A map of Farne Islands in 1947

Inner Farne and its lighthouse. Note the calcium carbide deposits on the cliff

The Farne Islands (also referred to less formally as the Farnes) are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. Northumberland is a county in the North East of England. The non-metropolitan county of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland There are between 15 to 20 or more islands depending on the state of the tide. Characteristics A tide is a repeated cycle of sea level changes in the following stages Over several hours the water rises or advances up a beach in the flood ^[1] They are scattered about 2. 5–7. 5 km (1 1/2–4 3/4 miles) distant from the mainland, divided into two groups, the Inner Group and the Outer Group. The main islands in the Inner Group are Inner Farne, Knoxes Reef and the East and West Wideopens (all joined together on very low tides) and (somewhat separated) the Megstone; the main islands in the Outer Group are Staple Island, the Brownsman, North and South Wamses, Big Harcar and the Longstone. Staple Island is a small rocky island that is one of the outer Farne Islands in Northumberland, England. The two groups are separated by Staple Sound. The highest point, on Inner Farne, is 19 metres (62 feet) above mean sea level.

History

Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) at nest on Inner Farne

The earliest recorded inhabitants of the Farne Islands were various Culdees, some connected with Lindisfarne. The Arctic Tern ( Sterna paradisaea) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae. The Culdee, Kuldee or Céli Dé (lit " vassals of God " formed a Monastic order with settlements in Ireland, Scotland Lindisfarne () (variant spelling Lindesfarne is a Tidal island off the north-east coast of England. This followed the old Gaelic tradition of island hermitages, found in England, Ireland, and Scotland. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

The first visitor recorded by name was Saint Aidan followed by Saint Cuthbert. " Augustine was the Apostle of Kent but Aidan was the Apostle of the English For the Dungeons & Dragons deity see Saint Cuthbert (Dungeons & Dragons St Cuthbert of Lindisfarne (c The latter was called to the bishopric of Lindisfarne but after two years he returned to the solitude of the Inner Farne and died there in 687, when Saint Aethelwold took up residence instead. Events By Place Europe King Theuderic III of Neustria is defeated by Pepin of Herstal, Mayor of the Palace Saint Æthelwold of Farne (also spelled Aethelwald, Ethilwold, etc was a late 7th century Hermit who lived on Inner Farne, off the coast of Among other acts, Saint Cuthbert introduced special laws in 676 protecting the Eider ducks and other seabirds nesting on the islands; these are thought to be the earliest bird protection laws anywhere in the world. Events By Place Europe Æthelred invades Kent. Asia In Japan Emperor Temmu The Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large (50-71cm body length sea-duck, which is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North

The islands have no permanent population, the only residents being National Trust bird wardens during part of the year: they live in the old pele tower on the Inner Farne, the largest and closest inshore of the islands, and the lighthouse cottage on the Brownsman in the outer group. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or Tower houses built along the English and Scottish Borders, intended as watch towers where The pele tower was built by or for Thomas Castell, Prior of Durham about 1500. There is also a chapel set up on the site of St Cuthbert's oratory 600 years ago. It was restored in recent times with old material all from Durham Cathedral.

All the lighthouses on the Farnes are now automatic and have no resident keepers, although in former years they did. A lighthouse is a Tower, building or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or in older times from a fire and used as an Ruins of older lighthouses may be seen, for example on the Brownsman where there are two. Before the lighthouses there were beacons on several of the islands. The prominent white streak on the cliff facing the mainland (see photo) is often thought by visitors to be bird droppings: although many parts of the islands do exhibit this colouring, in this case it is the result of chalk deposits from the many years of spent calcium carbide from the lighthouse being thrown down the cliff. Chalk (ʧɔːk is a soft white porous Sedimentary rock, a form of Limestone composed of the Mineral Calcite. Calcium carbide is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula of Ca[[Carbide C2]]

Longstone lighthouse in the Farnes from where Grace Darling and her father launched their rescue.

