Yesterday I spent the whole day on Holy Island exploring the priory, castle, Jekyll garden and various exhibitions.
The island was home to monks from the arrival from Aidan from Ireland in 635 until, after a disastrous Viking attack in 793 and the threat of another in 875, the monks fled to Chester le Street, later to Ripon, taking the body of St Cuthbert, their sixth Bishop with them. They also carried away the Lindisfarne Gospels, written and illuminated in honour of St Cuthbert. These are now in the British Museum but plenty of enlarged photographs are displayed on the island. The priory was rebuilt in 1120 and remained comparatively peaceful, in contrast to the adjacent mainland which was raided frequently by the Scots, until the Dissolution.
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| Lindisfarne Priory |
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| Aidan |
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Monks carrying coffin
of St Cuthbert |
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Memorial stone showing
Viking invaders with axes |
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Limestone pattern for lead
illumination pattern |
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| Apology for Viking raid |
Soon after the Dissolution the island became an army stronghold to repel the Scots. Much of the priory stone was used to build the castle. Line-of-battle ships were anchored in the harbour.After the Union its importance diminished and it was partially dismantled until Edward Hudson, editor of Country Life, bought it and it was restored for him as a private residence by Edward Lutyens in 1901. Gertrude Jekyll designed a small garden within the castle boundaries. The family have very fond memories of summers spent there. It was donated to the National Trust in 1944.
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| Lindisfarne castle |
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| Lutyens restoration |
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Painted wind indicator,
linked to roof weather vane |
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| Gertrude Jekyll |
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| Jekyll garden |
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I made sure to get back over the
Causeway before the tide came in
so as not to need that little
“Refuge” ! |
