Saint Tudwal's Islands ( Welsh: Ynysoedd Tudwal) are a small

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...

lying south of

Abersoch Abersoch () is a village in the community of Llanengan in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a popular coastal seaside resort, with around 2,600 residents, on the east-facing south coast of the Llŷn Peninsula at the southern terminus of the A499. It is a ...

on the

Llŷn Peninsula The Llŷn Peninsula ( or , ) is a peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, with an area of about , and a population of at least 20,000. It extends into the Irish Sea, and its southern coast is the northern boundary of the Tremadog Bay inlet of Cardigan Ba ...

North Wales North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...

, at the western end of Tremadog Bay. They were referred to as the Studwells in the early 19th century. The name of the islands derives from their traditional identification as the site of a hermitage used by

Saint Tudwal Saint Tudwal (died c. 564), also known as Tual, Tudgual, Tugdual, Tugual, Pabu, Papu, or Tugdualus (Latin), was a Breton monk, considered to be one of the seven founder saints of Brittany. Life Tudwal was said to be the son of Hoel Mawr (H ...

during the 6th century. They are about east of the southern tip of the Llŷn Peninsula. There are two main islands: Saint Tudwal's Island West ( Welsh: Ynys Tudwal Fawr)() and Saint Tudwal's Island East ( Welsh: Ynys Tudwal Fach) (), plus the Carreg y Trai rocks. The islands are part of the Llŷn

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...

and are known for their beaches and wildlife, having a variety of wild birds including

razorbill The razorbill (''Alca torda'') is a North Atlantic colonial seabird and the only extant member of the genus ''Alca (bird), Alca'' of the family Alcidae, the auks. It is the closest living relative of the extinct great auk (''Pinguinus impennis' ...

guillemot Guillemot is the common name for several species of seabird in the Alcidae or auk family, part of the order Charadriiformes. In Europe, the term covers two genera, '' Uria'' and '' Cepphus''. In North America the ''Uria'' species are called mu ...

s and

chough A chough ( ) is any of two species of passerine birds that constitute the genus ''Pyrrhocorax'' of the Corvidae (crow) family. These are the red-billed chough (''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax'') and the Alpine chough (or yellow-billed chough) (''Pyr ...

s, and being a breeding site for

grey seal The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or "earless seals". The only species classified in the genus ''Halichoerus'', it is found on both shores of the Nort ...

s. They are also popular for

water sports Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms ...

. The western island houses the St Tudwal’s Lighthouse, and the eastern has the remains of a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

. The western island reaches 144 feet (44 metres) and is the higher of the two.

Saint Tudwal's Island East

Saint Tudwal's Island East () is a grass covered, kidney-shaped island, about in length and in width. It was owned by author Carla Lane until her death in May 2016. The highest point on the island is above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. It is located just over off the

Gwynedd Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...

. The nearest settlement (apart from the lighthouse on Saint Tudwal's Island West) is Machroes. Small ships sail from the nearby town of

to take passengers to view the wildlife. The island is believed to be the original

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Chr ...

age of

, which is presumably where its name comes from. The remains of a

, referred to in the 1291

tax A tax is a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed on an individual or legal entity by a governmental organization to support government spending and public expenditures collectively or to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax co ...

rolls, are on its eastern side.

Saint Tudwal's Island West

The West island is long and at its widest point. It was sold into private ownership in 1935. More recently it was purchased by the adventurer

Bear Grylls Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls (; born 7 June 1974) is a British adventurer, writer, television presenter and former Special Air Service, SAS trooper who is also a survival expert. He first drew attention after embarking on a number of notable ...

who holidays on the island, living in the former lighthouse keeper's cottage. On 22 August 2013 it was reported that he was facing a planning investigation by

Gwynedd Council Gwynedd Council, which calls itself by its Welsh name , is the governing body for the county of Gwynedd, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council administrates internally using the Welsh language. History The county of Gwynedd was c ...

, after installing a slide into the sea. He has since taken the slide down, saying it was never intended to be permanent and that he would clear it with the council before using it again.''Bear Grylls: St Tudwal island slide taken down''
at www.bbc.co.uk. 1 September 2013.

References

External links

www.geograph.co.uk : photos of St Tudwal's Islands
{{Gwynedd Islands of Gwynedd Cardigan Bay Llanengan