbikes and tractors are also used by farm and island staff for agricultural activities and carrying luggage Travel to the island can be completed through the Travel Trident ferry which runs ferries throughout the day from Saint Peter Port in Guernsey In 2022 a second ferry was run by the Herm Island owners but this appears to have been discontinued as of 2024 Supplies also arrive on the Travel Trident ferry daily such as newspapers and stock for island businesses The ferry docks in Herm at the Harbour during high tides but at low tides Rosaire Steps are used which is approximately a 5 minute walk from the village centre Notable landmarksSt Tugual s Chapel The nondenominational St Tugual s Chapel dates to the 11th century but it is believed that there was a place of worship on Herm as far back as the 6th century although it has not been confirmed whether the chapel was founded by St Tugual himself or his followers at a later date The current building is Norman and appears to have been a monastery during medieval times Of particular note is its stained glass windows featuring Noah s Ark and Guernsey cows and Jesus talking to the fisherman at Herm harbour In 2010 and 2011 the chapel was closed for restoration work The obelisk on The Common on HermA picture of Antony Gormley s statue XI 11 in his Another Time series Other buildings on the island include the White House hotel The Mermaid pub and restaurant and 20 self catering cottages The most notable cottages are Fisherman s Cottage north of the harbour and Manor Cottage There is an obelisk on The Common in the north of the island The White House has no clocks televisions or phones which is described as part of its charm and has a customer return rate of 70 i e each year 70 of customers have been before Herm has no consecrated religious buildings or resident professional clergy but visiting clergy conducts non denominational weekly services during the summer months and monthly services led by local lay people are held during the winter Sculptor Antony Gormley had a sculpture installed on Herm in 2010 originally planned to be removed after one year but it received such a positive reception that it was kept for two years and removed in 2012 The statue was number XI 11 of the Another Time series Walking around Herm The distance around the perimeter of the island is 6 3 km 3 9 mi and walking it takes about two hours If one cuts across the common the distance is 4 5 km 2 8 mi and takes about an hour and a half One can walk from the harbour to Rosaire Steps in about seven minutes The walk from the harbour to Shell Beach takes about 20 minutes and from the harbour to Belvoir Bay it takes about 15 minutes One can also walk in between Belvoir Bay and Shell Beach along the rocky eastern coast of the island Beginning at the rock pools at Belvoir Bay s northern end the route passes below the round island path and the walk takes about 20 minutes but does not follow a marked path Film of walking around Herm in 1948 is held by the Cinema Museum in London Ref HM0364Education and cultureTravel Trident ferry approaching Herm A number of French Norman place names remain from the period when the island was in the jurisdiction of the Duchy of Normandy The Herm Island map published by the tenant of Herm states that main place names including the island name itself have unclear origins although there is an unofficial Anglicisation of names for example La Pointe du gentilhomme was changed to Alderney Point The primary present language on Herm is English Herm has one primary school with around eight pupils their teacher travels from Guernsey daily Children over eleven are schooled in Guernsey usually as boarders Herm has won Britain in Bloom categories several times in 2002 2008 and 2012 Herm won the Britain in Bloom Gold Award The island and its history has been depicted in a number of works of literature the author Compton Mackenzie who was the island tenant 1920 23 represented it in Fairy Gold albeit in a fictional portrayal Jenny Wood the wife of tenant Major Peter Wood published her memoirs in 1986 The