Burgh Island is only actually an island for a few hours every day around high tide; the rest of the time it is linked to the mainland by a sandy isthmus.
It has an area of about 35 acres (14 ha) and a resident population of c.12, boosted by the hotel staff and guests.
The main building on the island is the Art Deco hotel dating from 1929 on the site of an earlier house. There is also the Pilchard Inn (owned by the hotel) which is open to visitors to the island, and three other dwellings.
At the highest point of the island (48m, 158') is the ruin of a Huer's Lookout on the site of (and perhaps incorporating part of) the former St Michael's Chapel. Adjacent to this is a covered reservoir with what looks to be the remains of a WWII gun emplacement.
There are several public footpaths across the island although some of the land is private to the hotel.
The Huer (mentioned above) was a fisherman who would look out for the shoals of herring in the surrounding seas and call out (hue) to direct the fishermen to the shoals.
For more information visit the links below:
Hotel website:
Link
EH Grade II listing:
Link
See other images of Burgh Island