An ISLAND, a KING, a CASTLE and

AN ISLAND, A KING, A CASTLE & A PUB... Piel Island

By Noura Al-Jamaher

Considered by locals as ‘the jewel in the crown’ of the area and a ‘vital part of local heritage’, the one and only job that the island offers if that of ‘King’ who is also the humble landlord of the 300 year old pub, the Ship Inn.

Any appointed ‘King’ must be good at being a good host to the islands visitors, but also be keen and dedicated to preserve the islands beauty and its natural habitat.

The pub tenancy is not a job for everyone and does have drawbacks living on a small and remote island.

The Island! Piel Island has a recorded inhabitants dating back 3,000 and is important in the local area due to its links with Furness Abbey and as a major deep water harbour.

Over time, visitors to the islands would have included the Celts and Romans as well as Vikings from Scandinavia.

The islands original name was ‘Foudray’ which is the Old Norse word for ‘fire island’ meaning a fire beacon to guide boats.

In 1127 King Stephen gave the island to Savignac monks for an Abbey. A structure was built and was mostly at that time used to store wheat and flour, in the event of a failed harvest.

As trade grew with ships coming in and out of the Port of Furness, Piel Islands was used to house cargo en-route to other Abbey lands or destinations. In 1327, permission was granted to fortify the structure to become more stable and permanent.

What are left on the island today are the defence ditches that were built in the early 14th century, probable as a fortified warehouse to keep cargoes safe from pirates. However, it also managed to keep the King’s customs men out too and the island became well known for smuggling wool without paying due taxes. This prompted stronger defences to be built.

In 1662 a new landlord, the Duke of Albemarle took over the island. From then onwards the role of the island focused on shipping and industry, with a salt works and later a ship yard.

During the late 17th and 18th century Piel was a key customs point with regular seizures of illegal goods. With no permanent housing, the customs officers had to travel from mainland England to the island.

Until 1874 the ownership of the island was divided between the Duke of Buccleuch who owned the castle and the Ship Inn and a Mr C W Archibald who owned the rest. The Duke purchased the remainder of the land in 1874 and restored the castle. In 1919 the Duke tried to sell the whole island, but the intervention of the mayor of Barrow, stopped the sale and the it was given to the town of Barrowin-Furness in 1920 as a memorial to those who lost their lives during the First World War. Since then, the protector of the castle had been the Secretary of State for the Environment, but in 1973 it was management was given to English Heritage.

The Pub! The Ship Inn began in 1746 when a lease for agricultural land situated within the castle ditch was granted to an innkeeper.

By the late 19th century social activity within the Piel Channel was huge and included pleasure boats as well as trade ships. Many used the Ship Inn as stop overs and soon Piel became popular with yachtsmen, leading to a regular regatta being held.

The King!... and the Knights of Piel! One of the most lasting traditions of the island is the crowning of the Ship Inn’s new landlord. Recorded landlords of the Ship Inn date back to 1746. Each new landlord is crowned ‘King of Piel’ in a ceremony which sees the new King sit in an ancient chair, wearing a helmet and holding a sword while alcohol is poured over their head.

As in all good tales of gallantry, a King needs supporters or ‘Knights’ and the earliest written references to the ‘Knights of Piel’ are found in the first visitors' book dating back to 1856. By the 19th Century, this tradition had become an important aspect of the islands history, so much so, that the guardianship of the chair and helmet is now written into the tenancy agreement of all ‘King’s.

Today, the Ship Inn serves fine traditional ales from local breweries, beers, wines and spirits together with an array of delicious food dishes featuring local fish, game and vegetables.

Tourism is thriving and operates all year round, with the winter season offering speciality weekends including Murder Mystery, cooking with guest chefs, gourmet dining, etc, plus the Inn can be totally booked in for private house parties.

In the summer months, camping is allowed on the island and the King can organise seal watching trips and fishing trips in the waters off the coast. Getting to the island is by ferry, which departs from Roa Island daily during the summer season from 11 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. (English weather permitting!)