island s history is told in Hidden Treasures of Herm Island by Catherine Kalamis Paul Sherman has written two collections of short stories set on the island Where Seagulls Dare and One Flew Over the Puffin s Nest The northern part of the island was recognised in 2016 as an area of international environmental importance under the Ramsar Convention See alsoList of car free placesNotesThe UK is the sovereign state that is responsible for Guernsey internationally Guernsey not being sovereign in its own right But Guernsey is not part of the UK References Herm Jethou and The Humps Ramsar Sites Information Service Retrieved 25 April 2018 Bailiwick of Guernsey Crwflags com Retrieved 4 October 2012 National Archives accessed 11 February 2016 History Up to the 16th Century PDF Herm Island Archived from the original PDF on 2 January 2014 Retrieved 28 December 2013 Introduction Durham University Retrieved 31 December 2013 Welcome to the Herm Home Page Island Life 2011 Archived from the original on 16 August 2015 Retrieved 31 December 2013 Sark and Herm Travel Guide iExplore Retrieved 31 December 2013 Legal Dispositions of Herm Island PDF Herm Island Archived from the original PDF on 2 January 2014 Retrieved 28 December 2013 Berry William The History of Guernsey from the remotest period of antiquity to the year 1814 Evelyn 1921 p vii Long 2003 p 42 Compton Mackenzie Biography on Undiscovered Scotland Undiscoveredscotland co uk Retrieved 29 November 2018 Bunting Madeleine 8 October 2016 Island mentality how the Hebrides shaped British culture The Guardian Retrieved 29 November 2018 Page 1995 Le Page Martin A Boy Messenger s War Memories of Guernsey and Herm 1938 45 Arden Publications 1995 ISBN 978 0952543800 Forty 2005 p 195 Messenger 1985 Taylor Jerome 25 September 2008 Herm Island Lovers rock The Independent Retrieved 29 December 2013 Wood Jenny 1986 Herm Our Island Home Guernsey Linton ISBN 978 0951118702 Herm Island Staff Handbook 2013 PDF Herm Island 2013 Archived from the original PDF on 2 January 2014 Retrieved 29 December 2013 A Life Less Ordinary 20 March 2006 Archived from the original on 29 June 2013 Retrieved 29 June 2013 Wood 1972 Lease on Channel Island for sale BBC 17 May 2008 Retrieved 29 December 2013 Candidate picked for Herm tenancy BBC 23 July 2008 Retrieved 29 December 2013 Eames Andrew 7 June 2008 Island for sale A Herm from home The Telegraph Archived from the original on 29 November 2013 Retrieved 1 January 2014 New company is set up to run Herm BBC 7 October 2008 Retrieved 29 December 2013 New Herm tenants vow to keep it open to all This Is Guernsey 23 September 2008 Archived from the original on 22 May 2013 Retrieved 22 May 2013 Deputies want to know why Herm talks broke down P amp R refuses to reveal cost of Herm lease extension 7 June 2023 Herm map BBC 1986 Retrieved 30 January 2014 Herm map BBC Retrieved 30 January 2014 Herm Island Map Herm Tenant Trench B Durham University Retrieved 30 December 2013 Herm struggling to stem tide of erosion The Guernsey Press 18 April 2008 Archived from the original on 2 January 2014 Retrieved 30 December 2013 Stevens amp Jee 1987 p 128 Google Maps Google Maps Retrieved 20 January 2014 About Herm Island Life Archived from the original on 4 July 2008 Retrieved 22 May 2013 Brehon Tower BBC 1 July 2009 Retrieved 30 December 2013 Lowry 2006 p 53 4 Guernsey Election of States Deputies 2008 Islandlife org 23 April 2008 Retrieved 4 October 2012 Seventh Periodic Report from the United Kingdom the British Overseas Territories the Crown Dependencies PDF UK Government December 2012 Archived from the original PDF on 17 December 2013 Retrieved 22 May 2013 General Election 23 4 2008 Guernsey Government Archived from the original on 21 May 2011 Retrieved 22 May 2013 New Herm tenants vow to keep it open to all This is Guernsey 23 September 2008 Retrieved 4 November 2015 Getting Here Herm Island Archived from the original on 2 January 2014 Retrieved 30 December 2013 CD of British Locals Including English Welsh and Scottish Islands Pabay org Archived from the original on 6 February 2012 Retrieved 