Lindisfarne Castle is a 16th-century castle located on Holy Island, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England, much altered by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1901. The island is accessible from the mainland at low tide by means of a causeway.
The castle is located in what was once the very volatile border area between England and Scotland. Not only did the English and Scots fight, but the area was frequently attacked by Vikings. The castle was built in 1550, around the time that Lindisfarne Priory went out of use, and stones from the priory were used as building material. It is very small by the usual standards, and was more of a fort. The castle sits on the highest point of the island, a whinstone hill called Beblowe.
Lindisfarne’s position in the North Sea made it vulnerable to attack from Scots and Norsemen, and by Tudor times it was clear there was a need for a stronger fortification, although obviously, by this time, the Norsemen were no longer a danger. This resulted in the creation of the fort on Beblowe Crag between 1570 and 1572 which forms the basis of the present castle.
You’d never get planning permission to build that nowadays, would you?
Hahaha! Probably not LOL.
Did we not do this before? Going crazy here. Not that I’m complaining though.
Not quite. I am doing a little tour of this part of the Island and a picture of the castle was one the photos used in the introduction to Lindisfarne post.
http://www.cheriesplace.me.uk/blog/index.php/2014/01/18/lindisfarne/
This is the last post on Lindisfarne, we will now be returning to the mainland!
This place reminded me a bit of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.
Now that you come to mention it, it does look similar
what contours to be seen here. i am wondering how the transport of building materials was done at this place. interesting text too.
Now that you come to mention it… I too wonder how they managed to get the building stones up to the top of that rocky outcrop!
Not such a thing as middle age preservation … it was all about recycling instead !!
Only been in the building once, my imagination ran riot as I imagined I was in an adventure book of my childhood.
I have only been in there once two and I haven’t felt the urge to venture inside again.