View source for Lindisfarne

{{short description|Tidal island in northeast England}}
{{other uses|Lindisfarne (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name            = Lindisfarne
| local_name               = Holy Island
| country                  = England
| region                   = North East England
| civil_parish             = Holy Island
| unitary_england          = [[Northumberland]]
| constituency_westminster = [[North Northumberland]]
| population               = 151
| population_ref           = (2021 census)
| population_demonym = Lindisfarnian
| post_town                = Berwick upon Tweed
| postcode_area            = TD
| postcode_district        = TD15
| dial_code                = 01289
| os_grid_reference        = NU129420
| coordinates              = {{coord|55|40|48|N|01|48|09|W|display=inline,title}}
| static_image_name        = Holy Island Sunrise (again) (15064111624).jpg
| static_image_caption     = [[Lindisfarne Castle]]
| embedded                 = {{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_date = 5 January 1976
| designation1_number = 70<ref>{{cite web|title=Lindisfarne|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/70|access-date=25 April 2018}}</ref>}}
}}

'''Lindisfarne''', also known as '''Holy Island''', is a [[tidal island]] off the northeast coast of England, which constitutes the [[civil parish]] of Holy Island in [[Northumberland]].{{sfn|Northumberland County Council|2013}} Holy Island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD; it was an important centre of [[Celtic Christianity]] under [[Saint]]s [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Aidan]], [[Cuthbert]], [[Eadfrith]], and [[Eadberht of Lindisfarne]]. The island was originally home to a monastery, which was destroyed during the [[Viking invasions]] but re-established as a [[priory]] following the [[Norman Conquest]] of England. Other notable sites built on the island are St Mary the Virgin parish church (originally built in 635 CE and restored in 1860), [[Lindisfarne Castle]], several lighthouses and other navigational markers, and a complex network of lime kilns. The island is part of the [[Northumberland Coast National Landscape]] and a hotspot for historical tourism and bird watching.

==Name and etymology==
===Name===
Both the Parker and [[Peterborough Chronicle|Peterborough]] versions of the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' for 793 record the [[Old English]] name {{lang|ang|Lindisfarena}}.{{sfn|Freeborn|p=39}}

In the 9th-century {{lang|la|[[Historia Brittonum]]}} the island appears under its [[Old Welsh]] name {{lang|owl|Medcaut}}.{{sfn|Nennius|1848|loc=section 65}} The [[philologist]] [[Andrew Breeze]], following up on a suggestion by Richard Coates, proposes that the name derived from Latin {{lang|la|Medicata [Insula]}} (English: Healing [Island]), owing perhaps to the island's reputation for [[medicinal herbs]].{{sfn|Breeze|2008|pp=187{{ndash}}88}}{{sfn|Green|2020|p=236}}

The name Holy Island was in use by the 11th century when it appears in Latin as {{lang|la|'Insula Sacra'}}. The reference was to Saints [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Aidan]] and [[Cuthbert]].{{sfn|Simpson|2009}}

In the present day, Holy Island is the name of the civil parish<ref>{{cite web |title=Town and Parish Councils List |url=http://committee.northumberland.gov.uk/ParishCouncils/ParishcouncilList.aspx |website=Northumberland County Council |access-date=3 June 2020 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> and native inhabitants are known as Islanders. The [[Ordnance Survey]] uses Holy Island for both the island and the village, with Lindisfarne listed either as an alternative name for the island{{sfn|Ordnance Survey|2019}} or as a name of 'non-Roman antiquity'.{{sfn|Ordnance_Survey|2015}} "Locally the island is rarely referred to by its Anglo-Saxon name of Lindisfarne" (according to the local community website).<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome Visitor |url=https://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/general/welcome.htm |website=The Holy Island of Lindisfarne |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> More widely, the two names are used somewhat interchangeably.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stanford |first1=Peter |title=The Extra Mile: A 21st Century Pilgrimage |url=https://archive.org/details/extramile21stcen0000stan |url-access=registration |date=2010 |publisher=Continuum |location=London |pages=[https://archive.org/details/extramile21stcen0000stan/page/155 155]–160|isbn=9781441112071 }}</ref> Lindisfarne is invariably used when referring to the pre-conquest monastic settlement, the priory ruins<ref>{{cite web |title=Lindisfarne Priory |url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarne-priory/ |website=English Heritage |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref> and the castle.{{sfn|The National Trust|2020}} The combined phrase "the Holy Island of Lindisfarne" has begun to be used more frequently in recent times, particularly when promoting the island as a destination for tourists and pilgrims alike.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Holy Island of Lindisfarne |url=https://www.visitnorthumberland.com/holy-island |website=Visit Northumberland |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Take a modern day pilgrimage to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne |url=https://www.visitengland.com/experience/take-modern-day-pilgrimage-holy-island-lindisfarne |website=Visit England |date=11 June 2014 |access-date=3 June 2020}}</ref>