Grace Darling

One of the great attractions of the Farne Islands is the story of Grace Darling and the wreck of the Forfarshire. Grace Darling (24 November 1815 – 20 October 1842 is an English Victorian heroine on the strength of a celebrated maritime rescue in 1838 This article is about the Forfarshire a steamship which sank off the Farne Islands in 1838 Grace Darling was the daughter of Longstone lighthouse-keeper, William Darling, and on September 7, 1838, at the age of 22 years, she and her father rescued nine people in a strong gale and thick fog from the wreck of the Forfarshire which had run aground on Harker rock. The story of the rescue attracted extraordinary attention throughout Britain and made Grace Darling a heroine who has gone down in British folklore. ^[2]

Ecology and natural history

In the warmer months the Farnes, an important wildlife habitat, are much visited by boat trips from Seahouses. Seahouses is a large Village on the North Northumberland coast in England. Local boats are licensed to land passengers on Inner Farne, Staple Island and the Longstone; landing on other islands is prohibited to protect the wildlife. At the right time of year many Puffins can be seen and these are very popular with visitors; on the Inner Farne, the Arctic Terns nest close to the path and will attack visitors who come too close (visitors are strongly advised to wear hats). The Atlantic Puffin ( la Fratercula arctica) is a Seabird Species in the Auk family. The Arctic Tern ( Sterna paradisaea) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae. Some of the islands also support a population of Rabbits, which were introduced as a source of meat and have since gone wild. Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world The Rabbit and Puffin populations use the same burrows at different times, the Puffins being strong enough (with a vicious bite) to evict the Rabbits from the burrows during the nesting season. The islands also hold a notable colony of about 6,000 Grey Seals, with several hundred pups born every year in September-November.

A Puffin safe in its burrow on the Farne Islands

Breeding birds on the Farnes (as of 2005) include:

• Common Eider – 875 pairs
• Fulmar – 176 pairs
• Cormorant – 185 pairs
• Shag – 937 pairs
• Oystercatcher – 33 pairs
• Herring Gull – 540 pairs
• Lesser Black-backed Gull – 431 pairs
• Black-legged Kittiwake – 5,375 pairs
• Sandwich Tern – 1,913 pairs
• Roseate Tern – 1 pair (endangered species)
• Common Tern – 155 pairs
• Arctic Tern – 2,380 pairs
• Guillemot – 46,915 birds
• Razorbill – 277 pairs
• Puffin – 55,674 pairs in 2003 (not counted in 2005)
• Rock Pipit – 20 pairs

Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) at nest on Staple Island

A total of 290 bird species have been recorded on the Farnes, including in about 1760, an example of the now-extinct Great Auk. The Atlantic Puffin ( la Fratercula arctica) is a Seabird Species in the Auk family. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Common Eider, Somateria mollissima, is a large (50-71cm body length sea-duck, which is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North The two Fulmars are closely related Seabirds occupying the same niche in different Oceans. The Bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 Species of cormorants and shags. The European Shag or Common Shag ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a species of Cormorant. The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, also known as the Common Pied Oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just Oystercatcher, is a The Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, is a large Gull (up to 26 inches or 66 cm long and is the most abundant and best known of all gulls along the shores of The Lesser Black-backed Gull ( Larus fuscus) is a large Gull which breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. The Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla is a Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae The Sandwich Tern ( Thalasseus sandvicensis, syn Sterna sandvicensis is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae The Roseate Tern ( Sterna dougallii) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae The Common Tern ( Sterna hirundo) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae The Arctic Tern ( Sterna paradisaea) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae. The Common Guillemot or Common Murre ( Uria aalge) is a large Auk. The Razorbill, Alca torda, is a large Auk, 38-43 cm in length with a 60-69 cm wingspan The Atlantic Puffin ( la Fratercula arctica) is a Seabird Species in the Auk family. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus, is a small Passerine Bird which breeds on rocky coasts of western Europe northwards from Brittany The Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla is a Seabird species in the Gull family Laridae The Great Auk, Pinguinus impennis, formerly of the Genus Alca, is a Bird that became extinct in the mid-19th century

On 28–29 May 1979, an Aleutian Tern, a rare tern from the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific Ocean, visited the Farnes. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) The Aleutian Tern ( Onychoprion aleuticus, formerly Sterna aleutica - see Bridge et al Terns are Seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily (Sterninae of the gull family Laridae (van Tuinen et al The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions It was the first, and still the only, member of its species ever seen anywhere in Europe. It remains a complete mystery how it got here. ^[3]

