A GROUP of 16 walkers plus Molly the dog joined Joy and Tuppence from Penarth and District Ramblers at Sully Primary School for the ninth in a series of evening rambles.
After welcoming new members Mike and Pat, they set off in bright evening sunshine across the cricket field and joined part of the Wales Coast path walking eastwards past the playing fields and exited onto Beach Road with its wonderful display of coloured hollyhocks.
They arrived at Swanbridge and began their journey to Sully Island, which lies about a quarter of a mile offshore and wended their way past salty rock pools and seaweed on the rocky causeway, whilst the tide was still ebbing. The flatter rocks at the western end of the island were easier underfoot as they made their way to the narrow pathways above the cliff on the southern side of the island with its gorse and blackberry bushes. Most of the island is now covered with brambles and scrubland and is often visited by fishermen.
Normally for the annual evening visit to the island the paths have to be cleared, but this year someone had already carried out that job and the leader sends her thanks and is indebted to them for their hard work, which made the journey much easier. They arrived at the very windy eastern end of the island with its fantastic views to Flat and Steep Holm and Weston-super-Mare, Lavernock Point, St Mary’s Well Bay and its sandbank in the Bristol Channel, which was slowly being uncovered as the tide ebbed.
It is a tidal island cut off twice a day and was visited by the Romans and Vikings and probably derived its name from Reginald de Sully, one of the Twelve Knights who accompanied Sir Robert Fitzhamon when the Normans conquered Glamorgan, and who was then awarded the Manor of Sully for services rendered to the King. During medieval times a pirate known as The Nighthawk frequented it for smuggling purposes and nowadays it is classed as Site of Special Scientific Interest.
They made their way eastwards again and followed a narrow path through tall reed beds with the sound of birdsong and the soft rustle as the wind blew through and arrived on the foreshore, which is littered with the remnants of past shipwrecks and made their way carefully back across the causeway to the mainland.
Then, they went along the rocks below the Island View caravan park, where the recent heat had dried the seaweed, so it crunched underfoot, to re-join the WCP before turning inland to the Jubilee Hall and past the old bowling green for the short walk back to the start.
You can follow the group on here or on Facebook.
Joy Strangward
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- Penarth ramblers enjoy their weekend in Sussex
- Ramblers explore Sully Island
- Ramblers celebrate with a picnic in the park
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