===Etymology===
The name ''Lindisfarne'' has an uncertain origin. The ''-farne'' part of the name may be Old English ''fearena'', [[genitive]] [[plural]] of {{lang|ang|fara}}, meaning traveller.{{sfn|James|2019}} The first part, ''Lindis-'', may refer to people from the [[Kingdom of Lindsey]] in modern [[Lincolnshire]], referring to either regular visitors or settlers.{{sfn|Mills|1997|p=221}}{{sfn|Myers|1985|p=175}}{{sfn|Ekwall|1960|pp=298–99}}{{sfn|Green|2020|pp=239–40}} Another possibility is that Lindisfarne is [[Common Brittonic|Brittonic]] in origin, containing the element ''Lind-'' meaning stream or pool ([[Welsh language|Welsh]] {{lang|cy|llyn}}),{{sfn|James|2019}} with the nominal morpheme ''-as(t)'' and an unknown element identical to that in the [[Farne Islands]].{{sfn|James|2019}} Further suggested is that the name may be a wholly [[Old Irish]] formation, from corresponding {{lang|sga|lind-is-}}, plus {{lang|sga|-fearann}} meaning 'land, territory.'{{sfn|James|2019}} Such an Irish formation, however, could have been based on a pre-existing Brittonic name.{{sfn|James|2019}}

There is also a supposition that the nearby Farne Islands are fern-like in shape and the name may have come from there.{{sfn|Simpson|2009}}

==Geography==
[[File:Holy Island (Overview).jpg |thumb|upright=1.6|alt=19th century map |Holy Island (1866). The modern causeway connects to the west end of the island.]]
The island of Lindisfarne is located along the northeast coast of England, close to the border with Scotland. It measures {{convert|3.0|miles|km}} from east to west and {{convert|1.5|miles|km}} from north to south, and comprises approximately {{nobr|{{convert|1000|acres|abbr=off}}}} at high [[tide]]. The nearest point to the mainland is about {{convert|0.8|mile|km|abbr=off}}. It is accessible at low tide by a modern [[causeway]] and an ancient [[Pilgrimage|pilgrims']] path that both run over sand and [[mudflat]]s and which are covered with water at high tide. Lindisfarne is surrounded by the {{convert|8750|acre|adj=off|abbr=off}} [[Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve]], which protects the island's sand dunes and the adjacent intertidal habitats. At certain times of year, numerous migratory birds can be seen.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lindisfarne Castle |series=Historic Northumberland |website=Britain Express |url=https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/northumbria/castles/lindisfarne-castle.htm}}</ref>

{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | direction = vertical
 | width = 200
| image1 =Lindisfarne_Causeway.png | caption1 = Lindisfarne causeway at low tide, only land vehicular access to island
| alt1 = Road across mudflats
| image2 =  Come Back Later^ - geograph.org.uk - 16072.jpg| caption2 = The causeway flooding with a refuge box in the distance
| alt2 = Flooded road with white building
}}
===Causeway safety===
Warning signs urge visitors walking to the island to keep to the marked path, to check tide times and weather carefully, and to seek local advice if in doubt. For drivers, tide tables are prominently displayed at both ends of the causeway and also where the Holy Island road leaves the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] [[Great North Road (Great Britain)|Great North Road]] at [[Beal, Northumberland|Beal]]. The causeway is generally open from about three hours after high tide until two hours before the next high tide. Tide tables giving safe crossing periods are published by [[Northumberland County Council]].{{sfn|Holy Island webmaster|2019}}

Despite these warnings, about one vehicle each month is stranded on the causeway, requiring rescue by [[HM Coastguard]] and / or the [[Seahouses]] [[RNLI]] lifeboat. A sea rescue costs approximately £1,900 (quoted in 2009, {{Inflation|UK|1900|2009|r=-1|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}{{inflation-fn|UK|group=lower-alpha}}), while an air rescue costs more than £4,000 (also quoted in 2009, {{Inflation|UK|4000|2009|r=-1|fmt=eq|cursign=£}}{{inflation-fn|UK|group=lower-alpha}}).{{sfn|Costello|2009}} Local people have opposed a causeway barrier, primarily on convenience grounds.{{sfn|BBC|2011}}{{sfn|Costello|2009}} One cause of issues is that the causeway may flood before the end of an officially "safe" period due to stormy weather.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0lp8z17kr0o|author=Jo Lonsdale |work=BBC News| title=Safe causeway times wrong, say rescued visitors|date=24 October 2024}}</ref>

