Bryher, Isles of Scilly
Encyclopedia
Bryher is the smallest of the five inhabited islands of the Isles of Scilly
. It is home to a population of 83 (Nov. 2009). Bryher has an area of 327 acres (132.3 ha).
. It is possible to walk between the three islands at particular times of the year.
Bryher is Cornish
for ‘Place of Hills’. There are a number of hills on the island, including Watch Hill, a viewpoint, and Samson Hill, at the southern end of the island. Sandy beaches are another common feature on the island, Rushy Bay being an example. Elsewhere, the Great Pool is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
Most of the untenanted land on Bryher is leased to the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust who are currently using ponies and red ruby
cattle to graze the overgrown areas as part of the Waves of Heath project.
. It is known to many islanders as 'Anna-Quay'. In 2007 it was replaced by a new concrete quay, as part of a Scilly-wide programme of quay rebuilding.
In the north of the island are the Fraggle Rock Bar, Vine Cafe and the new (2011) Bryher shop.
The Golden Eagle Gig shed on the west coast is the studio of the artist Richard Pearce.
All Saints' Church, Bryher
is located on the island.
Local activities include boating, walking and watching wildlife.
When the Whales Came was made on location in 1989 and starred Helen Mirren
, Helen Pearce, Paul Scofield
and David Suchet
.
Bryher features in various books:
The Wreck of the Zanzibar, The Sleeping Sword and Why the Whales Came, all by Michael Morpurgo
and Hell Bay by Sam Llewellyn
.
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The islands have had a unitary authority council since 1890, and are separate from the Cornwall unitary authority, but some services are combined with Cornwall and the islands are still part...
. It is home to a population of 83 (Nov. 2009). Bryher has an area of 327 acres (132.3 ha).
Geography
Bryher lies to the west of Tresco, and is separated from that island by the Tresco Channel, where sandflats are exposed at low tide. Off the southern end of Bryher is the uninhabited island of SamsonSamson, Isles of Scilly
Samson is the largest uninhabited island of the Isles of Scilly. It is in size. The island consists of two hills, North Hill and South Hill, which are connected by an isthmus on which the former inhabitants built many of their sturdy stone cottages...
. It is possible to walk between the three islands at particular times of the year.
Bryher is Cornish
Cornish language
Cornish is a Brythonic Celtic language and a recognised minority language of the United Kingdom. Along with Welsh and Breton, it is directly descended from the ancient British language spoken throughout much of Britain before the English language came to dominate...
for ‘Place of Hills’. There are a number of hills on the island, including Watch Hill, a viewpoint, and Samson Hill, at the southern end of the island. Sandy beaches are another common feature on the island, Rushy Bay being an example. Elsewhere, the Great Pool is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
Most of the untenanted land on Bryher is leased to the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust who are currently using ponies and red ruby
Ruby (color)
Ruby is a color that is a representation of the color of the cut and polished ruby gemstone. The somewhat deeper color of the uncut, unpolished ruby crystal is called rubelite.The first recorded use of ruby as a color name in English was in 1572...
cattle to graze the overgrown areas as part of the Waves of Heath project.
Hell Bay
The infamous Hell Bay can be found on Bryher. This Atlantic-facing cove became a notorious place for shipwrecks over the 18th and 19th century though there is little evidence to support this, most ships had been wrecked before they even reached here.Bar Quay
In the centre of the island is Bar Quay, which was built in 1990 by volunteers for the television programme Challenge AnnekaChallenge Anneka
Challenge Anneka is a British television programme, produced by the independent production company Mentorn for the BBC, which aired on Friday, later Saturday evenings on BBC One between 8 September 1989 and 15 October 1995. It was announced in 2006 that the series is returning, but this time on...
. It is known to many islanders as 'Anna-Quay'. In 2007 it was replaced by a new concrete quay, as part of a Scilly-wide programme of quay rebuilding.
Visiting the island
Varied accommodation is available on the island. The Hell Bay Hotel is located close to the coast on the west side. There are guesthouses, self-catering cottages and a campsite. Two quays are used (depending on tides) by boats which take tourists between Bryher and other islands, including St Mary's and Tresco. On some low tides it is possible to walk between Bryher and Tresco and even Samson, the uninhabited island to the south.There is also safe anchorage for small yachts in the channel and Green Bay.In the north of the island are the Fraggle Rock Bar, Vine Cafe and the new (2011) Bryher shop.
The Golden Eagle Gig shed on the west coast is the studio of the artist Richard Pearce.
All Saints' Church, Bryher
All Saints' Church, Bryher
All Saints' Church, Bryher is a parish church in the Church of England located in Bryher, Isles of Scilly.-History:All Saints' Anglican church claims to be the most westerly church in the Anglican provinces of Canterbury and York....
is located on the island.
Local activities include boating, walking and watching wildlife.
Other uses of "Bryher"
In recent years Bryher has been become a popular girl's name. Annie Winifred Ellerman, daughter of the UK's wealthiest man Sir John Ellerman, took the name Bryher, as her nom de plume in the early 20th century.Use in film and television
In 1989, the island was used for some of the scenes in the BBC's television adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.When the Whales Came was made on location in 1989 and starred Helen Mirren
Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
, Helen Pearce, Paul Scofield
Paul Scofield
David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE , better known as Paul Scofield, was an English actor of stage and screen...
and David Suchet
David Suchet
David Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
.
Fictional Bryher
Bryher features in various books:
The Wreck of the Zanzibar, The Sleeping Sword and Why the Whales Came, all by Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo
Michael Morpurgo, OBE FKC AKC is an English author, poet, playwright and librettist, best known for his work in children's literature. He was the third Children's Laureate.-Early life:...
and Hell Bay by Sam Llewellyn
Sam Llewellyn
Sam Llewellyn, born in 1948, is a British author of literature for children and adults.-Biography:Sam Llewellyn was born on Tresco, Isles of Scilly, where his ancestors lived for many years. He grew up in Norfolk. He attended Eton College and later St. Catherine's College, Oxford...
.
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