Holy island
Lindisfarne
Lying offshore in an unbelievably magical setting, the sacred and almost mysterious castle atop Holy island attracts thousands of visitors every year. Crossing the causeway which is revealed at low tide, visitors and pilgrims make their way to the home of English Christianity.
In 635, the Irish monk St Aiden left Iona in western Scotland arriving in Northumbria to convert the northeast of England. He founded the monastery on Holy Isle also known by its Celtic name as Lindisfarne; the place became the most famous centre for Christianity in England, its Monastery grew in importance and scholarship and as a place of pilgrimage due to St Cuthbert’s shrine.
However in the 9th century Viking raids started and the place was sacked repeatedly eventually the monks fled to the mainland taking the Gospel and remains of Cuthbert with them and started their long journey to find a suitable resting place for the remains of the saint, a journey which was to take a hundred years.
The whole place is very atmospheric and steeped in religious history the beautiful red Sandstone remains of the priory can be seen in part of the cloister and an archway. The priory was founded in the 11th century but like most religious places of this kind did not survive the onslaught of the dissolution in 1537.
The Island is also home to St Mary’s Church and the heritage centre where you can see a copy of the Lindisfarne Gospels the original is in the British Library.
The castle was bought in 1902 by Mr Edward Hudson the owner of Country life magazine he commissioned Sir Edward Lutyens who converted it to a residence , for the tiny walled garden Gertrude Jekyll was asked to design it, this can be seen outside the castle 500 hundred yards to the north.
The island can be reached by a causeway accessible at low tide please check the times as visitors have been caught out by the incoming tide and had to use the refuge abandoning their cars in the process.
Activities in Holy island
Visit abcbritain's profile on Pinterest.