==History==

===Early===
The north-east of England was largely not settled by Roman civilians apart from the [[River Tyne|Tyne valley]] and [[Hadrian's Wall]]. The area had been little affected during the centuries of nominal Roman occupation. The countryside had been subject to raids from both [[Scottish people|Scots]] and [[Picts]] and was "not one to attract early Germanic settlement".{{sfn|Myers|1985|p=198}} The [[Angles (tribe)|Anglian]] [[Ida of Bernicia|King Ida]] (reigned from 547) started the sea-borne settlement of the coast, establishing an {{lang|la|urbis regia}} (meaning "royal settlement") at [[Bamburgh Castle|Bamburgh]] across the bay from Lindisfarne. The conquest was not straightforward, however. The {{lang|la|Historia Brittonum}} recounts how, in the 6th century, [[Urien]], prince of [[Rheged]], with a coalition of North Brittonic kingdoms, besieged [[Angles (tribe)|Angles]] led by [[Theodric of Bernicia]] on the island for three days and nights, until internal power struggles led to the Britons' defeat.{{sfn|Breeze|2008|pp=187–88}}{{sfn|Myers|1985|p=199}}

===Lindisfarne Abbey===
{{See also|Bishop of Durham#Early Medieval bishops}}
The Lindisfarne [[Abbey]] was first established in 634 AD. The island served as the site of a [[monastery]] for roughly 900 years. The site, most of which has fallen into a state of ruin, has since become a popular tourist destination and focus of pilgrimage journeys. The church of St Mary the Virgin is the only original building that has been more or less continually maintained and which remains standing within the original monastic compound. Remains from the pre-Norman/Anglo-Saxon era can be found in the chancel wall of this church. The monastery was described as an abbey by [[Bede]] but when it was rebuilt after the [[Norman Conquest]] it was described as a (relatively smaller) [[priory]].

==== Founding and early years ====

[[File:Lindisfarne Priory ruins and St. Aidan statue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Modern statue of [[St Aidan]] beside the ruins of the medieval priory]] The monastery of Lindisfarne was founded around 634 by the Irish monk [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Aidan]], who had been sent from [[Iona]] off the west coast of Scotland to [[Northumbria]] at the request of [[Oswald of Northumbria|King Oswald]]. The abbey was founded before the end of 634 and Aidan remained there until his death in 651 and it acted as a centre of the [[Christianisation of Northumbria]].{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=118}} The abbey and its church remained the only seat of a bishopric in Northumbria for nearly thirty years.{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=118}} [[Finan of Lindisfarne|Finan]] (bishop 651–661) built a timber church "suitable for a [[bishop's seat]]".{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=119}} [[Bede]], however, was critical of the fact that the church was not built of stone but only of hewn oak thatched with reeds. A later bishop, Eadbert, removed the thatch and covered both walls and roof in lead.<ref>{{harvnb|Loyn|1962|p=275}} quoting {{harvnb|Bede|1896|loc=II, 16; III, 25}}</ref> An abbot, who could be the bishop, was elected by the brethren and led the community. Bede comments on this:

{{blockquote|And let no one be surprised that, though we have said above that in this island of Lindisfarne, small as it is, there is found the seat of a bishop, now we say also that it is the home of an abbot and monks; for it actually is so. For one and the same dwelling-place of the servants of God holds both; and indeed all are monks. Aidan, who was the first bishop of this place, was a monk and always lived according to monastic rule together with all his followers. Hence all the bishops of that place up to the present time exercise their episcopal functions in such a way that the abbot, who they themselves have chosen by the advice of the brethren, rules the monastery; and all the priests, deacons, singers and readers and other ecclesiastical grades, together with the bishop himself, keep the monastic rule in all things.<ref>{{harvnb|Bede|c. 730}} in {{harvnb|Colgrave|1940|pp=207–09}} cited by {{harvnb|Blair|1977|pp=133–34}}</ref>}}

Following the death of bishop [[Finan of Lindisfarne|Finan]] in 661, Colman became [[Bishop of Lindisfarne]]. There were significant liturgical and theological differences with the fledgling Roman party based at [[Canterbury]]. According to [[Frank Stenton]]: "There is no trace of any intercourse between these bishops [the Mercians] and the see of Canterbury".{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=120}} The [[Synod of Whitby]] in 663 changed this, as allegiance switched southwards to Canterbury and then to Rome. Colman departed his see for Iona, and for the next few years Lindisfarne had no bishop. Under a new line of bishops aligned with Canterbury Lindisfarne became the base for Christian evangelism in [[Northern England]], and also sent a successful mission to [[Mercia]]. Monks from the Irish community of [[Iona Abbey|Iona]] settled on the island.

