Bardsey Island – A Small Land for 20,000 Holy Souls

For being only one mile long by less than a mile wide, Bardsey Island is a small piece of land, but it is of great historical and cultural significance. The island’s reputation is bolstered through legendary tales, historical events, and a variety of wildlife.

Located off the Western Coast of the United Kingdom, Bardsey Island covers an area of 0.69 square miles (1.79 sq. km). It consists of steeply elevated lands to the northeast, flat, cultivated farmland to the west, and an isthmus to the south leading to a peninsula. Perched upon the peninsula is the iconic Bardsey Lighthouse, and much of the island serves as a wildlife reserve.

Bardsey Island. (BigStockPhoto)

Why is Bardsey Island a Place of Pilgrimage?

Much of the island’s history begins in 516 when Saint Cadfan built a monastery on the island. The area served as a major center of pilgrimage in medieval times, and as a refuge for persecuted Christians. During these times, making three pilgrimages to Bardsey was considered the equivalent of making a single pilgrimage to Rome.

However, navigating the island was quite treacherous due to unpredictable currents in the Bardsey Sound. It was therefore customary for pilgrims to invoke the protection of the Virgin Mary before making the dangerous crossing to the island.