22 May 2013 Richard Ashton April 2019 There s no place like Herm Stamp Magazine Vol 85 no 4 My Time Media pp 78 83 ISSN 0307 6679 Recruitment Herm Island Retrieved 1 January 2014 Policing on Herm Herm Island 26 September 2011 Archived from the original on 29 March 2014 Retrieved 30 December 2013 Policing on Herm 26 September 2011 Archived from the original on 29 March 2014 Retrieved 5 August 2013 Herm has more First Responders Herm com 2 November 2012 Archived from the original on 12 April 2014 Retrieved 22 May 2013 About Us 75th Anniversary Guernsey Ambulance amp Rescue Service Archived from the original on 26 September 2013 Retrieved 22 May 2013 Shell Beach to Belvoir Bay Beach Path Public Toilets AccessAble Retrieved 12 August 2021 Harbour Village Public Toilets AccessAble Retrieved 11 August 2021 New trailer for Herm firefighters This is Guernsey 11 January 2003 Archived from the original on 14 May 2013 Retrieved 22 May 2013 1 400 years of religious history in Herm s chapel BBC 21 May 2010 Retrieved 8 February 2014 Church out of service Guernsey Post 10 December 2010 Archived from the original on 4 December 2013 Retrieved 8 February 2014 Mann Clare 29 June 2009 Herm Channel Islands where small is beautiful The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 8 February 2014 Duncan Fiona The White House hotel Herm Channel Islands review The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 1 January 2014 1 400 years of religious history in Herm s chapel BBC News 21 May 2010 Retrieved 22 May 2013 Antony Gormley statue on Herm Herm Island 31 March 2010 Archived from the original on 11 February 2015 Retrieved 30 December 2013 a href wiki Template Cite web title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Antony Gormley leaves Herm Herm Island 11 June 2012 Archived from the original on 16 April 2014 Retrieved 30 December 2013 Another Time XI On Herm Guernsey Antony Gormley Archived from the original on 2 January 2014 Retrieved 30 December 2013 Cinema Museum Home Movie Database xlsx Google Docs Retrieved 25 December 2021 Herm aims for fourth gold medal in Britain in Bloom BBC 27 January 2013 Retrieved 31 December 2013 Herm Garden Tour Herm Island Archived from the original on 16 February 2016 Retrieved 1 January 2014 Wood Jenny Herm Our Island Home Linton 1986 Kalamis Catherine Hidden Treasures of Herm Island Herm 1996 Sherman Paul Where Seagulls Dare and other tales from Herm Island Blue Ormer 2018 Sherman Paul One Flew Over the Puffin s Nest more tales from Herm Island Blue Ormer 2023 Herm and Jethou get Ramsar status Guernsey Press 28 January 2016 ReferencesBackman Anders amp Forrester Bob 1981 The Postage Stamps of the Smaller Channel Islands Channel Islands Publishing Evelyn Princess Blucher 1921 An English Wife in Berlin Constable Forty George 2005 Channel Islands At War A German Perspective Ian Allan ISBN 978 0 7110 3071 8 Long John 2003 Introduced Mammals of the World Their History Distribution and Influence Csiro Publishing ISBN 978 0 643 09916 6 citing G Niethammer Die Einburgerung von Saugetiere und Vogeln in Europa Hamburg amp Berlin 1963 Lowry Bernard 2006 Discovering Fortifications From the Tudors to the Cold War Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 0 7478 0651 6 Messenger Charles 1985 The Commandos 1940 1946 Grafton Books ISBN 978 0 586 21034 5 Page Martin J Le 1995 A Boy Nessenger s war Arden Publications ISBN 978 0 9525438 0 0 Stevens Joan Jee Nigel 1987 The Channel Islands M Joseph ISBN 978 0 7181 2765 7 Wood Jenny 1972 Herm Our Island Home New English Library ISBN 978 0 450 02080 3 External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Herm Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Herm Official website Herm Channel Island website Map Map of the harbour and manor showing some landmarks Major Peter Wood The Independent obituary Blue Islands Airline servicing the Bailiwick of Guernsey Ralph Phillips Modern British Locals Catalogue Part I CD ROM title from CD ROM label S l British Locals Philatelic Agency 2009 Ramsar wetland 49 28 N 2 27 W 49 467 N 2 450 W 49 467 2 450