In the estuary of the River Dee are three tidal islands situated along a line of bunter sandstone that runs roughly parallel to the shore. Further evidence of this ridge can be seen in two shoals - The Tanskies and The Clady Blacks, which are both covered at high tide. Hilbre is the largest (11 acres) and most northerly of the islands.
Little Hilbre (or Middle Eye) is south-east of Hilbre and is smaller and uninhabited.
The Little Eye is much further south-east and less than half an acre is left exposed on the high water of spring tides. During the winter months this tiny islet is famous as a high tide roost for large numbers of wading birds. The birds are best seen from the mainland, as the presence of people will discourage them from landing.

Although made up of three seperate islands, maps of the area made between 1577 and 1648 all show Hilbre as a single island roughly square with a deep inlet in the south-west corner. Hilbre, itself, is about 11.5 acres, Little Hilbre about 3 acres and The Eye about 0.5 acres.
The name is derived from the Old English Hildeburgh and Eg meaning Hildburgh's Island and is thought to have been a place of pilgrimage from saxon times.

The tide surrounds the islands at approximately three hours before local high water, isolating them from the mainland for five hours in every twelve.
From Tudor times, both Hilbre and Hoyle Lake were used as an anchorage by the small ships that traded with Ireland from the Port of Chester. The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board bought Hilbre in 1856, having previously erected a telegraph station and an automatic tidal-gauge.

Although I tend to refer only to the island of Hilbre, the nature reserve actually consists of all three islands in the group. The maps show the location of the islands, but please note that the islands are actually a lot smaller than the maps suggest, if I had them to scale they'd be virtually invisible.