The Farne Islands are a group of islands in the civil parish of North Sunderland, off the coast of Northumberland, England. The group has between 15 and 20 islands depending on the level of the tide. They form an archipelago, divided into the Inner and the Outer Group. The main islands in the Inner Group are Inner Farne, Knoxes Reef, the East and West Wideopens (all joined on very low tides), and (somewhat separated) the Megstone; the main islands in the Outer Group are Staple Island, Brownsman, North and South Wamses, Big Harcar, and Longstone. The two groups are separated by Staple Sound. The highest point on Inner Farne is above mean sea level and on Staple Island is .

thumb|A map of Farne Islands in 1947

History

Monks and hermits

The earliest recorded inhabitants of the Farne Islands were various Culdees, some connected with Lindisfarne. This followed the old Celtic Christian tradition of island hermitages, also found in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.

The islands are first recorded in 651, when they became home to Saint Aidan, followed by Saint Cuthbert.

The islands were used by hermits intermittently from the 7th century. These included Saint Bartholomew of Farne.

A formal monastic cell of Benedictine monks was established on the islands circa 1255. The cell was dependent on Durham Abbey, now Durham Cathedral. A very small cell, it was usually home to only two monks, although on occasion this rose to as many as six. The cell was dissolved in 1536 as part of King Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries.

thumb|St Cuthbert's Chapel

Following the dissolution of the monastic cell on the islands, they became the property of the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral, who leased them to various tenants. The islands remained a detached part of County Durham until 1844, when the Counties (Detached Parts) Act transferred them to Northumberland. In 1861, the islands were sold to Charles Thorp, who was at the time Archdeacon of Durham.

Tourism

By the 18th century, picnics were being held on the Farne Islands. A picnic was held in 1778 on Pinnacle Island by Dr Kayne and his house party which consisted of ten persons and one dog. The picnic was illustrated by S. H. Grimm who made a drawing of the house party and a separate drawing of the accompanying seven servants enjoying a picnic meal.

Today

The islands have no permanent population, but National Trust rangers live on the islands for nine months of the year, maintaining the site and monitoring wildlife. They live in Prior Castell's Tower on the Inner Farne (the largest and closest inshore of the islands), Lighthouse Cottage on Inner Farne and the lighthouse cottage on the Brownsman in the outer group. The pele tower was built during the early part of the 1494-1519 tenure of Thomas Castell as Prior of Durham.

===Lighthouses===<!-- Redirect anchor -->

thumb|alt=The lighthouse's curved brick foundation supports the stout conical red-and-white-striped tower and adjacent building.|Longstone lighthouse in the Farnes from where Grace Darling and her father launched their rescue. (The lighthouse would not have been painted red and white in Grace Darling's day).

The first lighthouse was built on the islands in 1773;]]

  • Farne Island Lighthouse was built in 1673, but never lit; its replacement was built by Captain John Blackett in 1778, itself replaced by Trinity House with the current Farne Lighthouse in 1811. A minor light, called the Low Light, was also established by Trinity House on the north-west of Farne between 1811 and 1910. to aid navigation by lining this light up with the Inner Farne light
  • Staple Island Lighthouse was built by Captain Blackett in 1778 and blown down in the Great Storm of 1784; a replacement, built either in the same place or on Brownsman Island, was knocked down by heavy seas in 1800.
  • Brownsman Lighthouse, built in 1800, was replaced by Trinity House with a new tower in 1811 and closed in 1826 when Longstone Lighthouse was established.

thumbnail|Site of the former lighthouse on Brownsman Island (1811–26): Its base remains attached to the right of the keeper's cottage. Earlier, a light was once shone from the tower on the left.

All the operational lighthouses on the Farnes are now automatic and have no resident keepers, although in former years, they did. The lighthouse is now maintained by Trinity House via its local lighthouse attendant, George Shiel, who provides guided tours inside the lighthouse. Ruins of some of the older lighthouses may be seen, for example on the Brownsman, which has two. Before the lighthouses, beacons were on several of the islands. The prominent white streak on the cliff facing the mainland (see photo) is similar to bird droppings; although many parts of the islands do exhibit this colouring during the breeding season only, in this case it is the result of chalk deposits from the many years of spent calcium carbide from the lighthouse being thrown down the cliff; this calcium carbide was used to generate acetylene, which was used as fuel for the light before electricity came.

