A quiet place to read, slow down and disconnect

Reading retreats seem to be popular at the moment. They are popular across social media. They feature tucked-away cottages and woodland hideaways. Often, these retreats offer carefully curated breaks that promise uninterrupted time with books. These retreats are often described as a digital detox or literary escape. Their focus is simple. They offer fewer distractions, more time, and space to read.

Although it does not advertise itself as a reading retreat. It struck me that Lundy provides a perfect place to retreat to with books. It offers limited distractions and plenty of places to sit and read. These are the conditions that many reading retreats try to create.

A natural digital detox

A reading retreat is essentially a holiday dedicated to reading in a calm environment. Some retreats are organised around specific books or authors, and others take place in locations connected to the story itself. What they all share is a sense of stepping away from everyday demands.

On Lundy, this happens without planning it. There is very limited internet access and no televisions in the accommodation. There are no busy high streets — no commercialism and no pressure to fill your day. Reading fits naturally into Lundy life.

As a resident. I often take a book with me on a day off or between shifts. Then, I find a quiet place to read for a while. Visitors do the same. They settle into the slower pace. They discover how easy it is to spend hours with a book when there’s nothing else competing for attention.

Libraries of books

Lundy has a small but much-loved library in the Tavern. The process is simple: take a book and leave one if you can. There are no barcodes, no due dates and no pressure to finish before you go. If a book needs to travel home with you, that’s fine too.

The shelves include a wide range of titles, from easy holiday reads to crime novels, thrillers, nature writing and history. Many books arrive with visitors and leave with others, quietly circulating between stays.

There is also a reference bookshelf of books linked to Lundy. These can be browsed in the Tavern. Many are available to buy from the shop if you want to spend more time with them. Reading about Lundy while being on the island adds another dimension. This is especially true when the places and stories you’re reading about are just outside the door.

Each property on the island also has its own bookshelf, curated by the official Lundy Librarian and author Michael Williams. Depending on where you stay, you find books about lighthouses, shipwrecks, smugglers or stories rooted in local landscapes.

Places to read

Reading on Lundy is shaped by the weather. On wet or windy days, there’s nothing better than settling indoors. You can cozy up with a book and a mug of tea while watching the weather through the window. On calmer and sunnier days its great to head outside and get a dose of vitamin C whilst you read. You can finding shelter behind dry stone walls, in the lee of the castle or under rocks on cliff edges. Some of my favourite places are down by the jetty in the morning sun. The battery at Sunset, Benjamin’s chair on a Northerly wind. Quarry beach on a Westerly wind. On the flat plateau, just North of Devils Lime kiln. Or, in Millcombe Valley with its sheltered benches. My Top Tip: Bring a flask and a seat pad along with your books.

No commercial distractions

What makes Lundy particularly suited to a reading retreat is what isn’t here. There is little commercialism, no constant digital pull and no expectation to be busy. Reading isn’t treated as an activity you need to schedule; it simply fills the gaps between walks, meals and conversations.

Lundy as a reading retreat

Lundy offers the conditions that make this possible. These include time, calm, and solitude when you want it. It also provides a landscape that encourages you to slow down.

My current reading shelf

I’d love to hear what you are reading at the moment, so post in the comments if you can.