▁w alled ▁for ▁land ▁re clam ation ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁and ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁its ▁history ▁has ▁been ▁used ▁for ▁far ming . ▁It ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a rable ▁land ▁and ▁for ▁gra zing ▁cattle , ▁and ▁at ▁times ▁for ▁sm ugg ling ; ▁the ▁last ▁inhabitants ▁left ▁the ▁island ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁summer ▁gra zing ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 ▁a ▁gra vel ▁company ▁set ▁up ▁sh ing le ▁extra ction ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁un prof itable ▁and ▁they ▁soon ▁left . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁military ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁along ▁with ▁Or ford ▁N ess . ▁Without ▁human ▁inter vention ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁salt ▁water ▁flo oded ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁making ▁it ▁un su itable ▁for ▁agricult ural ▁use . ▁Ha ver gate ▁Island ▁was ▁formerly ▁an ▁extra - par och ial ▁area , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 ▁it ▁became ▁a ▁civil ▁parish ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁the ▁parish ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 0 . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁the ▁parish ▁was ▁abol ished ▁and ▁merged ▁into ▁Or ford . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁pied ▁av oc ets ▁were ▁found ▁on ▁the ▁island , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁at ▁nearby ▁M ins m ere , ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁UK