Monday 3 April 2017

Holy Island - Lindisfarne

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne





I was very excited to be going over to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, and had checked the tide tables to ensure I had the most time possible from my visit. Tide tables giving the safe crossing periods are online at www.northumberland.gov.uk. It was early in the morning, and not the best of weather; but the sight of Lindisfarne Castle standing proudly on the horizon was enthralling.



As I left the mainland, the causeway, that was only built in 1953, was still wet – the tide was going out and the water glistened on the mud flats.  I was eager to get onto the island before it was too busy as although less than 200 people live on the island, more than 700,000 people visit it every year, wanting to enjoy the few hours between tides.








As I drove over on the tarmac causeway, I could see “The Pilgrims Path”, that was marked by tall wooden poles in the muddy flats. This is the route Pilgrims have used to cross since the 11th Century and although it is still a popular walk, it is fraught with danger - as it is incredible muddy.





When I eventually left the 3-mile tidal track (1 mile of which is completely covered by sea at high tide), I parked up and headed towards the castle. Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century and is incredibly important in the Christian world.


In 635AD St Aidan arrived here from Iona and established his Monastery, from where the Christianity spread across the world, and after Viking invasions and the Norman conquest, the priory was re-established.


It was a lovely mile walk along the coast to the castle, which looked so impressive as I approached it. Lindisfarne Castle (which now belongs to The National Trust) was built in the 1500's high on a 30-foot-high volcanic mound, to protect it from invaders; it is the highest point on the island with great panoramic views.




In the 18th Century the Castle fell into a state of disrepair until Edward Hudson bought it and converted it into the massive house that it is now.




I loved the furnishings in the rooms, old dark oak furniture, leaded windows, stone fireplaces and a particularly impressive painting above one fireplace.




The views from the Castle were breathtaking, especially the coast with Bamburgh Castle in the distance.



Just north of the Castle are the walled gardens which Gertrude Jekyll laid out in 1911, these have been recreated to their original plans; and behind the Castle are some well-preserved examples of 19th Century Lime Kilns.



After exploring the Castle, I headed along the shingle coastline, (that was dotted with stone Cairns), heading towards Emmanuel Head and its 15-metre-tall white pyramid (an old navigation point).



When the heavens opened, there was nowhere to shelter along that stretch of the coastal path, but as I came nearer to a long sandy stretch of beach with huge sand dunes, the sun started to come out.




I could hear such a noise in the distance, it was so loud and I had no idea what it was, but as I got closer to an area of boulders and dark rocks that appeared to be moving - I realised that they were seals.



More seals than I have ever seen in any one place. There were dark seals, light seals, spotted seals – all making such a noise. It felt a real privilege to be able to get so close to them, to be the only person about, watching them playing in the shallows shouting out to each other.



It was a very special moment. As the sun, had come out, the whole day bought on a new meaning and it gave me an idea.



Instead of rushing back to my car and leaving on the next low tide – I decided to stop on the island, to do some more exploring and leave much later in the day - on the following low tide. It was the best decision I could have made.

After walking the length of the island along the coastal path (no longer than 3 miles), I returned by the tracks through the centre of the island. This interior was mainly grassy meadows with sheep grazing, and wild flowers growing out of the sandy banks with countless bees and colourful butterflies.





As the sun was shining now the Castle looked even more magnificent as I approached it from a different angle.

Once I reached the harbour again with its fishing nets, crab pots and upturned fishing boats, I turned right and headed towards the village. There isn’t much to see in the village, and as most of the tourists had left for the day, it felt eerily deserted. It was quite idyllic though, and I felt like I had the whole place to myself; I just wished there were a few more shops open.
 



But you can’t have everything! Close to the Village Square I found the Priory and the Visitor Centre, with information about the Island and an exhibition on the famous 8th Century ‘Lindisfarne Gospels' that were created here on Holy Island.

