 | |
  Middleholm or Midland Isle | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Jack Sound |
| Coordinates | 51°44′06″N5°15′50″W / 51.735°N 5.264°W /51.735; -5.264 |
| Area | 0.087 km2 (0.034 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
Wales | |
| County | Pembrokeshire |
| Community | Marloes and St Brides |
| Additional information | |
| grid referenceSM74690910 | |
Middleholm, also known asMidland Isle, is a small island lying off southwestPembrokeshire in Wales, between the island ofSkomer and the mainland in thecommunity ofMarloes and St Brides. It is roughly circular with a diameter of about 1,210 feet (370 m)[1] and an area of 21.5 acres (8.7 ha).[2] It is separated from the mainland byJack Sound and from Skomer by Little Sound.[3]
The name Middleholm was documented in 1325 in the reign of Edward III, when ferreters were paid for catching rabbits. The island has been in use for considerably longer, with traces ofIron Age walling, and may have been used for summer grazing, despite the lack of natural fresh water.[2] Since 1966, when the rabbit population was killed bymyxomatosis, the island has been ungrazed.[4] The name Midland Isle has been used at least as far back as 1578, when it was abbreviated in Latin asMidlan Insul.[5] This name was also used in 1833, when it was cited inLewis'sA Topographical Dictionary of Wales.[6] Modern Ordnance Survey maps use the latter name.[3]
The island is formed largely from a suite of volcanic rocks ofAeronian age (earlySilurian) assigned to theSkomer Volcanic Group.[7][8]
The island is known for itsseabirds, includingManx shearwaters andAtlantic puffins, and for its plants, includingred fescue,sea beet andcommon tree-mallow.[9]
The island is owned and managed by the National Trust. It is not open to the public.[9]
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Media related toMidland Isle at Wikimedia Commons
