GB4BIT

Bardsey Island Trust

3rd - 7th September 2019

From the 3rd to the 7th of September, two members of the Aberkenfig Radio Club will be operating GB4BIT in celebration of the Bardsey Island Trusts 40th Anniversary.

The Special Event Station will be operated by Rob Wallis - MW0IBF and Brian Price - GW4DVB.

We hope to operate on all bands HF, 6 m, 2 m & 70 cms using SSB, CW, FT8 / FT4 and SSTV.

Bardsey Island (Welsh: Ynys Enlli), known as the legendary "Island of 20,000 Saints", is located 1.9 miles (3.1 km) off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", although its English name refers to the "Island of the Bards", or possibly the island of the Viking chieftain, "Barda".

Bardsey Island is 0.6 miles (1.0 km) wide, 1.0 mile (1.6 km) long and 179 hectares (440 acres; 0.69 sq mi) in area. The north east rises steeply from the sea to a height of 548 feet (167 m) at Mynydd Enlli, which is a Marilyn, while the western plain is low and relatively flat cultivated farmland. To the south the island narrows to an isthmus, connecting to a peninsula on which the lighthouse stands. Since 1974 it has been included in the community of Aberdaron. It is the fourth largest offshore island in Wales.

Bardsey Island Trust

In 1978 a campaign was launched to buy Bardsey Island from the Hon. Michael Pearson (Lord Cowdray). The campaign was led by dedicated Bardsey enthusiasts from all over the UK and supported by many Welsh academics and public figures, as well as the church in Wales. The island was bought in 1979.

Their Aims

As a registered charity the aims of the Trust are:

to protect the wildlife and delicate ecosystem of the island
to encourage people to visit the island as a place of natural beauty and pilgrimage
to undertake scientific study and educational programmes
to protect the buildings and archaeological sites
to promote the artistic and cultural life of the island
to engage in farming to benefit the island’s diverse habitats