They are an illustrated Latin copy of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, made in the memory of Cuthbert (by the artist Eadfrith who himself went on to be Bishop of Lindisfarne) and in the 10th century a monk named Aldred added an Anglo-Saxon (Old English) gloss to the Latin text. The illustrations are a fusion of Celtic, Germanic and Roman elements that are truly outstanding and were pressed, bound and then covered with a fine metal case. They are the earliest surviving English copies of the Gospels, and although they now reside in the British Library in London, there are copies of this wonderful manuscript on display in The Lindisfarne Centre.

After some time at the centre, a look at the stone carvings and displays in the shop, I carried on towards the Priory itself, which although it is now extensive ruins, I could feel how important this place used to be. An Irish monk called Saint Aidan founded the monastery in approximately 634AD; he had been sent from Iona, off the west coast of Scotland, to Northumbria, at the request of King Oswald, and he remained there until his death in 651. The most famous resident of the Priory though was St Cuthbert.
He came out of retirement on the Farne Islands to become Bishop of Lindisfarne in 684AD, although he returned to his beloved Farne Islands when became ill and died soon after, but he was buried on Lindisfarne. Legend has it that his casket was opened 11 years later and his body was still perfectly preserved – apparently, a sign of his sainthood! The location of the Island and the richness of the Priory left it open to frequent raids from Vikings, and by 875AD the Monks had fled, taking with them the bones of St Cuthbert, who is now laid to rest in Durham Cathedral.
 

The priory was re-established in Norman times as a Benedictine house and continued until the suppression in 1536 under Henry VIII, when it fell into a state of disrepair until its restoration in 1860. The current ruins that I walked around, dated from this later rebuilt priory and have a modern statue dedicated to St Cuthbert placed amongst them. The site of the original priory is now occupied by the parish church of St Mary the Virgin and is the oldest building on the island. The north aisle is known as the "fishermen's aisle" and houses the altar of St. Peter and the south aisle (used to be the altar of St. Margaret of Scotland), now houses the organ. For me, the most interesting part of the church, was the life-size wooden carving of the monks carrying St Cuthbert’s body. It didn’t feel appropriate taking photographs in this religious place – so these photos aren’t actually mine.

I needed a sit down and time to eat my picnic before I went much further, and found a grassy bank looking out towards the coast, but behind me was one of the most vibrant coloured fields I have ever seen. There were more red poppies that you could imagine – a most delightful sight. After a rest, I walked up to The Heugh and Steel End, one of the highest points on the island (after the Castle); it is a natural ridge that shelters the Priory, the village and the harbour.


There is a war memorial at the top, a coast guard station and the best views out over the ocean. I was so lucky that the weather was still being kind to me, all the extra hours that I spent wandering around the almost deserted island, would not have been nearly as pleasant if it had been raining. I sat for quite some time on the top of the ridge, just looking out to sea and thinking of the history that had been made on this smallest but most important of islands.


Just down below I could see a tiny island, St Cuthbert’s Isle, which was the original 7th century hermitage of Cuthbert. All that can be seen now is a wooden cross on the grassy island - that is only accessible at low tide. After a rest, I walked down to the harbour again, then back through the village, stopping to buy a bottle of special Lindisfarne Mead.

In medieval times when monks inhabited the island, it was thought, “if the soul was in God's keeping, the body must be fortified with Lindisfarne mead”. The monks have long vanished, but the mead's recipe remains a secret of the family which still produces it; Lindisfarne Mead from St Aidan's Winery. As the sun began to fade, my day was nearly over. It had been the most special of days, especially since the tide came in and cut off the island from the rest of the world.


It had truly become its own little haven, a calm wilderness; and I would definitely recommend staying if tide and time permits. The sea began to retreat and once again the causeway reopened; although there weren’t many vehicles coming onto the island this late in the day. I cautiously drove over the wet tarmac, leaving behind me a wonderful place but taking with me, many beautiful memories.



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Lynne

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