Piel Island

An aerial view of Piel Island.

Piel Island lies half a mile (1 km) off the southern tip of the Furness Peninsula in the administrative county of Cumbria, though historically within Lancashire north of the sands. It is located at 54°4′N 3°10′W (OS grid ref. SD 233637). It is one of the Islands of Furness in Northern England. It is the location of the English Heritage-owned Piel Castle.

The island is owned by the people of Barrow-in-Furness, the mainland town across the Piel Channel within whose administrative boundaries it is to be found. The area of Piel is about 50 acres (20 ha). Normally, the only permanent residents are the landlord of the Ship Inn and his family. Currently the Ship Inn is empty whilst restoration work takes place before the new landlord (known as the "King of Piel") moves in.

History

Piel Castle

In the Middle Ages Piel was known as Fowdray (or Fouldrey) island. This name would seem to be derived from the Old Norse words of "fouder" meaning fodder, and "ay" or "oy" meaning island. The island's known history dates from the time of King Stephen who, in 1127 gave the island to the Savignac monks as part of a land grant for an abbey. When the Savignacs became part of the Cistercian order later in the 12th century, the island came under the control of the Cistercians at nearby Furness Abbey. In the early 13th century the Cistercians used Piel as a safe harbour and built a warehouse for the storage of grain, wine and wool. Some of these commodities were shipped over from Ireland. In 1212 the monks were granted a licence by King John to land one cargo of "wheat, flour and other provisions" to stave off a famine caused by the failure of the local harvest. Later in the century an unlimited cargo licence was granted and in 1258 ships owned by the abbey were placed under royal protection.

The monks fortified the island, firstly with a wooden tower surrounded by a ditch with palisades, and then in 1327 they commenced the building of a motte and bailey fort. This structure was, at the time, the largest of its kind in North West England. It was probably built as a fortified warehouse to repel pirates and raiders, but it would appear to have had a measure of success in keeping the customs men at bay as well; smuggling was widespread at the time and the abbey was known to have been involved. Indeed, in 1423 an accusation was made against the Abbott of Furness that he smuggled wool out of the country from "la Peele de Foddray". The red sandstone ruins of the fort came to be known as the "Pile of Fouldrey", and are known today as Piel Castle.

The next noteworthy episode in the island's history occurred on 4 June, 1487 when Lambert Simnel and his supporters arrived from Dublin. Simnel was being passed off as Edward VI, King of England by John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln in his attempt to regain the throne for the Yorkists. Simnel and 2,000 German mercenaries made their way via Piel to do battle for the throne. They were eventually defeated at the Battle of Stoke near Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire on 16 June, 1487.

Romanticist William Wordsworth, who wrote of the island in a poem about his time at Rampside

Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537 Piel Island and its castle became the property of the king. The castle's fortifications were strengthened at the time of the Spanish Armada but from then until the Civil War nothing of note happened on the island. The area of Furness was a Parliamentarian stronghold during the Civil War. For this reason the Parliamentarian fleet retreated to Piel Harbour when the Royalists captured Liverpool.

Piel Island became an important trading post during the 1700s and at one point customs men were permanently stationed there; smuggling was still rife at the time. In the second half of the 18th century the iron ore trade began to develop on the Furness Peninsula and the harbour continued to be important to the local economy. As the volume of shipping increased "His Majesty's boatmen" were stationed on Piel as harbour pilots and customs inspectors. Their cottages still stand, now used as summer residences by sailors.

In the 19th century the island was the subject of a poem by romanticist William Wordsworth.

Piel Island eventually fell under the ownership of the Duke of Buccleuch. He donated it to the people of Barrow-in-Furness in 1920 as a World War I memorial.

Modern day Piel Island

Piel Island from Roa Island

Being separated from neighbouring Roa Island by the Piel Channel, the island is accessible via a ferryboat which runs from Roa Island pier during summer weekends. A causeway links the island to Walney Island but is only passable with care at low tide. Piel Castle is managed by English Heritage and there is free, unlimited access. The castle, located on the southeast tip of Piel Island, is an impressive ruin made up largely of stones from the beach. The three-storey keep is sadly no longer accessible to visitors, as it affords great views of the island.

The island is a haven for wildlife with many different species of sea bird to be found. Visitors should take care not to disturb nesting birds while walking on the beach. A marsh pond in the centre of the island now attracts many other types of bird.

The Ship Inn

The Ship Inn dates from the late 18th century. Today it provides sustenance for sailors, fishermen and day-trippers to the island. The landlord is known as 'The King of Piel', a title originating from the time of Lambert Simnel and his attempt to usurp the English throne. A tradition associated with the pub is known as the 'Knighthood of Piel'. Local fishermen have handed this down over the centuries. In a room of the inn is a large oak chair and anyone who sits in it is made a 'Knight of Piel'. The ceremonial knighting is carried out by the King of Piel or a fellow knight. The present day cost of becoming a knight is to buy a round of drinks for all those present. However, the privilege afforded to knights is that they may demand food and lodging off the innkeeper should they be shipwrecked on Piel.

The pub's licence ended in November 2005 and Rod Scarr, who had been King of Piel for 25 years, left the island in April 2006. The island thus fell under the control of Barrow Borough Council. Following renovation work during 2007, a new King of Piel, Steve Chattaway, will move in. [1].

Renovation plans were approved by English Heritage in 2007 and contractors for the work were invited to tender. Work started in January 2008 and the pub remains closed throughout 2008.

References

Barrow and District by Fred Barnes, Barrow-in-Furness Corporation, Barrow-in-Furness (Lancashire) 1968

External links

• www.pielisland.co.uk