A lifetime of Islands: Island 14 - Lindisfarne/Holy Island

Monday, 7 March 2011

Island 14 - Lindisfarne/Holy Island

Lindisfarne or Holy Island is a tidal island located off the east coast of Northumberland. The causeway, which is a metalled road, is a mile long and is uncovered for just over 3 hours either side of low tide. The island is about 3 miles from east to west (due to a panhandle shape) and 1.5 miles from north to south. In 2011 the population was 180.

I first visited Lindisfarne on a day trip from Essex in the 1970s! It was a specially organised excursion train. I have been back several times since.

There is a hotel and several bed and breakfasts in the village. There are also several cafés, a few gift/craft shops and a couple of pubs.

The ruins of Lindisfarne Priory are managed by English Heritage. The priory was founded by St Aidan in 635 AD. St Cuthbert (c634-687) was Prior of Lindisfarne and lived there when he wasn't living as a hermit on Inner Farne or away on missionary journeys. Due to attacks by the Vikings the monks left at the end of the 8th Century and did not return until around 1150 when they stayed until the Reformation in 1537.

Lindisfarne Castle is owned by the National Trust and is open to visitors. The castle was a 16th Century Tudor fort but was transformed by Edwin Lutyens into an Edwardian holiday home in 1903. The walled garden was planned by Gertrude Jekyll.

Lindisfarne is visited by thousands of people each year but most of them don't venture beyond the village and the Castle. I walked to and around the dunes on the north side of the island and hardly met a soul.