Lihou Island

Lihou is a small tidal island (95 vergees; 38½ acres; 15.6 hectares) that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It lies off the west coast of Guernsey and is the most westerly point in the Channel Islands.

Lihou is connected to L'Eree headland at low tide by an ancient stone causeway. It is part of the Parish of St Pierre du Bois. Lihou's bird and marine life makes it an important conservation area.

The island was bought by the States of Guernsey in January 1995.

History

Lihou's name contains the Norman language suffix "-hou" of Old Norse origin meaning island.

On the island are the ruins of the priory of St. Mary which is believed to have been established by Benedictine monks in the 12th century. The monks of the priory were by no means generally popular with the local people, who suspected them of devil worship. This animosity may be due to the monks' insistence on rights of wreck. Until 1415 it was under the control of Mont St Michel and thereafter under Eton College until the Reformation when it was closed and fell into disrepair.

The house on Lihou was used for target practice by heavy artillery during the German Occupation. It has now been rebuilt as accommodation for school groups, and is used as an educational resource.

Agriculture

For many years, the Best family grazed cattle on the island. They set up a commercial operation to extract iodine from seaweed, which was widely used as an antiseptic

Philately

Between 1966 and 1969, Lihou issued postage stamps. These were introduced by the tenant, Lt Col Patrick Wootton, to help fund the Lihou Youth Project