Sully Island

Sully Island is a small tidal island and Site of Special Scientific Interest at the hamlet of Swanbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, 400 yards off the northern coast of the Bristol Channel, midway between the towns of Penarth and Barry and 7 miles south of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. Access to the island is on foot at low tide from the car park of the Captain's Wife public house. It is 14 and a half acres in extent and is one of 43 tidal islands which can be reached on foot from the mainland of England, Wales or Scotland.During the 13th century, the island was the base for Alfredo De Marisco, a Norman pirate known locally as The Night Hawk. In the Middle Ages the island was well known for its involvement in the local smuggling trade.HistoryOriginsThe island's name may mean "south lea" or "south pasture" or, like the nearby village of Sully it may be called after the Norman baronial family of Sir Reginald de Sully. The rate of tidal rise and fall in the area is the second highest in the world: only that of Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia is greater. A rocky causeway connecting the island to the mainland is uncovered for approximately 3 hours either side of low tide, the island being cut off from the mainland for the rest of the day. This makes Sully Island a potentially dangerous place, and many people have been swept to their deaths while trying to leave the island as the tide rises very rapidly. All visitors to the island must exercise care and due diligence. There is now a timer near the island which gives visitors tidal times, letting them know if it's safe to cross.