Claire McGowan
Five writers walk us along the beguiling routes of tidal causeways. Today, Burgh Island.
The Essay · BBC Radio 3
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Show Notes
Claire McGowan enters the freezing waters off Burgh Island, connected at low tide to the mainland by a short sandy causeway.
There are 43 tidal islands around the UK, accessible just briefly each day along beguiling and perilous paths. Across the series, five writers walk their favourite causeway to islands of refuge, pilgrimage, magic and glamour.
Claire grew up with the mythology of the giant Finn McCool flinging rocks at a rival in Scotland and building the Giant’s Causeway. Arriving at Burgh Island, she steps into tranquil 1920s glamour, to sip Agatha Christie inspired cocktails in the Art Deco hotel bar. In this time capsule, Claire explores our relationship with Golden Age Crime and her own past; as the tide retreats, past relationships disappear with the waves and time simultaneously changes and stays still.
Producer: Sarah Bowen