==== Cuthbert as bishop ====

[[File:Statue of St Cuthbert by Fenwick Lawson, Lindisfarne Priory - geograph.org.uk - 1239259.jpg|thumb|Statue of St Cuthbert at prayer]] Northumbria's [[patron saint]], [[Cuthbert]], was a monk and later [[abbot]] of the monastery. St Cuthbert has been described as “possibly the most venerated saint in England”.<ref>[https://celticsaints.org/2014/0320a.html St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne and Wonderworker of Britain] By Kathleen Hanrahan. 04 March 2017. Accessed 2023-05-20.</ref> Cuthbert's miracles and life are recorded by Bede. Cuthbert was Bishop of Lindisfarne from 684 until 686, shortly before his death. An anonymous "Life of Cuthbert" written at Lindisfarne is the oldest extant piece of English historical writing.

From its reference to "Aldfrith, who now reigns peacefully", the "Life of Cuthbert" is considered to date from between 685 and 704.<ref>{{harvnb|Colgrave|1940|p=104}} cited by {{harvnb|Stenton|1987|p=88}}</ref> While bishop and abbot, Cuthbert took it upon himself to align his bishopric with the see of Canterbury, and therefore with Rome, while leaving its Celtic leanings and traditions behind. After his death in 687 Cuthbert was initially buried in Lindisfarne. Due to the claim that Cuthbert's body was untouched by 'corruption', and also due to there being several miracles associated with those who had come to visit Cuthbert's shrine, the island became a major destination for pilgrimages for the next few hundred years.

During one of the many evacuations of Lindisfarne by the monks due to the increasing frequency of Viking raids upon the island at the time, in 793 Cuthbert's body was carried away by the monks, first to where they temporarily re-settled in the nearby village of [[Chester-le-Street]], then to [[Durham Cathedral]] {{c.|995}}. [[Eadberht of Lindisfarne]], the next bishop (and later saint), was buried in the place from which Cuthbert's body had been [[Burial#Exhumation|exhumed]] earlier in the same year (793).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/canon-tristram/kate12.htm|title=Little-known Saints of the North - Page 12|website=www.lindisfarne.org.uk}}</ref>

==== 8th and 9th centuries ====

In 735, the northern ecclesiastical province of England was established, with the archbishopric at [[York]]. There were only three bishops under York: [[Hexham]], Lindisfarne and [[Whithorn]], whereas Canterbury had the 12 envisioned by [[Augustine of Canterbury|St Augustine]].{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=109}}

At that time the [[Diocese of York]] roughly encompassed the counties of [[Yorkshire]] and [[Lancashire]]. Hexham covered [[County Durham]] and the southern part of modern [[Northumberland]] up to the [[River Coquet]], and eastwards into the [[Pennines]]. Whithorn covered most of [[Dumfries and Galloway]] region west of [[Dumfries]] itself. The remainder, [[Cumbria]], northern Northumbria, [[Lothian]] and much of the [[Kingdom of Strathclyde]] formed the diocese of Lindisfarne.{{sfn|Blair|1977|p=145 (map)}}

In 737, [[Ceolwulf of Northumbria]] abdicated as [[King of Northumbria]] and entered the abbey at Lindisfarne. He died in 764 and was buried alongside Cuthbert. In 830, his body was moved to [[Norham|Norham-upon-Tweed]], and later his head was [[Translation (relic)|translated]] to Durham Cathedral.{{sfn|Britannia Staff Article|1999}}

==== Lindisfarne Gospels ====
{{main|Lindisfarne Gospels}}
In the early 8th century the illuminated manuscript known as the [[Lindisfarne Gospels]], an illustrated [[Latin]] copy of the [[Gospels]] of [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]], [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] and [[Gospel of John|John]], was made, probably at Lindisfarne. The artist was possibly [[Eadfrith]], who became Bishop of Lindisfarne. It is also speculated that a team of illuminators and calligraphers (monks of Lindisfarne Abbey) worked on the text, but if so, their identities are unknown. In the second half of the 10th century, a monk named Aldred added an [[Old English]] gloss to the Latin text, producing the earliest surviving Old English/Northumbrian copies of the Gospels. Aldred attributed the original to Eadfrith (bishop 698–721). The Gospels were written with a good hand, but it is the illustrations, done in an [[insular script|insular]] style containing a fusion of Celtic, Germanic and Roman elements, that are considered to be of the most value. According to Aldred, Eadfrith's successor Æthelwald was responsible for pressing and binding the book, before it was covered with a fine metal case made by a [[hermit]] known as Billfrith.{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=120}} The Lindisfarne Gospels reside in the [[British Library]] in London, a location which has caused controversy amongst some Northumbrians.{{sfn|BBC|2008}} In 1971, professor Suzanne Kaufman of [[Rockford, Illinois]] presented a facsimile copy of the Gospels to the clergy of the island.

