FOR AN island of only 500 acres, Herm has attracted some interesting visitors over the centuries.It was settled as early as the Neolithic and Bronze ages and the remains of tombs from these civilisations can still be seen today. In the sixth century, Herm was a spiritual retreat for monks including a Celtic missionary called St Tugual for whom the island’s chapel was dedicated. Monks continued to live on Herm for several centuries. Then, around 1570, the governors of Guernsey made the area their playground. They used the island for hunting, shooting and fishing until the middle of the 18th century.

With the advent of the industrial revolution in Britain, Herm came to be identified as a centre for granite quarrying. The stone found on the island is extremely tough and was ideal for building roads and bridges. From 1810 until the late 1800s, Herm was home to up to 400 quarrymen at any one time. It is hard to imagine such a large workforce there today.

By the end of the 19th century, the island had moved into a period of private ownership, beginning with Prince Blucher von Wahlstatt in 1889. The Prussian Prince stayed for 26 years, during which time Herm became his own private kingdom but left when the First World War broke out.His successor was the novelist Compton Mackenzie, who immortalised the island in his novel Fairy Gold. Mackenzie then sold the lease to Sir Percival Perry. As a chairman of the Ford Motor Company, he rather fittingly introduced the first motor car to the island. Perry also built a golf course on the common. The outbreak of the Second World War ended this period in Herm’s history with the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

After the war, the States of Guernsey bought Herm from the UK Crown estates. The island is now leased to Adrian and Pennie Heyworth. Pennie’s parents took over the lease in 1949 and the family has been dedicated to restoring Herm to preserve its natural beauty and sense of peace since then. In that time, special emphasis has been given to the natural environment and the island’s gardens.

It is a testament to the family and to the residents of Herm that the island attracts hundred of new and returning visitors each year. They come to enjoy the outstanding natural beauty of the beaches, cliff paths and wild flowers.

For most Guernsey folk, a day trip to Herm will mean making a bee-line straight for either Shell Beach or Belvoir Bay. Despite the fact that Herm measures only a mile and a half by half a mile, there is a wide variety of other beaches on offer. Shell Beach is probably the most popular, offering a huge sweep of golden sand stretching for almost three-quarters of a mile. The beach is named after the millions of tiny shells that make up the sand. The size of this beach means that it rarely gets crowded, even at high tide. Low tide reveals rock pools and islets that the kids can spend hours exploring.

The soft sand and sheltered waters of Belvoir Bay can be the perfect sun trap on a windy day. It can be reached either by taking the short cut over the middle of the island or the cliff path from Rosaire. Perfect for a family day out, Belvoir has a well-stocked beach cafe and safe swimming and snorkelling.

Other, less well-known beaches on Herm include Fisherman’s beach, situated just a few minutes stroll away from the island’s main street.

Hotel beach is the closest to the White House Hotel and offers some quiet secluded spots. Bears Beach also tends to be overlooked by visitors, despite being close to the harbour area.

Anyone who enjoys getting away from it all in a secluded corner of the coastline should head for Oyster Beach.

If you are lucky you might be able to spend the day without meeting another soul.