Lindisfarne Priory - Holy Island

Holy Island

Northumberland, England North East



Review added: 20/06/2011 13:32
By: durhamgirl (£67.00 earned from reviews) Earn £££'s

"Lindisfarne Priory sits on the small island of Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, which is just off the Northumberland coast. The island is accessible only by a short causeway which is revealed at low tide.

The Priory is very near to Lindisfarne Castle which was built shortly after the Priory ceased to be in use and used some of the Priory's stone in it's build.

Founded by Saint Aidan in 635, the monastry soon became the base for all Christian teachings over the North east of England. Monks who had previously been living on Iona, a small island in the Inner Hebrides, settled on Lindisfarne and made it their home. Saint Cuthbert, who is the patron saint of Northumberland was a monk here. He later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. After his death he was buried here, but his remains were later exhumed and the monks carried him to Durham Cathedral, where he still rests.

The Priory was also the original home of the Lindisfarne Gospels, an illustrated Latin copy of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John made sometime in the early 700s. Although it cannot be said for certain, the Gospels were most likely made here and the artist is likely to be Eadfrith, who later became Bishop of Lindisfarne after Saint Cuthbert's death. Unfortunately the original Gospels are now housed elsewhere.

The Priory is now in a state of ruin, but you can easily see where the original buildings and rooms once were. Compared to other ruins of the same age, quite a lot of the buildings are still fairly complete, having walls, archways and towers still standing. On lots of the walls there are the remenants of really ornate carvings that were done by the monks. The whole site is very peaceful and it is an excellent place to relax.

The views are truly spectacular from here. There is a great view of the sea and the Priory is only a very short distance from it.

During the sumemr they hold special events, so I would recommend checking the website before visiting. Events this summer include, Meet the Saxons and Viking Raders.

The site is owned by English Heritage and is open between 9.30am - 5pm over the summer. In the autumn the site closes at 4pm.

Admission prices are Adults: £4.80, Children: £2.90, Concessions: £4.30, English Heritage Member Cost: Free.

There is a WC onsite and dogs on leads are allowed. There is no onsite parking, but there is a pay and display in the village which is a short walk."

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