Lindisfarne - Northumberland
Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island is located a few miles south of the border with Scotland in Northumberland. The small tidal island is 1000 acres and is around 0.8 miles from the mainland. At low tide, you can access the island via the causeway that was built in 1954 or you can chance the 11th century ‘Pilgrims Path’ that runs over sand and mudflats and is covered with water at high tide.
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In 593 Ethelfrith was the king of Bernicia until his death in 616. In 604 he also became the ruler of neighbouring land of Deira. Ethelfrith was succeeded by Edwin, his wife’s brother. Edwin ruled until he was defeated in battle by Cadwallen ap Cadfan, King of the Britons, in 633. The realm was divided after his death, Bernicia was succeeded by Eanfrith, son of Ethelfrith and Deira was succeeded by Osric, Edwin’s cousin. Both reverted to paganism and were both killed by Cadwallen in 634. Cadwallen was the King of the Britons from 625 and was one of the last recorded Celtic Britons to hold substantial lands in Eastern Britain.
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King Ethelfrith had another son, Oswald, born in 604 who was brought up to be king, sent to live in exile on the Scottish island of Iona from 616 after the death of his father. Following the death of his brother, Eanfrith and Osric in 634 Oswald returned to Northumbria to take back the lands that were rightfully his. He defeated Cadwallen and reunited the two kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira.
King Oswald vowed to reinstate Christianity to England and sent for an Irish monk named Aidan who he had known from his time in exile on Iona. In 634, a priory was founded on Lindisfarne by Aidan who remained there as bishop until his death in 651. In his lifetime, Aidan travelled England, spreading the word of Christianity and converting many Anglo Saxon pagans, including many in Mercia. Aidan was canonized after his death an buried within the abbey which he founded on Lindisfarne with some of his relics sent to Glastonbury Abbey.
Lindisfarne became known as the cradle of Christianity in England and one of the islands most notable figures is St Cuthbert. Cuthbert was born around 634 in Dunbar which was once part of Northumbria but is now in Scotland. He grew up in Lauderdale near a daughter house of Lindisfarne called Old Melrose Abbey. In his younger years he may have been in the military. After he saw a vision of St Aidan on the night that he died, Cuthbert decided that he wanted to become a monk. After placements at several other monasteries he went to Lindisfarne in 665 and eventually became bishop in 684. After only two years of being bishop, Cuthbert believed that he was going to die and resigned as bishop and became a hermit. He was known to have performed many miracles during his lifetime including:
Expelling the demons from King Ecgfrith’s wife, curing a monk of diarrhoea, after praying in the sea, otters surrounded his feet to dry and warm them with their fur and breath. After his death, his remains were buried on Lindisfarne and it is believed that people were healed from whatever afflictions that they were suffering from. In the 9th century, Cuthbert’s remains were exhumed and moved to Durham Cathedral after one of the first Viking raids to hit England in 793.
In 793 a Viking raid on Lindisfarne left it devastated. Many of the monks were either brutally murdered or taken as slaves, few managed to escape. This was the start of many more raids across the whole country and by 866, the Dane’s had taken York.
The Anglo Saxon Chronicle records:
“In the year fierce, foreboding omens came over the
land of the Northumbrians, and the wretched people
shook; there were excessive whirlwinds, lightning and
fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. These signs
were followed by great famine, and a little after these,
that same year on 6th ides of January, the ravaging of
wretched heathen men destroyed God’s church at
Lindisfarne.”
A Northumbrian scholar who served in Charlemagne’s court wrote:
“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 in the temple of God
like dung in the streets.”
The Anglo Saxon Chronicle records:
“In the year fierce, foreboding omens came over the
land of the Northumbrians, and the wretched people
shook; there were excessive whirlwinds, lightning and
fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. These signs
were followed by great famine, and a little after these,
that same year on 6th ides of January, the ravaging of
wretched heathen men destroyed God’s church at
Lindisfarne.”
A Northumbrian scholar who served in Charlemagne’s court wrote:
“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 in the temple of God
like dung in the streets.”
After the Norman conquest of 1066, the Viking raids stopped and William the Conqueror divided England between his barons with himself ruling as King of England.
The first Norman bishop of Durham, William of St Calais, re-established the priory on Lindisfarne as a Benedictine monastery in 1093. Most of the ruins that can be seen today are from this era.
In 1536, the Benedictine monastery was abandoned as part of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. His troops used the remains as a naval store until much of the stone was reused by the Earl of Rutland to build a fort under the instruction of Henry VIII incase of possible invasion from the Scots in 1542. The fort held some of the most technological guns of that time. It was later strengthened during the reign of Elizabeth I who had the work carried out by Sir Richard Lee who was the military engineer for Henry VII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I. £1191 was spent on the fort which would be close to £300,000 in todays money.
