Wildlife reserves · South West England
Looe Island
Also known as: Ynys Logh
In or near Polperro.
Looe Island — a small island a mile from the mainland town of Looe off Cornwall, England.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Looe · 2.6 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Looe Island, the nearest railway station is Looe, located 2.6 km away. Entry to the wildlife reserve is free, but wheelchair accessibility is limited. The postcode for sat-nav is PL13 2AB.
About
Looe Island is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Owned by Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Managed by Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Wikidata describes it as: "a small island a mile from the mainland town of Looe off Cornwall, England.". Coordinates: 50.3366°, -4.4520°.
Photo gallery
Summary from the official site
Looe Island is a nature reserve that serves as a sanctuary for diverse wildlife, including seabirds and marine life. The island features various habitats such as woodland, grassland, and rocky reefs, all of which are protected. Access to the island is only permitted through organized trips to minimize disturbance to its sensitive ecosystems.
Read more on the official property page.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cornwall
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Looe Island (Cornish: Enys Lann-Managh, meaning "island of the monk's enclosure"), also known as St George's Island, is a small island and nature reserve a mile from the mainland town of Looe in Cornwall, England. According to local legend, Joseph of Arimathea landed here with the Christ Child. Some scholars, including Glyn S. Lewis, suggest the island could be Ictis, the location described by Diodorus Siculus as a centre for the tin trade in pre-Roman Britain. The island is now owned and managed by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Access, including landing on the foreshore and flying of drones over the island, is carefully managed for the benefit of wildlife, and landing is only possible via the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's authorized boat operator. The waters around the island are a marine nature reserve and form part of the Whitsand and Looe Bay Marine Conservation Area. First established in 1995, the Whitsand and Looe Bay Marine Conservation Area covers nearly 5 km of coastline and aims to protect the coastal and marine wildlife around Looe.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
People have been living on Looe Island since the Iron Age. Evidence of early habitation includes pieces of Roman amphorae as well as stone boat anchors and Roman coins. A number of late prehistoric or Romano-British finds have been made in the vicinity of the island, including a large bronze ingot found by divers south of Looe Island, which has led a number of people to suggest the island is possibly Ictis, the tin trading island seen by Pytheas in the 4th century BC and recalled by Diodorus Siculus in the 1st century BC. A small hoard of eight late Roman coins was recovered in 2008. These coins were recovered from one of the shallow ditches forming a 'pear shaped enclosure' which…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.3366, -4.4520
- District
- Cornwall
- Parish
- Looe
- Postcode
- PL13 2AB
- Parliamentary constituency
- South East Cornwall
- Nearest railway station
- Looe — 2.6 km
- Official site
- www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q4618058 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Looe Island (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Looe island.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Trelawny Island
Islands · 0.0 km
Portnadler Bay
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The Monks' House
Historic houses · 1.0 km
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Samphire Beach
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Looe Island?
- Looe Island is in South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode PL13 2AB), in the parish of Looe.
- What is Looe Island?
- Looe Island — a small island a mile from the mainland town of Looe off Cornwall, England.
- How do I get to Looe Island?
- The nearest railway station is Looe, about 2.6 km away. Drivers can use postcode PL13 2AB.
- Who runs Looe Island?
- Looe Island is operated by Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
- Is Looe Island a protected site?
- Yes — Looe Island is part of the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Looe Island free to visit?
- Yes, Looe Island is free to enter.
- How do I get to Looe Island?
- The nearest railway station is Looe, about 2.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode PL13 2AB.
- Are dogs allowed at Looe Island?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.