EIGHT APOCALYPSE HIDEOUTS

Liverpool 80 miles, Birmingham 100 miles

1. STEEP HOLM, BRISTOL CHANNEL Distance from Cardiff: 9 miles (by sea); Bristol 37 miles (by sea and land)

Sharing a friend’s boat, I’d head for this island nature reserve. It’s a comforting five nautical miles from Weston-super-Mare (and whatever contagions ravage the mainland), inaccessible to those without a decent sea-going vessel, and uninhabited. The 50-acre isle is easily defended: its steep sides rise for 250ft, the tides are some of the most extreme on Earth, and landings are only possible in calm seas at high tide. There are habitable buildings, caves to hide in, plentiful trees, and all kinds of useful paraphernalia left from 19th and 20th-century fortifications. Best of all, the whole island is made of useful limestone. Dixe Wills, author of Places to Hide in England, Scotland & Wales

2. A PRISON e.g. Dartmoor Prison (Bristol 111 miles)

There’s a lot to be said for trying to hide yourselves away in as remote a spot as possible – but I think your community of survivors would be far better off finding a secure, easily defensible location before other groups have the same idea. One of the safest places might, ironically, be a prison. You’d have a self-contained compound with high walls, sturdy gates and watch towers – intended to prevent the inhabitants from escaping but equally effective as a defensive refuge for keeping others out. Dartmoor Prison for example, is set in farmland, and protected by high granite walls. Perhaps even better, Shepton Mallet Prison was closed in 2013 so you wouldn’t need to worry about existing occupants. Professor Lewis Dartnell is author of The Knowledge: How to Rebuild Our World from Scratch (www.the-knowledge.org).

4. CWM CYWARCH, SNOWDONIA

The mountain-defended, forest-clad Dyfi Valley, with its estuarine river and saltmarsh, is perfect for fishing, hunting and foraging. The selfsufficiency settlers who came here in the 1970s enriched an already hardy hill-farming community with experts in natural water treatment, renewable energy, eco-construction, organic agriculture, folk-craft, bushcraft, resilience, alternative economics and natural medicine. It might be hopelessly idealistic, but invaders to the valley would be welcomed – and trained. If a defensible base was needed, Cwm Cywarch would be a good choice. This valley is protected by steep ridges on three sides. Julie Brominicks, travel writer

5. TREFOR, GWYNEDD Liverpool 90 miles

The people of this tiny settlement on North Wales’ Llyn Peninsula are fortunate. High granite hills protect an enclave of green pastures that roll down to the sea. There is woodland, and useful limestone nearby. The sea provides fish, and allows water-borne foraging trips. Defensibility is impressive. A wall of six craggy peaks protects the farmland, and in the event of attack from land or water, defenders could retreat to the most seaward of these hills, where a formidable ruined quarry complex would serve as a fortress. Joe Pontin is features editor at BBC Countryfile Magazine, and is writing a novel set in a post-apocalypse world

6. KNOYDART, HIGHLAND Edinburgh 170 miles, Inverness 70 miles

Getting to one of the most remote places in Britain wouldn’t be easy, as even today it’s a long journey from my Edinburgh home, culminating in a ferry ride or an 18km hike through some wild terrain. But prior to the 19th-century Highland Clearances, 1,000 people lived off the land here, compared to about 100 today. With an existing off-grid hydroelectric scheme, plentiful forests, good fishing and venison farming, a crofting way of life could support a larger community – we’d just have to keep lookout over the loch in case too many others had similar ideas. Hermione Cockburn, science broadcaster

7. OSEA ISLAND, ESSEX Central London 55 miles

The British Army teaches defence with the mnemonic DAMROD – Depth, All Round Defence, Mutual Support, Reserves, Offensive Spirit and Deception. Survival after the apocalypse won’t entail exactly the same considerations, but these principles are a useful starting point.

The estuary of the River Blackwater provides defence in depth, and the surviving communities of the islands in the area could support each other. There are plentiful resources: on Osea Island, the small collection of homes could comfortably house around 150, and there are suitable conditions to grow fruit and vegetables and keep livestock. Essential arms for defending the island could be found at nearby Colchester Garrison and boats from surrounding marinas could be used for foraging parties, sailing around the coast and even into the ruins of London; and, if required, as escape vessels. Patrick Hennessy, writer, barrister and former soldier

8. NORMAN’S LAW, FIFE Dundee 15 miles, Edinburgh 45 miles

Whenever the news is too terrible to bear, I joke that I’m glad I grow my own food. Faced with an apocalypse, any other consideration is secondary. Hence, should the worst happen, I would most likely stick to my own quiet corner of North East Fife.

The land is a fertile mix of arable and upland grazing, with plentiful forestry for firewood. The Tay Estuary and North Sea provide essential fish and travel.

It’s close enough to flee to from the city, and should attack come, then the Iron Age hill fort at the summit of Norman’s Law is easily defensible. James Oswald, farmer and novelist