Flat Holm Island is one of the two Holm islands in the Bristol Channel, UK. Flat Holm and Steep Holm islands lie in a rough line between Cardiff and Weston Super Mare. Flat Holm Island has a place in history by being the first place in the world to receive radio signals transmitted across water. Marconi set up a transmitting station on Lavernock Point some 5 miles from the island and on May 13,1897 the historic message was sent and received. To commemorate the transmission a bronze plaque was unveiled in 1948 by the Cardiff Rotary Club on the front boundary wall of the church of St.Lawrence at Lavernock Point. Like Steepholm, Flatholm was heavily fortified in the past and the visitor can see the remains of both 19th century and world war two gun batteries and searchlight set ups. There are also the remains of a cholera hospital which was opened to receive cases of infection amongst crews in ships heading for the Bristol Channel Ports.
General view of Flat Holm island taken from Lavernock. Buildings visible from left to right on the skyline of the island are the foghorn station, the ruined cholera hospital, and the lighthouse. The farmhouse (visitor centre) is the white building visible lower down in the centre of the island. In summer 2011 the island's own pub, the Gull and Leek opened to become the most southerly pub in Wales.
|
Flat Holm pics
|
Click on an image to see a bigger picture...
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
