From Wiki:

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.

Originally home to the Lindisfarne Gospels and the site of grisly Viking attacks, a visit to Lindisfarne Priory is a great day out in Northumberland. Sitting offshore on Holy Island and reached by a causeway at low tide, the peaceful atmosphere and beautiful views from the priory make a visit here well worth the effort.

Lindisfarne Priory was an important centre of early Christianity, and the home of St Cuthbert. Today you can marvel at the ornate carvings on the extensive ruins of the monastic buildings and enjoy the serenity that first drew the monks here.

From Wiki:

Aidan of Lindisfarne^[1] (died 31 August 651), known as the Apostle of Northumbria, was an Irish monk and missionary credited with restoring Christianity to Northumbria. He founded a monastic cathedral on the island of Lindisfarne, served as its first bishop, and travelled ceaselessly throughout the countryside, spreading the gospel to both the Anglo-Saxon nobility and to the socially disenfranchised (including children and slaves).

After his death, Aidan’s body was buried at Lindisfarne, beneath the abbey that he had helped found.^[9] Though his popularity waned in the coming years, “in the 10th century Glastonbury monks obtained some supposed relics of Aidan; through their influence Aidan’s feast appears in the early Wessex calendars, which provide the main evidence for his cult after the age of Bede.”^[9]

A detailed biography of Saint Aidan can be found here.

Aristotle

I am now going to continue with the places that I visited on last years vacation to Newcastle and Crookham.  First port of call is the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.  The Island is tidal and can only be accessed by a causeway that twice a day is covered by the North Sea.  A journey there has to be planned carefully to avoid the tides.

Lindisfarne is internationally famous both for its medieval religious heritage and also its more recent picturesque 16th century castle. These, together with most of the community, are located on the Southern part of the island – the main focus for tourists and holidaymakers. Many are also attracted by the peace and tranquility which pervades the Island and the remote Northern conservation area, with more than its fair share of quiet beaches and unique natural history.

The 9th September was the 500th anniversary of The Battle of Flodden which took place in 1413.  We visited the battlefield straight after breakfast whilst it was still quiet and there were only a few other people about.  One of those people was a kilted Scotsman with whom we got into a discussion.  We talked about the battle which led onto discussions about politics and politicians.  We agreed that politicians have a tendency to behave like overgrown school children.  He commented that he would like to think that we had learned from the battle and that we (and our political leaders) wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.

Access to the field itself has been refreshed and a zig-zag path has been added across one of the fields to allow easier access for those who are less mobile.  This is good in one way but it detracts a little from the atmosphere of the place.  As we made to leave the hill where the memorial stands it was starting to get busy.  In the distance the first bus pulled up and I saw someone with a very long flag pole sporting the English flag.  As we made our way down the hill they were making their way up.  As they came close I heard ‘I am Justin from the BBC’ and as I turned I noticed Justin was talking to the flag bearer and his two companions.  They looked at me and asked the quickest way to the monument.  I answered and then we beat a hasty retreat to the car park where we noticed some people dressed up ready for re-enactment of the battle.

We left them to it and made our way to Holy Island to visit the ruined priory.  The museum explaining the history of the site is much improved since my last visit many years ago and we also took the opportunity to visit St Mary’s Church which is right next to the priory.

Unfortunately our chosen tea shop wasn’t able to provide any sandwiches that day due to staff shortages so we settled on lunch in the local pub where  I had a very delicious crab sandwich.  The weather looked a little uncertain so we decided against a stroll along the beach and departed the island to visit the churches of Ladykirk and Norham.  Before arriving at the first church there was a slight detour through Berwick for shopping list pads…  I decided to stay in the car!!

After visiting the churches we had a leisurely drive in the countryside near the hotel before returning there for afternoon tea. We had convivial conversation with some of the other guests, which we all continued over dinner as well.