GRASMERE Island was left to the National Trust by a reclusive spinster from south-east London, it has been revealed.

The mystery benefactor has been named as Alison Mack, who was given the idyllic landmark by her mother in 1973.

The National Trust, which revealed the gift last month, described it as a 'hugely symbolic' gesture.

Miss Mack, from Bromley, died aged 86 in February, 2014, leaving an estate worth £1.9 million.

Grasmere Island is thought to have been owned by her family since the 1940s or 1950s when her family acquired nearby farmland.

The island played a significant role in the formation of the National Trust after it was sold in 1893 to a Mr Belk from Middlesbrough, angering locals who wanted to see it protected.

The controversial sale inspired Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, Sir Robert Hunter and Octavia Hill to form the conservation charity in 1895.

Miss Mack is said to have enjoyed regular holidays in the Lake District but had not visited the area for many years. Her family have described her as 'a bit of a recluse'.

Grasmere Island provides a quiet haven for wildlife, including a heronry comprising four nests, which is thought to have been established there because of the relative lack of human disturbance.