Piel Island: Life on a island with three residents and a king

BBC News

4 days ago

A tiny island half a mile off the Cumbrian coast draws visitors with its quirky set-up and rich history. Only three people live permanently on Piel Island, including its king - who runs the only pub there.
There is one way on and off Piel Island and that is a 12-passenger open boat operated by Steve Wilcock.He has been the ferryman for the last five years and describes the role as his semi-retirement present."I'm never the last ferry, if there's 13 [passengers], I'll take 12 and go back for the one," he says.The view from the island spans from Yorkshire to the Lake District, even taking in the Blackpool Tower and the Pleasure Beach's The Big One rollercoaster.
"It's the best office in the world. I can't complain - but I always do," jokes Aaron Sanderson, the king of Piel Island.He was crowned three years ago at the age of 33, in a ceremony which included having a jug of beer poured over his head."It's a bit of an unusual title, to be quite honest," he says.
Mr Sanderson, from Barrow, left his job at nuclear submarine manufacturer BAE to take on the role of landlord at the Ship Inn, which also made him king."From shipyard employee to king of an island - it's definitely a step up," he says.The island holds happy childhood memories for him, spent with the children of his now colleague Paul Bibby, who is in charge of the food at the pub.Listen to The Secrets of Piel Island on BBC Sounds"It's just a beautiful, unique place," Mr Bibby says.There is even a seal sanctuary, with 550 seals which live off the end of the nearby Walney Island."They come up and watch you when you're out here - I don't know what they're looking for, they're coming up doing people-watching tours," jokes Mr Bibby.
The only buildings on the small island, aside from the 300-year-old pub, are the pilot houses, built for the island's defence, and the 14th Century ruin of a fortified custom post, referred to as "Piel castle" by visitors.It was built in 1253 under order of King Stephen. He was at war with his cousin Empress Matilda, and he wanted Piel to be fortified in case she invaded from Wales, just across the water."It was run by the monks of Furness Abbey for a long time and then in 1487 this was the last place in Britain that was ever invaded by foreign troops," explains Mr Wilcock.
Pretender-to-the-throne Lambert Simnel was said to have arrived at Piel Island aged 10 and, despite being of humble origins, became part of a plot to overthrow Henry VII and replace him as king.Having conquered the outpost, his armies headed to the mainland, where he was defeated by Henry VII in one of the final battles of the War of the Roses.But instead of being punished for being a traitor, he was allowed to work in the royal kitchens, Mr Wilcock says.Locals drew on his story, and Mr Sanderson is now the 24th recorded king of Piel Island.
"It's a great tradition and it's part and parcel of the role, but you do get a lot of attention because of it," he says.He is the custodian of a now rusty crown and sword and a 17th Century throne, which, if someone sits on, they must pay a round of drinks for all the pub customers, tradition says.As for any actual royal credibility, Mr Sanderson is a little doubtful it gives him any powers beyond the running of his pub."I don't even think I'm on their radar - I have no intention of overthrowing the throne anyway," he laughs."Unfortunately, I'm governed by the same laws as everybody else."
But Mr Sanderson is one of only three people to have permission to drive to the island - a feat only possible at low tide."You have to know where you're going, you have to have at least a four-wheel drive or a tractor - it's quite dangerous," says Mr Bibby."There are a whole lot of wrecks buried in the sand out there where people used to drive across, you can see some of them on the beach [at low tide]."The beach access is now gated. Because the area sits within a Site of Special Scientific Interest and within a marine conservation zone, vehicles must drive through a set route to avoid any disruption to the environment.
Organised walks can get you to the island within 20 minutes, but the drive can take 45 due to the restrictions.But for the Ship Inn, it is the only way of getting supplies in.
"It's definitely a unique role and difficult to do, but enjoyable at the same time," Mr Sanderson says.He was chosen as the landlord from a list of dozens of applicants by the now defunct Barrow Borough Council, now replaced with Westmorland and Furness Council, which is the custodian of the 50-acre (20 hectare) island.Previous landlords' time on Piel has varied from just a few years to up to 20.Mr Sanderson says it would be great to beat that record, but he will "definitely do my 10 years" and take stock.But he is no doubt that life on Piel is good, albeit unique."I think it's probably one of the best beer gardens in the world."
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