Ecology and natural history

The Farne Islands are an internationally important wildlife habitat. In summer eider duck, cormorant, shag, fulmar, kittiwake, Arctic tern, common tern, Sandwich tern, guillemot, razorbill, and puffins all breed here, while in late autumn a large colony of grey seals pup on the islands. Summer visitors to Inner Farne are strongly advised to wear hats due to Arctic terns dive bombing to protect their chicks.

thumb|200px| alt=See description|A puffin safe in its burrow on the Farne Islands

Breeding birds on the Farnes (as of 2022; 2021 counts marked *) include:

  • Canada goose – 4 pairs
  • Mallard – 13 pairs
  • Common eider – 417 pairs
  • Red-breasted merganser – 1 pair*
  • Oystercatcher – 17 pairs
  • Ringed plover – 4 pairs
  • Kittiwake – 4,772 pairs
  • Black-headed gull – 479 pairs
  • Great black-backed gull – 24 pairs
  • Herring gull – 1,219 pairs*
  • Lesser black-backed gull – 1,088 pairs*
  • Sandwich tern – 336 pairs
  • Roseate tern – last bred 2015 (1 pair)
  • Common tern – 51 pairs
  • Arctic tern – 882 pairs
  • Guillemot – 59,168 birds
  • Razorbill – 523 pairs
  • Puffin – 36,211 pairs*
  • Fulmar – 271 pairs*
  • Cormorant – 98 pairs
  • Shag – 437 pairs
  • Carrion crow – 1 pair
  • Barn swallow – 7 pairs
  • Pied wagtail – 4 pairs
  • Rock pipit – 11 pairs

thumb| alt=A bird sits on a large square stone, while others sit upon nests with hatchlings|[[Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) at nest on Staple Island]]

A total of 303 bird species have been recorded on the Farnes, including in the 1760s, an example of the now extinct great auk.

On 28–29 May 1979, an Aleutian tern, a rare tern from the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean, visited the Farnes. It was the first, and still the only, member of its species ever seen anywhere in Europe.

A longer-staying unusual visitor was "Elsie" the lesser crested tern, which visited the Farnes every summer from 1984 to 1997; during that period (paired with a male Sandwich tern) she raised several hybrid chicks and attracted several thousand birders keen to see this species in Britain. Lesser crested terns normally nest on islands off the coast of Libya and migrate to West Africa for the winter; "Elsie" is thought to have taken a wrong turn at the Straits of Gibraltar on spring migration.

An Arctic tern from the Farnes, ringed as a chick not yet old enough to fly in summer 1982, reached Melbourne, Australia, in October 1982, a sea journey over in just three months from fledging. This remains one of the longest known distances travelled by any bird.

Geology

The Farnes are resistant igneous dolerite outcrops. These would originally have been connected to the mainland and surrounded by areas of less resistant limestone. Through a combination of erosion of the weaker surrounding rock, and sea level rise following the last ice age, the Farnes were left as islands. Because of the way the rock is fissured, dolerite forms strong columns. This gives the islands their steep, in places vertical cliffs, and the sea around the islands is scattered with stacks up to high on Inner Farne and on Staple Island. Many of the small islands are bare rock, but the larger islands have a layer of clay subsoil and peat soil supporting vegetation. The rock strata slope slightly upwards to the south, giving the highest cliffs on the south and some beaches to the north.

One classic view of the Farnes, very popular with photographers, is that from the harbour at Seahouses, but they are closer to the mainland further up the road northwards towards Bamburgh, and excellent views may be seen from here, in the vicinity of the Monks House Rocks, as well as from Bamburgh Castle and beach.

Shipwrecks and diving

The Farne Islands are popular with bird watchers, and as scuba diving locations, with a variety of sites suitable for all levels of divers, for the seals and wrecks.

Hundreds of ships have been wrecked on the Farnes over the years, providing plenty for wreck divers to explore. Among them are:

:{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible autocollapse"

|-

! Name || Year

|-

| Abessinia|| 1921

|-

| Acantha || 1915

|-

| Adelina || 1862

|-

| Advance || 1891

|-

| Aepos || 1920

|-

| African Prince || 1931

|-

| Aid || 1853

|-

| Alert || 1918

|-

| Alexander || 1845

|-

| Alexander || 1947

|-

| Arab || 1849

|-

| Arbutus || 1890

|-

| Ardincaple || 1833

|-

| Armed Dutch vessel || 1650–1715

|-

| Arms || 1825

|-

| Ascot (HMS) || 1918

|-

| Assuan || 1943

|-

| Athelduke || 1945

|-

| Attwood || 1876

|-

| Auckland Castle || 1918

|-

| Augusta || 1823

|-

| Autumn || 1834

|-

| Baltanglia || 1940

|-

| Bonaventure || 1559

|-

| Bowling || 1939

|-

| Brave of Inverness || 1850

|-

| Breeze || 1852

|-

| Britannia || 1795

|-

| Britannia III || 1875

|-

| Britannia IIII || 1915

|-

| Britannia PSS || 1849

|-

| Byron || 1851

|-

| Cairnduna || 1875

|-

| Calcium || 1876

|-

| Caledonia || 1917

|-

| Caledonia of Montrose || 1802

|-

| Caroline || 1955

|-

| Cherokee || (1818)