The first Norman bishop of Durham, William of St Calais, re-established the priory on Lindisfarne as a Benedictine monastery in 1093. Most of the ruins that can be seen today are from this era.
In 1536, the Benedictine monastery was abandoned as part of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. His troops used the remains as a naval store until much of the stone was reused by the Earl of Rutland to build a fort under the instruction of Henry VIII incase of possible invasion from the Scots in 1542. The fort held some of the most technological guns of that time. It was later strengthened during the reign of Elizabeth I who had the work carried out by Sir Richard Lee who was the military engineer for Henry VII, Edward VI and Elizabeth I. £1191 was spent on the fort which would be close to £300,000 in todays money.
When James I combined the English and Scottish thrones, there was no need for the defenses anymore.
During the 18th century, Jacobite rebels occupied the castle for a short time before being captured and imprisoned. They dug their way out and lay in hiding for nine days before making a full escape.
The castle served another purpose years later as a coastguards lookout and in 1901 it was purchased by the owner of Country Life magazine, Edward Hudson who refurbished it in the Arts and Craft style.
During the 18th century, Jacobite rebels occupied the castle for a short time before being captured and imprisoned. They dug their way out and lay in hiding for nine days before making a full escape.
The castle served another purpose years later as a coastguards lookout and in 1901 it was purchased by the owner of Country Life magazine, Edward Hudson who refurbished it in the Arts and Craft style.
The mystical Holy Island is steeped in tales of myth, legend and the supernatural. To local fishermen, the sound or sight of pigs is a sign of oncoming doom. To counteract the foreboding warning, they believe that they should touch something made of silver to ward away danger.
A phantom white dog has been seen around the ruins of the priory and around the castle. Locals claim that the dog jumps down from the castle steps towards people and then runs off.
A soldier from the time of the English Civil War has been seen roaming around the castle grounds. It is believed that he was a victim from when the Parliamentarian’s attacked a Royalist garrison at the castle. Doors and windows have been known to lock, unlock, open and close when no one is around. A local legend that ties in with an actual history event in the castles history is used to explain the phenomena. There were two people who made up the garrison, one being an elderly gunner who, hen off duty was a barber. He was tricked when Lancelot Errington, a loyal Jacobite pretended to be a customer. After receiving his shave, he left but returned later with his nephew, claiming that he had left his keys behind. They held the old gunner at pistol point an took over the castle until they were captured and jailed. The elderly gunner may be part of the story of when the Jacobite’s really did take over the castle for a short time. It is believed that the old gunner still roams the castle checking that there is no one around that shouldn’t be.
St Cuthbert is believed to have been seen on many parts of the island. The oldest account is from the Saxon King, Alfred the Great, when he was a fugitive on Lindisfarne. He had a vision of St Cuthbert who assured him that all will be well and that one day he would become the king of England. This visitation inspired him in his fight against the Dane’s. St Cuthbert has been seen sitting on the rock near to the shoreline, working his famous ‘Cuddy’s Beads’, which he used as a rosary, ‘Cuddy’s Beads’ are round fossils also known as ‘star-lilies’ that are sometimes found on the beach. Locals also refer to them as ‘feather stars’ and are used as lucky charms.
Sir Walter Scott wrote a poem titled, ‘Marmion’ in 1806,which includes the following verse about the ghost of St Cuthbert:
‘On a rock by Lindisfarne
St Cuthbert sits, and toils to frame
The sea-born beads that bear his name;
Such tales had Whitby’s fishers told,
and said the might his shape behold,
And hear his anvil sound;
A deafening clang-a huge dim form
Seen but, and head, when gathering storm
A night were closing round.’
‘On a rock by Lindisfarne
St Cuthbert sits, and toils to frame
The sea-born beads that bear his name;
Such tales had Whitby’s fishers told,
and said the might his shape behold,
And hear his anvil sound;
A deafening clang-a huge dim form
Seen but, and head, when gathering storm
A night were closing round.’
Members of the choir who practice at the local parish church believe to have seen the saints ghost many times when leaving after rehearsal. Many locals say that he can always be seen at high tide when the moon is full.
Phantom monks have been seen around the priory and castle. They are believed to be the ghosts of the monks who were murdered during the Viking raid of 793.
Phantom monks have been seen around the priory and castle. They are believed to be the ghosts of the monks who were murdered during the Viking raid of 793.