 In 1949 , the States of Guernsey bought Herm from the Crown because of the " unspoilt island idyll that could be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike " . One of the island 's most influential tenants was Major Peter Wood , who looked after the island from 1949 to 1980 with his wife . The island was run down when he arrived , with the manor hidden in undergrowth , the windows and roofs of the houses having been blown off by a sea mine drifting into the harbour shortly after their arrival , but they created a school , and restored St Tugual 's Chapel . Major Wood 's daughter Pennie Wood Heyworth and her husband Adrian succeeded them ; Major Wood died in 1998 . Their early efforts are recorded in Herm , Our Island Home , written by Major Wood 's wife Jenny Wood . 