|-

| Cheviot || 1853

|-

| Children's Friend || 1993

|-

| Chris Christensen || 1915

|-

| Christa || 1976

|-

| City of Aberdeen || (1816)

|-

| Constance || 1972

|-

| Coryton || 1941

|-

| Countess of Mar || 1847

|-

| Courier || 1875

|-

| Cresswell || 1869

|-

| Cydonia || 1916

|-

| Danio || 2013 (refloat)

|-

| Doore || 1855

|-

| Dublin || 1805

|-

| Dunelm || 1949 (refloat)

|-

| Earne || 1859

|-

| Eclipse || 1851

|-

| Elizabeth Fawcett || (1846)

|-

| Elliott || 1852

|-

| Emerald || 1865

|-

| Emily Reaich || 1924

|-

| Emma || 1914

|-

| Empire Ford || 1943 (refloat)

|-

| Enterprise || 1876

|-

| Est || 1871

|-

| Euphemia || 1848

|-

| Everene || (1940)

|-

| Excel || 1939 (refloat)

|-

| Expedit || 1917

|-

| Faith || (1847)

|-

| Falcon || 1851

|-

| Fame || 1833

|-

| Fifeshire || 1852

|-

| Flora || (1882)

|-

| Florence Dombey || 1933

|-

| Florence Nightingale || 1860

|-

| Flower of Ross || 1890

|-

| Forfarshire|| 1838

|-

| Formica || 1894

|-

| Fædreland ||

|-

| French caravels (two) || 1462

|-

| Friends || (1857)

|-

| Friendship || 1795

|-

| G.R. Grey || 1918

|-

| Garent || 1842

|-

| Gebruder || 1916

|-

| Generous Mind || (1809)

|-

| Geir || 1908

|-

| George & Mary || 1823

|-

| Glasgow packet || 1806

|-

| Glen || (1909)

|-

| Glenorm || (1906)

|-

| Glenorca || 1913 (refloat)

|-

| Good Cheer || 2000

|-

| Gowan || 1917

|-

| Graciana || 1920 (refloat)

|-

| Grade || 1955 (refloat)

|-

| Grosvenor || 1935

|-

| Gudveig || 1940

|-

| Gustav Vigeland || 1916

|-

| Gwendoline || 1893

|-

| Harmony || 1857

|-

| Hazard || 1815

|-

| Helen || 1853

|-

| Helmsdale || 1939

|-

| Hero || 1817

|-

| Hetos || 1940

|-

| Hibernia || 1876

|-

| Holmrook || 1892

|-

| Holy Island Coble || 1895

|-

| Holy Island yawl || 1875

|-

| Hope (Smack) || 1819

|-

| Horley || 1922

|-

| Humber Packet || 1812

|-

| Igor || 1918

|-

| Ilala || 1876

|-

| Inatje Baaf || 1894

|-

| Industry || 1774

|-

| Isbul & Margarit || 1849

|-

| Isabella Fowlie || 1941

|-

| Isorna || 1941

|-

| Ivanhoe || 1857

|-

| Jægersborg || 1916

|-

| Jack Tar || 1854

|-

| James B Graham || 1922

|-

| James Harris || 1881

|-

| Jan Ryswyck || 1924

|-

| Jane and Margaret || 1867

|-

| Janet Johnson || 1853

|-

| Jean and Jessie || 1856

|-

| Jemima || 1851

|-

| Jeremiah || 1806

|-

| Jessie || 1847

|-

| Joan || 1845

|-

| Johns || (1841)

|-

| Johns || (1845)

|-

| John || 1849

|-

| John & Isabella || 1808

|-

| John G. Watson || 1930

|-

| Juno || 1819

|-

| Kestrel || 1917

|-

| Kincardine || 1818

|-

| Kopanes || 1941

|-

| Lady Duff || (1853) (refloat)

