Model of Kirrin Island

[Moonraker]

I don't know why there still seems to be uncertainty about Kirrin Island's location - Enid herself said it was based on a small island in the Channel Islands. The only similarity is a faint resemblance - and it is faint - of Kirrin Castle to Corfe Castle in Soper's illustrations. And Soper ain't Blyton.

[pete9012S]

Don't tell me you're going off her too now!!

[Moonraker]

Not at all, dear friend. Only suggesting that it is down to Soper that a connection might be made. There is nothing in Blyton's work to suggest a link - in fact, Kirrin village/Bay/Island/Castle bears no resemblance to Corfe Castle - which is inland, anyway!

[Julie2owlsdene]

Trevor Bolton always tells me that Kirrin Island was based on a small island Enid saw in the Channel Islands. She told him this via one of the many many letters that she used to write to Trevor.

I guess as suggested, Eileen Soper when asked to illustrate Kirrin Castle, used the derelect Corfe, as a guidance, as I think they look slightly similar.

Kirrin Castle and Faynights castle illustrated by Eileen Soper look alike to me.

[Jack400]

Bodiam Castle would make a great place to live - you could always draw up the drawbridge if someone unpleasant comes along! Thanks for the link, Nigel - it sure beats Blue Peter.

Or hide in the priest hole- though it is a reasonably tight squeeze from memory.

[Tony Summerfield]

Trevor Bolton always tells me that Kirrin Island was based on a small island Enid saw in the Channel Islands. She told him this via one of the many many letters that she used to write to Trevor.

Trevor actually sent me a copy of a letter in 2006 and I put it into Journal 31, but you may not have seen this letter Julie, as I don't think that you joined the Society until 2007. The letter wasn't actually sent to Trevor, but to the children that he taught who had all written letters to her and in answer to the usual question about Kirrin Island, Enid had this to say.

"It was an island I once visited several times when I was in Jersey – it lay off the coast & could only be reached either by boat or by a rocky path exposed when the tide was out. It had an old castle there and I longed to put the island & castle into a book. So I did, as you know!"

Anybody who has a copy of Journal 31 can see this in Enid's own handwriting.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I did join in 2007, Tony, so sadly wouldn't have this Journal.

I have seen some of the letters that Enid wrote to Trevor, and a couple of them he has given me copies, but not the one you are describing. The copies of letters I have, are addressed from Green Hedges, and The Knoll House Hotel. But I always find Enid's writing very hard to read. Trevor has gone through them with me so I now know what they say.

He has told me what most of the letters are about, that is from the ones he still has, many he says he now doesn't have.

One story he told me sounded very sad, he watched some of Green Hedges being pulled down, but couldn't stop as it was so upsetting. I can well imagine this.

[Moonraker]

Trevor Bolton always tells me that Kirrin Island was based on a small island Enid saw in the Channel Islands. She told him this via one of the many many letters that she used to write to Trevor.

Swatisaid.

I guess as suggested, Eileen Soper when asked to illustrate Kirrin Castle, used the derelect Corfe

To my knowledge (which isn't that great), Eileen never visited Corfe Castle.

Kirrin Castle and Faynights castle illustrated by Eileen Soper look alike to me.

And to me! Maybe Eileen didn't visit many ruined castles!

[Lucky Star]

"It was an island I once visited several times when I was in Jersey – it lay off the coast & could only be reached either by boat or by a rocky path exposed when the tide was out. It had an old castle there and I longed to put the island & castle into a book. So I did, as you know!"

This sounds like a fairly distinctive place which must surely be well known on the island of Jersey. Anyone able to name it or provide a picture?

[Carlotta King]

I googled it and there's a castle called Elizabeth Castle on an island near Jersey, its got a causeway at low tide or you can go by boat at high tide, wonder if that's it?

Ignoring the buildings below, the ruin itself looks quite Kirrin-ish!
http://www.britain-magazine.com/wp-cont ... Castle.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tony Summerfield]

You have to remember that Enid actually visited Jersey in the autumn of 1924 and no doubt things were very different then. The only time that she ever really mentioned this visit was in her 'From My Window' on November 5th 1924, when she wrote about visiting the lighthouse at La Corbiere. For those that are interested in what she had to say I have just put this into the Cave.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=149" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lucky Star]

Thanks Tony. La Corbiere sounds more like Demons Rocks to me than Kirrin.

Elizabeth Castle just might be the right place. After all how many places on Jersey can there be which match the description in Enid's letter to Trevor.

[Rob Houghton]

I'm quite surprised at the photo of Elizabeth castle - to me that's even less like my own personal image of Kirrin than Corfe is. It just proves that although Enid says she put this castle and island into a book, she was only really pandering to people's insistence that Kirrin was based on a real place...and I'm still 100% sure that Kirrin was an amalgamation of several castles and islands Enid had known.

[Julie2owlsdene]

There are many little off shore islands around Jersey, I think that Enid had spotted one of these, and maybe saw a ruin of some sort on the island. An old fort or something, and her own imagination then turned it into Kirrin Island and she replaced the building with a ruined castle.

If you read Enid's letter kindly posted by Tony, she says it was an island off Jersey which she liked to visit and you could only get there by boat. Enid's own imagination I think did the rest.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I agree with Julie that the Jersey island and castle probably only sowed a seed in Enid's mind, and that she wasn't trying to replicate them (or indeed any other island and castle) when she created Kirrin.

Enid's account of visiting the lighthouse is very atmospheric, with some striking pieces of description.