St. Herbert's Island: Difference between revisions

Along with its closest and much smaller neighbour, [[Rampsholme Island]], either named after the raven (Old Norse ''[[wiktionary:Hrafn|Hrafn]]'') or wild garlic (Old English ''[[wiktionary:hramsa|hramsa]]''), both islands sit slightly north of the deepest point of the lake, which is situated near [[Barrow Bay]].<ref>Smith 2012, p.18</ref> St. Herbert's Island is not a rocky protuberance, such as Norfolk Island at [[Ullwater]], instead it, and all the other islands of this lake, are "oval-shaped mounds of glacial till, part of the hummocky drumlins field at the northern end of the lake near [[Keswick]].<ref>Smith 2012, p.24</ref> In other words, the islands have been formed by a process where rock and sedimentary material has drifted, and subsequently deposited, by glacial movement.

 

 

<blockquote>The ruins now in the middle of St. Herbert's Island are most probably those of the chapel built there in 1374, when the site of St Herbert's hermitage became the object of a yearly parish pilgrimage (Lees, T. 1885). The actual site of the chapel is not clear, although what appears as a likely building platform occupies an area of around 5m by 8m, some edged stone work which has survived also suggests that a building or chapel once existed here. The discovery of a 'fishing lodge' highlighted on the 1867 1st edition Ordnance Survey map in a similar position to the building platform recorded during the survey has made interpretation a little more difficult. The fishing lodge has not appeared in any descriptions, and does not feature even as a ruin or earthwork on later maps. The actual building might have been of rude construction and relatively short-lived. It is possible that the remains on St Herbert's Isle could relate to the nineteenth century fishing lodge, and the building platform and stone edging a remnant from this building. However, it is equally likely that the platform was a product of a much earlier construction such as the pilgrimage chapel, and the fishing lodge merely re-used the built-up ground as a good flat spot.<ref name="nthr-chapel"/></blockquote>

 

There is more to this site than one might have originally thought. Searching these records shows that the island contains multiple remains from different time periods, from post-medieval onwards. Across the island there are remains of walls, a possible revetment (retaining wall), and a whole host of jetties. To the untrained eye, these look nothing more than an assortment of stones and rubble, yet these are protected as a World Heritage Site, and therefore, hold significance. Which is why it is important the island is treated with respect. The National Trust allows landing and picnics on the island, but to ensure the delicate ecosystem is protected, they do not allow camping, fires or BBQs.<ref>[https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/lake-district/borrowdale-and-derwent-water/activities-on-derwent-water# Activities on Derwent Water] The National Trust. Accessed 30 January, 2024.</ref> People still camp here. There are videos on YouTube of them doing so. So it becomes all the more important that treading carefully and leaving no trace is the best policy to ensure the island can still be visited by future generations.