Piel Island

Piel Island lies half a mile off the southern tip of Furness in Morecambe Bay. It is one of the Furness group at the mouth of Walney Channel. The island holds Piel Castle, built by Furness Abbey monks in the fourteenth century. Today the island belongs to Barrow-in-Furness, donated by the Duke of Buccleuch in 1922. The only residents are the landlord of the Ship Inn, their family, and three others in the old pilots’ cottages. The island covers about eleven hectares. The castle began as a fortified warehouse to protect grain, wine and wool shipped from Ireland. In 1487 Lambert Simnel landed here with 2,000 German mercenaries before the Battle of Stoke. After the Dissolution the king took control and strengthened the walls against the Spanish Armada. In the 18th century customs men were stationed here to curb smuggling. The castle ruins later inspired Wordsworth’s Elegiac Stanzas after a painting by Sir George Beaumont. Visitors reach the island by ferry from Roa Island when the tide allows. Piel Castle stands on the south-east tip, its red sandstone keep offering wide views across the bay. Campers may pitch tents on the island, and a marsh pond in the centre draws many birds. The Ship Inn, known as the King of Piel’s domain, has served seamen and visitors for centuries. The only other buildings are the pilots’ cottages and the castle ruins, making the island a quiet haven beside the busy shipping lanes.