Farne Islands

The Farne Islands (English Farne Islands, briefly The Farnes ) are an uninhabited group of islands on the coast of Northumberland in North East England.

Geography

The archipelago consists of - depending on the tide - 15 to 20 small islands have a total area of ​​96.7 hectares. They are 2.5 to 7.5 kilometers from the mainland. Nearest place on the mainland is Bamburgh, the nearest seaport in Seahouses.

The Farne Islands are composed of two groups, the Inner Group (internal group ) and the Outer Group (Outer group), which are separated by the Staple Sound. The largest island of the Inner Group and the mainland closest island is Inner Farne, also known as ferns Iceland or Iceland Inner Farne, the largest island of the Outer Staple Group is Iceland. The highest point is 19 meters above sea level on Inner Farne.

Geology

The Farne Islands are largely made of dolerite, which was surrounded by softer rock. After the rise in sea level this has been washed away, so that the Farne islands emerged in its present form. Around the islands, there are up to 20 meters long, upright rock pillars, called STACS.

On some of the islands there is a thin layer of clay and peat, so that there is vegetation. At many rocks there are permanent deposits by bird droppings.

History

The first inhabitants of the Farne Islands were Culdeer who lived there in relative safety. In the 7th and 8th centuries was the largest of these islands, Inner Farne, as a retreat and hermitage for monks from the monastery of Lindisfarne. Even the founder of Lindisfarne, St. Aidan to, based on the story of the Venerable Bede ( Hist. eccl. III, 16) have often retreated to the prayer and silence sake in solitude on Inner Farne and on one occasion in 642 have witnessed from there, as on the opposite coast of the city of Bamburgh was sacked by King Penda. The most famous by Aidan hermit on Inner Farne was St. Cuthbert, the, 676-685, lived nine years on the island, then 685 as abbot went to Lindisfarne, but returned at the end of 686 in the Inner Farne and there on March 20, 687 died.

Since Bartholomew ' time the monks of Durham seem to have operated on Inner Farne a kind of branch, called the House of Ferns, whose leaders are known by name since the mid-13th century, and from the built in 1300 St. Cuthbert 's Chapel (St. - Cuthbert Chapel ) still bears witness. The small community supported himself by fishing, selling the surplus of it and also took the eggs and down the sweltering on the islands eider, for their protection should already have set up St. Cuthbert rules. Are as literary evidence of the community will receive a collection of meditations ( around 1350? ) Of a learned monk, who had studied at Oxford and was probably also familiar with the monastery library of Lindisfarne, also a document emanating from the 13th or 14th century Latin poem, the descriptions of island life, motifs from the life of St. Cuthbert and the biblical story of poor Lazarus used to keep the reader to contemplation.

About 1500 was built on Inner Farne the Pele Tower, which is still used for overnight stays. In the waters around the Farne Islands are hundreds of shipwrecks. Consequently, two lighthouses were built, one on Inner Farne (1809 ) and on Longstone in the Outer Group. 1838 became Grace Darling ( 1815-1842 ), daughter of a lighthouse keeper on Longstone, national prominence, because she was instrumental in the rescue of seamen after an accident. Today the British National Trust looks after the archipelago.

Flora and Fauna

While the flora is poor in species, the Farne Islands are known for the wide variety of seabirds that breed there in great numbers. They include puffins, guillemots, terns and cormorants. To this end, there live some 6,000 gray seals.

On some of the islands live wild rabbits. The species was once introduced to ensure the meat supply.

Tourism

With boats can be reached from Seahouses to the islands Inner Farne, Staple Iceland and Longstone. Entering the other islands is prohibited reasons of nature protection. In addition, tours are offered, where you can use some of the wildlife from the water without entering the islands.

The Farne Islands are considered because of the wreck, the gray seal and steep coastline as a popular diving area.