Hilbre Island

Hilbre Islands
Hilbre Island from Middle Eye
Type	Common
Location	West Kirby, Merseyside
Coordinates	53°23′N 3°13′W / 53.38°N 3.22°W / 53.38; -3.22Coordinates: 53°23′N 3°13′W / 53.38°N 3.22°W / 53.38; -3.22
Operated by	Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
Open	All year, dependent on tide
Status	Open

The Hilbre Islands (/ˈhɪlbriː/ HIL-bree) are an archipelago consisting of three islands at the mouth of the estuary of the River Dee, the border between England and Wales at this point. The islands are administratively part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. They are a Local Nature Reserve and are within the estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest. As of 2012, the islands have no permanent residents.

Hilbre Island, the largest of the group, is approximately 11.5 acres (47,000 m²; 4.7 ha) in area, and lies about 1 mile (1.6 km) from Red Rocks, the nearest part of the mainland of the Wirral Peninsula. The other two islands are Middle Eye (or in older sources Middle Island and on Ordnance Survey maps Little Hilbre), which is about 3 acres (12,000 m²; 1.2 ha) in size and Little Eye, which is considerably smaller. All three islands are formed of red Bunter sandstone. The main island and Middle Eye are less than a hundred yards apart.

Hilbre Island is one of 43 (unbridged) tidal islands that can be reached on foot from the mainland of Great Britain. The island can be reached on foot from West Kirby at low tide; this is a popular activity with tourists, especially during the summer months. Little Eye and Middle Eye are both unpopulated, but Hilbre Island has a few houses, some of which are privately owned.