A longer-staying unusual visitor was "Elsie" the Lesser Crested Tern, who visited the Farnes every summer from 1984 to 1997; during that period, she (paired with a male Sandwich Tern) raised several hybrid chicks, and attracted several thousand birders keen to see this species in Britain. The Lesser Crested Tern ( Thalasseus bengalensis, syn Sterna bengalensis - see Bridge et al The Sandwich Tern ( Thalasseus sandvicensis, syn Sterna sandvicensis is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of Birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like Binoculars. Lesser Crested Terns normally nest on islands off the coast of Libya and migrate to West Africa for the winter; it is thought that "Elsie" took a wrong "tern" at the Straits of Gibraltar on spring migration. Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab The Strait of Gibraltar ( Arabic: مضيق جبل طارق Spanish: Estrecho de Gibraltar) is the Strait that connects the Atlantic ^[4]

An Arctic Tern from the Farnes, ringed as a chick not yet old enough to fly in summer 1982, reached Melbourne, Australia in October 1982, a sea journey of over 22,000 km (14,000 miles) in just three months from fledging. The Arctic Tern ( Sterna paradisaea) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae. Bird ringing (also known as bird Banding) is an aid to studying wild Birds by attaching a small individually numbered metal or plastic ring to their legs Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. This remains one of the longest distances travelled by any bird.

One classic view of the Farnes, very popular with photographers, is that from the harbour at Seahouses. However, they are closer to the mainland further up the road northwards towards Bamburgh and excellent views may be seen from here, in the vicinity of the Monks House Rocks, as well as from Bamburgh castle and beach. Bamburgh is a large village on the coast of Northumberland, England. Bamburgh Castle is an imposing Castle located on the coast at Bamburgh in Northumberland, England (

Geology

The Farnes are resistant igneous Dolerite outcrops. Geological resistance is a measure of how well Minerals resist erosive factors and is primarily based on hardness, Chemical reactivity and cohesion Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock Diabase (ˈdaɪəbeɪs or Dolerite is a Mafic, Holocrystalline, Igneous rock equivalent to Volcanic Basalt or plutonic These would originally have been connected to the mainland and surrounded by areas of less resistant limestone. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Through a combination of erosion of the weaker surrounding rock, and sea level rise following the last ice age, the Farnes were left as islands. Erosion is the carrying away or displacement of solids ( Sediment, Soil, rock and other particles usually by the agents of currents such as wind Sea-level rise is an increase in Sea level. Multiple complex factors may influence this change An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets Because of the way the rock is fissured, Dolerite forms strong columns. This gives the islands their steep, in places vertical cliffs, and the sea around the islands is scattered with stacks up to 20 metres (66 feet) in height. In Geography and Geology, a cliff is a significant vertical or near vertical rock exposure A stack is a geological Landform consisting of a steep and often vertical column or columns of rock in the sea near a coast The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Many of the small islands are bare rock, but the larger islands have a layer of clay subsoil and peat soil supporting vegetation. Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained Minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of Water content, and Peat is an accumulation of partially Decayed Vegetation matter. The rock strata slopes slightly upwards to the south, giving the highest cliffs on the south and some beaches to the north. In Geology and related fields a stratum (plural strata) is a layer of rock or Soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguishes ^[5]

Diving

As well as being popular with bird watchers, the Farne Islands are a popular scuba diving location. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. The Farnes hold three major appeals:

• Hundreds of ships have been wrecked on the Farnes over the years, providing plenty for wreck divers to look at. One of the best wrecks to explore is the "Somali", a passenger-cargo ship sunk in 1941 by a German bomber. The wreck is situated in 30 metres of water, and much of the hull is intact.
• The grey seal colony at the Farnes which numbers 5,000 are curious and will often look in on divers in the water, in addition to this they are impressive to watch underwater.
• It is generally possible to dive at the Farnes regardless of wind direction. There is always shelter somewhere. Some dive locations even provide the opportunity to combine diving and bird watching, in particular the Pinacles, where Guillemots can be found fishing at safety stop depth. ^[6]

See also

• Lindisfarne — nearby to the northwest
• Coquet Island — another important bird reserve island about 30 km south
• Bamburgh with Bamburgh Castle and Seahouses — nearest places on the coast

External links

• Farne Islands information at the National Trust
• Farne Islands access and information (commercial)

• Farne Islands is at coordinates 55°37′35″N 1°37′51″W / 55.626472, -1.630728 (Farne Islands)Coordinates: 55°37′35″N 1°37′51″W / 55.626472, -1.630728 (Farne Islands)
• Northumberland Coast — Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) — Northumberland Coast AONB Site

References