Steep Holm, Bird colony on limestone island in North Somerset, England.
Steep Holm is a limestone island rising sharply from the Bristol Channel, where steep cliffs provide nesting grounds for many seabirds. The roughly 400-meter-wide island also contains remnants of 19th-century military structures built into its rocky terrain.
The island has been inhabited since the Iron Age and was later used by Romans and medieval monks. In the 19th century, military fortifications were built there as part of a defense strategy for the Bristol Channel.
The site carries traces of different inhabitants who lived here across the centuries. Ruins of a medieval priory and discovered Roman objects tell the story of human presence on this remote island.
The island can only be reached by organized boat trips, which depend on the tidal patterns of the Bristol Channel. Visitors should know that exploration time is limited and weather-dependent.
Wild Mediterranean peonies grow on this island among the ruins of military fortifications. This rare plant species thrives under the protection of the memorial trust that now manages the site.
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