The Old Elizabethan Association

Sunday 13 August 2006

Thirty one ‘bodies’ lay on the grass near the Prosperity car park, ‘pole-axed’ by a generous lunch courtesy of the President, Jerry Girard, and his wife Gill. This, I felt, was an excellent way to start a gentle guided tour of lovely Lihou Island.

Gill Girard, our guide, duly marched us off at the appointed hour, pausing briefly at a fine example of a raised beach, whilst we waited for the last remnants of the tide to reveal the tumbled stones of the ancient causeway. Personally I had never heard of a ‘raised beach’ but Gill’s infectious enthusiasm carried us all with her.

Stopping half way across the causeway, which incidentally had survived German target practice during WW2, Gill displayed a wicked example of the notorious ‘Japanese’ seaweed, the prolific marine equivalent of Japanese Knot Weed, and one of 214 different seaweeds around our shores.

Maintaining steady if unspectacular progress, Gill’s flock meandered past the old original granite house renovated by the late Col. Wootton and on towards the fascinating old priory ruin, destroyed by a previous Lt. Governor in the 17th Century to prevent its use by an enemy. A priory, linked to that at Mont St. Michel, had been on this site since the 12th Century and the 10 or so inhabitants had clearly enjoyed a life of some comfort, if the ruins of the vegetable garden and evidence of fish pens was anything to go by.

Nearby, recent excavations had revealed the remains of two ancient bodies. A likeness of one of them had been re-created using computer graphics, which revealed an immensely tall man in his 40s, who had probably suffered from leprosy, perhaps contracted whilst working with the sick at the ‘Maladerie’.

The children amongst us were particularly enthralled to hear of the seagulls, nesting on the island, who regurgitated fish for their offspring, leaving perfect skeletons including the tiny balancing bones that apparently prevent fish from swimming upside down!

A few brave souls were swimming in Venus pool, as we crested the hill in orderly fashion and descended towards the little weather station. Ahead were the bare ruins of the watch-house, and to seaward could be seen the remains of the engine block of the freighter Prosperity, one of many ships wrecked on the nearby reefs over the years.

As we completed our circuit, Gill explained that over the centuries the island’s inhabitants had endeavoured to scratch a living from various activities, such as farming, fishing, rearing seaweed-eating sheep and the manufacture of iodine, the latter a booming business for a few years in the early part of the 20th Century. Now it seems Lihou is again to be made available to schools and other interested groups.

This was a fascinating and well attended tour, enlivened by Gill’s knowledge and patience and it was fitting that Godfray Guilbert should end the afternoon with a warm vote of thanks to Gill and Jerry Girard.

JM Willis (6212)

Pictures of the visit