The Untold

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The Untold: Island Warden Wanted

Island Warden Wanted

BBC Radio 4 - The Untold, Island Warden Wanted

The warden of a tiny island in the Bristol Channel is moving on. Who will take over?

After four years of island life, the warden of Flat Holm - a tiny island in the Bristol Channel - is moving on. Who will take over?

If you look out to the horizon from the coast of South Wales or North Somerset, you see two bumps on the horizon - one tall and one flat. These are the islands of Steep Holm and Flat Holm - the former is English, the latter Welsh. 

Since 2018, Mat Brown has been the warden of Flat Holm - an island of just 500m across, mainly populated by gulls. He is responsible for the island's nature reserve, its buildings (which include a lighthouse, a foghorn cottage, a Victorian barracks and a ruined cholera hospital), its tiny museum and its tinier pub. With the help of a team of volunteers, he welcomes daytrippers and conservationists to the island and maintains the natural and built environment. 

After four years of island life, he's decided that it's time to return to the mainland. Who will take on this very unique job and how will they fare?

Produced by Mair Bosworth for BBC Audio

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