Last one I promise! You can read Part One, Two, and the extra bit about the trip to the Farne Islands, respectively…

On the day before heading back to Lancashire, dad and I decided to visit Lindisfarne, perhaps better known as Holy Island, a tidal island just off the cost of Northumberland. The island is managed and maintained by the National Trust. I’d always been a bit nervy about visiting Holy Island before because of the high tide cutting the island off twice a day; I’ve always had a fear of being trapped anywhere, and I don’t know, I guess I just imagined being stuck on the causeway as the tide rushed in. I also (for some bananas reason) imagined that the causeway over to the island was literally driving on the sand, and there was the potential to get stuck in it – my brain hadn’t computed it was actually a tarmac road. I guess, living near Morecambe Bay, I’d imagined something more bonkers like trying to 4×4 it from Arnside to Grange-Over-Sands, dodging quicksand as you went.

Anyway, we checked the tide times, something you must do if you plan to visit Holy Island, and noted that the safe crossing time was between 9am – 3.30pm. Perfect. We drove up the A1 to the turn-off (it’s only about a 30 minute drive from Seahouses), and headed out over the causeway. There’s also a walking route for those who wish to walk over to the island (it’s a pilgrimage route for those who are interested in that sort of thing), although I imagine the safe crossing times are probably a shorter window for walkers, as it would take you a bit longer to get out of the way of the oncoming tide. Despite all the warnings about the crossing, about one vehicle a month gets stuck on the causeway, meaning a rescue has to be launched by the RNLI/HM Coastguard, which reportedly costs about £3,500 per rescue.

Once reaching the main island, because my parents are blue badge holders, we were able to drive up into the small village in order to park. Other cars have to park a little way outside of the settlement in order to protect it from the problems associated with lots of vehicles/pollution, and walk into the village. One thing I did find surprising about Lindisfarne was that it was bigger than I expected. I had imagined the ruins of the priory, a museum, and maybe a collection of houses with a café. In fact there was quite a thriving community – there’s a sixteenth century castle out on the peninsula (quite a walk), the priory ruins with museum, along with another museum about the history of the island, several cafes, a few pubs, shops, a hotel, a gelato seller, and lots of houses – some of which have permanent residents, others of which are holiday lets.

The island was very busy, given that it was crossing time, but I could imagine during the off times twice a day, and at night, it would be extremely peaceful out there. The only downside out there, other than a tiny one, is that there’s no food shop, as such, so you better get your food before you cross otherwise you’re a bit stuck (for half a day). In the few hours we were there, we wandered around the quaint little streets, stopped off in a nice cafe which had some extremely friendly birdlife (at one point it felt like I was having to fight the sparrows for the rights to my sausage roll), and had a look in the museum before looking in the priory, which is looked after by English Heritage.

I was a little bit disappointed with the priory information, I was hoping for more detail about the Viking raids of the 8th & 9th century, particularly the first one; what happened, how it unfolded, the reasons behind it etc. etc., instead the information was more focused on monastic life, and the lives of St Cuthbert and St Aiden (the reason why the island is called Holy Island btw). Which, cool, I guess, but I’ve never really been a huge nerd for monastic history. It has its moments, I suppose.

What Lindisfarne is most famous for, is the Lindisfarne Gospels, which these days can be found in the British Library. They do occasionally make the trip back to Lindisfarne to be displayed in the museum there, but rarely, so if it’s those you want to see – the British Library is a much safer bet. The gospels themselves are absolutely stunning – pictured below is the front page of the Gospel according to Luke. There were produced in the early 8th century, a presumed to be the work of a monk named Eadfrith, who became bishop of Lindisfarne. It is postulated that the gospels were created in honour of St Cuthbert, and they are considered to be one of the greatest surviving examples of Hiberno-Saxon work.

The Viking raid on the island in 793 is often considered the “beginning” of the Viking Age, and shockwaves rippled through the Christian West following the attack. There had been other raids before, but this one was more shocking as it hit at the “cradle of Christianity” in the Kingdom of Northumbria, where many saints relics were held. It was widely believed that God had sent the Vikings as punishment for perceived sins of Christians.

“Never before has such terror appeared in Britain as we have now suffered from a pagan race … The heathens poured out the blood of saints around the altar, and trampled on the bodies of saints in the temple of God…” – Alcuin, Chronicler.

There were several more attacks into the mid 9th century, causing the priory to be abandoned. The surviving monks took the relics of St Cuthbert and St Aidan to Durham Cathedral. Following the Norman Invasion of Britain in 1066 and the cessation of Viking Raids, monks returned to the island, rebuilding and reinstating the relics. The priory operated until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII in 1536, when it was permanently closed and stripped of it’s assets, many of which were sold.

I have to admit, Anglo-Saxon history is a period of history I don’t know a huge amount about. I studied monastic history and the hagiography of saints, as one of my modules for a term when I was at university, but that was about it. I always keen to learn more, so whilst I was in the English Heritage shop, I bought a book ‘Anglo Saxons’ by Marc Morris, and look forward to reading it to learn more about this interesting and unstable period in British History.

Anyway, back to the present day, and after nearly getting blown away on the beach, dad and I headed back across the causeway and for Seahouses.

We headed home the next day, after a wonderful week away. I really love that coastline – it’s rugged, beautiful, the beaches are clean with soft sand, there’s lots of wildlife, and plenty to do when the weather is fine like we had it. We’ve been up there several times, and positive we’ll head back again in the future. We have to, I’ve yet to see Dolphins in the North Sea and that’s one of my bucket list things to do!