|-

| Lady of the Lake || 1866

|-

| Lady Panmure || 1851

|-

| Lady Ross || 1847

|-

| Lancaster || 1854

|-

| Leda || 1886

|-

| Liberty || 1849

|-

| Liddle || 1774

|-

| Lilly Miles || 1899

|-

| Loch Leven || 1902

|-

| Lord Strathmore|| 1917 (refloat)

|-

| Lucerne || 1915 (refloat)

|-

| Luiste Josephine || 1851

|-

| Lunesdale || 1929

|-

| Maggie Lauder || 1804

|-

| Maid of Aln || 1863

|-

| Manchant || 1852

|-

| Manly || 1852

|-

| Martha || 1827

|-

| May || 1894

|-

| Maystone || 1949

|-

| Medora || 1865

|-

| Mermaid || 1823

|-

| Merwede || 1918

|-

| Mistley || 1951

|-

| Monkwearmouth || 1823

|-

| Mormilion Frederick || 1800

|-

| Myrtle (brig) || 1864

|-

| Nellie || 1849

|-

| Neptune || (1819)

|-

| Nisus || 1853

|-

| Ocean Bridge || 1873

|-

| Orca || 1982

|-

| Otago || 1915

|-

| Otto M'Combie || 1895

|-

| Paciline Defecamp || 1850

|-

| Pallas || 1901

|-

| Paragon || 1821

|-

| Paragon || 1842

|-

| Paragon || 1895

|-

| Patia || 1941

|-

| Peace and Plenty || 1860

|-

| Pearle || 1740

|-

| Peggy || 1774

|-

| Plough || 1850

|-

| Pluto || 1940

|-

| Prosperous || 1854

|-

| Queenstown || 1916

|-

| Rececca || 1899

|-

| Resolute || 1886

|-

| River Leven || 1953

|-

| Ryoll of Stockton || 1801

|-

| Saint Evelyn Joyce || 1922

|-

| Saint Louis || 1924 (refloat)

|-

| San Bernado || 1916

|-

| Sarah || 1815

|-

| Scottish Prince || 1913

|-

| Sedulous 2 || 1975

|-

| Shadwan || 1888

|-

| Sisters || 1832

|-

| Skovdal || 1917

|-

| Sloop no. 28 || (1806)

|-

| Snowdonia || 1881

|-

| Somali || 1941

|-

| Sootica || 1985

|-

| Smilax || (1851)

|-

| Sphynx || 1919

|-

| Spica || 1916

|-

| St Abbs Head || 1949

|-

| St Andre || 1908

|-

| St Fergus || 1885

|-

| St. Salvator || 1472

|-

| Stamfordham || 1916

|-

| Storfors || 1940

|-

| Strive || 1856

|-

| Success || 1774

|-

| Success || 1853

|-

| Thistle || 1883

|-

| Thomas || 1837

|-

| Thomas Jackson || 1825

|-

| Tioga || 1943

|-

| Tredegar Hall || 1916 (refloat)

|-

| Trio || 1860

|-

| Two Brothers || 1841

|-

| U-1274 || 1945

|-

| Urdate || 1823

|-

| Vaagan || 1916

|-

| Valhal || 1890

|-

| Volunteer || 1846 (refloat)

|-

| Waren Packet || 1830

|-

| Werner Kunstmann || 1914

|-

| William Thorpe || 1852

|-

| William (schooner) || 1864

|-

| Yagen || 1916

|-

| Yewglen || 1960

|}

Dive sites and wrecks

  • Chris Christenson, a Danish steamer that sank on 16 February 1915, lies close into the reef off the south tip of Longstone, Outer Farnes, in about at ().
  • , a German steamship that drove onto Knifestone, Outer Farnes, on 3 September 1921, lies in about at ().
  • Brittania, a , British cargo/passenger steamship that struck the Callers, Outer Farnes, in thick fog on 25 September 1915 lies between at ().
  • St Andre was a French steamship carrying pig iron. On 28 October 1908, she hit the Crumstone and floated off to sink finally at Staple Island. She lies in about at ().

Diving at the Farnes is generally possible, regardless of wind direction; shelter is always available somewhere. Some dive locations even provide the opportunity to combine diving and birdwatching, in particular the Pinnacles, where guillemots can be found fishing at safety-stop depth.

Civil parish

Farne Islands was a civil parish, in 1951 the parish had a population of 3. On 1 April 1955 the parish was abolished and merged with North Sunderland.

References

  • Farne Islands information at the National Trust
  • Farne Islands access and information (commercial)
  • John Whiterig, Benedictine Hermit on Farne
  • Northumberland Coast — Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) — Northumberland Coast AONB Site
  • Lighthouse access & boat trips
  • Diving around the Farne Islands