Here you can download the current approved Lundy Field Society policies and guidelines. These policies are reviewed on a regular bais and the current status and review schedule can be viewed here.

Privacy policy

Safeguarding policy

Investment policy

Commissioning and Procurement of Goods and Services Policy

Health and Safety Policy

Payments to Trustees and Conflict of Interest Policy

Committee Member Code of Conduct

Volunteer Code of Conduct

Members' Code of Conduct

Misconduct of Members Procedure

Previous versions of the policies are available for download here:

Safeguarding policy version 1 (4 Aug 2020)

Commissioning and Procurement of Goods and Services Policy version 1 (5 June 2019)

Volunteer Code of Conduct version 1 (13 May 2019)

Volunteer Code of Conduct version 2 (15 Jan 2022)

History since 1969 – the Landmark Trust era

The National Trust were encouraged to take on Lundy by John Smith (later Sir John) who was the founder-Chairman of the Landmark Trust and a board member of the National Trust. Landmark took Lundy on a 60-year, full repairing lease, with the aim – in John Smith's words in the 1970 Landmark Handbook – “to make and keep Lundy a tranquil, solid and unaffected place with a life of its own”.

When Landmark took over, there was a lot to do. There has been a tremendous amount of 'development' of the island to bring it up to modern standards and to make the buildings available for self-catering accommodation. But 'development' is in very heavy inverted commas – the ethos of the Landmark Trust is to make their properties sympathetic to their original design. In 1971 work started on Millcombe House, and in 1983 restoration of the old Manor Farm Hotel buildings culminated in the opening of an enlarged Marisco Tavern. In that period, a dozen buildings were extensively restored, others modernised in minor ways and one new one was built – Government House.

As well as the buildings, all the infrastructure needed modernisation and expansion to meet the needs of the visitors who would provide Lundy's future income. Again, in John Smith's words, “... most things on the island were wearing out, and, although it was exceedingly agreeable in that state, if the island was to remain inhabited and receive visitors, a great deal of expensive, unromantic and disruptive work had to be done”. That work included water supply, drainage and power supplies. Between 1982 and 1996 an aerogenerator stood in Lighthouse Field to supplement the diesel-generated electricity. The problem on Lundy was too much wind, not too little, and the aerogenerator was removed after being blown over several times.

The ship which the Harmans had used to supply Lundy, the 'Lundy Gannet', was a former fishing vessel and not up to the job of transporting significant amounts of freight, so Landmark acquired a sturdy vessel from the Danish government. Renamed the 'Polar Bear' she was a reliable carrier of goods, but was limited, like the 'Lundy Gannet', to carrying only 12 passengers. After a search throughout northern Europe for a suitable passenger vessel, MS Oldenburg was acquired in 1985 and made her first passenger trip in May 1986, having been refitted according to Department of Transport regulations.

Like all her predecessors, the 'Oldenburg' was obliged to trans-ship both people and freight to smaller vessels for arriving on Lundy's Landing Beach. The final major piece of infrastructure, the jetty, was completed in late 1999.

On 15 May 2010, the former flag of Lundy which had been adopted by the Harman family – a white 'L' on a blue field – was revived and hoisted by Diana Keast, the younger daughter of Martin Coles Harman, as part of celebrations to mark 40 years of National Trust ownership and Landmark Trust management of Lundy. This flag is flown from time to time on special occasions.

In a major development in the island’s ecclesiastical history, Lundy became a parish in its own right in December 2013. This came about in order to facilitate repairs to St Helen’s church and its development as 'St Helen's Centre' – a multipurpose space to be used for study, research and educational purposes as well as for traditional church use.

Lundy keeps evolving and its history continues ...

Text by André Coutanche

Earlier Lundy history

History 1925-1969 – the Harman era

Martin Coles Harman bought Lundy when it was put up for sale in 1925. He had visited the island in 1903 when he was an office boy, and the family story is that he declared to a friend on leaving that he would buy Lundy one day. Harman – often referred to as 'MCH' – firmly believed that Lundy was, in his words, “a self-governing dominion of the British Empire recognising King George as its head”. He ran the island as his private kingdom, relying for the actual organisation on his agent (and childhood friend), Felix Gade. Felix and Rene Gade lived permanently on Lundy for many decades while Martin Coles Harman ran his businesses in London and visited when he could with his family.

As part of his vision of an autonomous Lundy, Martin Coles Harman introduced his own stamps, which were first issued in 1929. They are still going today, by arrangement with the Post Office, and the Lundy stamp covers the cost of U.K. postage plus the cost of ferrying it across to the mainland. Lundy has the oldest private postal service in the world.

The stamps are denominated not in pennies but in puffins. Alongside the stamps, Harman had coinage minted for his kingdom in 1929 – one puffin and half-puffin coins, the same size and weight as the old pennies and ha'pennies. In this case, he overstepped the mark, because he had the coins struck with his head on them, not the King's. This led to a court case in the High Court in 1931 which he lost and the coins were withdrawn.

MCH may have had extreme ideas about Lundy's sovereign status, but he wasn't possessive about his domain. He enjoyed it hugely, and he wanted both his family and other people to enjoy it too. Since Victorian times, paddle steamers had criss-crossed the Bristol Channel, and they made regular visits to Lundy. Felix Gade, and especially his wife, Rene, set up facilities to welcome visitors to the island. The Manor Farm Hotel (now Old House) received staying visitors, and teas were provided for the day-trippers arriving on the steamers.

Lundy had a surprisingly interesting World War II. Things weren't always easy, though the islanders were used to being self-sufficient. Three aircraft crash-landed on Lundy during the War – two German Heinkels and an RAF Whitley bomber. Remains of the two Heinkels can still be found – if you know where to look.

A touching reminder of World War II can be seen in one of the quarries on the East Side. John Pennington Harman, the eldest son of Martin Coles Harman, was killed during the Burma Campaign at the Battle of Kohima. He single-handedly attacked a Japanese machine-gun nest and was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. A memorial to him was placed on one the granite slabs in the quarry which was one his favourite places to play when he was a boy. This spot is now known as VC quarry.

MCH died in 1954 and his three surviving children, Albion, Ruth and Diana, wanted to keep the island going as it had been. Inevitable wartime neglect and some bad storms had made things difficult, though they gradually restored and adapted buildings so that visitors could stay again. However, when Albion died in 1968, his widow, Kay, and his two sisters couldn't afford to keep Lundy. It still needed capital investment, and there had been another land slip in the slatey south-east corner which damaged the road from the Landing Bay. They put Lundy up for sale.

Alarming rumours circulated about who would buy the island – the mafia, the scientologists – and local Devon MPs got involved to help ensure a suitable sale. This all-party group consisted of the Liberal MP for Barnstaple, Jeremy Thorpe; David Owen, who was Labour member for Plymouth Sutton; and Peter Mills, the Conservative MP for Torrington. The man who saved the day was Jack Hayward – later Sir Jack – who also paid for the return of the SS Great Britain to Bristol. He bought Lundy for £150,000 and then immediately gifted it to the National Trust. Lundy had been sold for the last time, and its modern history began.

Text by André Coutanche

Earlier Lundy history    Later Lundy history