==== Viking raid on the monastery (793) ====
[[File:Viking Raider Doomsday Stone front.jpg|thumb|''Lindisfarne Stone'', also known as ''Viking Raider Doomsday Stone'', Northumbrian carved gravestone, 9th-century, found in Lindisfarne. The armed warriors are perhaps Viking raiders.]]
[[File:T.homas Girtin Lindisfarne 1798.jpg|thumb|upright|''The Ruins of Lindisfarne Priory'', by [[Thomas Girtin]], 1798. The priory's rainbow arch, which survives, is shown truncated for artistic effect.]]
{{main|Sack of Lindisfarne}}

In 793, a [[Viking]] raid on Lindisfarne{{sfn|Graham-Campbell|Wilson|2001|loc=Salt-water bandits}}{{efn|Lindisfarne's shelving beaches provided a supposedly perfect landing for the shallow-draft ships of the Viking raiders who fell upon its unsuspecting and virtually unprotected monks in the summer of 793. This bloody assault on a "place more venerable than all in Britain" was one of the first positively recorded Viking raids on the west. Lindisfarne was supposedly a good place to attack because people in the dark ages would send their valuables to Lindisfarne, similar to a bank, for safekeeping.{{sfn|Graham-Campbell|Wilson|2001|p=21}} Viking [[longship]]s, with their shallow drafts and good manoeuvrability under both sail and oar, allowed their crews to strike deep inland up Europe's major rivers.{{sfn|Graham-Campbell|Wilson|2001|p=22}} The world of the Vikings consisted of a loose grouping of the [[Scandinavia]]n homelands and overseas colonies, linked by sea routes that reached across the [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] and the [[North Sea]], spanning even the [[Atlantic]].{{sfn|Graham-Campbell|Wilson|2001|p=10}}}} caused consternation throughout the Christian west, and is often taken as the beginning of the [[Viking Age]]. There had been other Viking raids, but according to [[English Heritage]] this one was particularly significant, because "it attacked the sacred heart of the Northumbrian kingdom, desecrating 'the very place where the Christian religion began in our nation'".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarne-priory/History/viking-raid/ |title=THE VIKING RAID ON LINDISFARNE |date=30 June 2017 |publisher=English Heritage |access-date=19 July 2020 |quote=heathen men came and miserably destroyed God's church on Lindisfarne, with plunder and slaughter.}}</ref> The D and E versions of the West Saxon ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' record:

<blockquote>{{lang|ang|Her wæron reðe forebecna cumene ofer Norðhymbra land, [[Tironian notes|⁊]] þæt folc earmlic bregdon, þæt wæron ormete þodenas ⁊ ligrescas, ⁊ fyrenne dracan wæron gesewene on þam lifte fleogende. Þam tacnum sona fyligde mycel hunger, ⁊ litel æfter þam, þæs ilcan geares on .vi. Idus Ianuarii, earmlice hæþenra manna hergunc adilegode Godes cyrican in Lindisfarnaee þurh hreaflac ⁊ mansliht.}}{{sfn|Jebson|2007|loc=entry for 793}}<br><br> ("In this year fierce, foreboding [[omens]] came over the land of the Northumbrians, and the wretched people shook; there were excessive whirlwinds, lightning, and fiery [[dragons]] were seen flying in the sky. These signs were followed by great famine, and a little after those, that same year on 6th ides of January, the ravaging of wretched heathen men destroyed God's church at Lindisfarne.")</blockquote>

The generally accepted date for the Viking raid on Lindisfarne is 8 June; [[Michael Swanton]] writes: "{{lang|ang|vi id Ianr}}, presumably [is] an error for {{lang|ang|vi id Iun}} (8 June) which is the date given by the ''Annals of Lindisfarne'' (p. 505), when better sailing weather would favour coastal raids."{{sfn|Swanton|2000|p=57}}{{efn|This may be confusing to modern readers. The 6 refers to the number of days before the [[Ides (calendar)|Ides]], not after. The day itself was included, and so {{lang|ang|vi id}} was 6 days before the ides, counting the ides as 1. In June the ides falls on the 13th of the month, so {{lang|ang|"vi id Jun"}} was actually 8 June. See [[Roman calendar]] for full details.}}

[[Alcuin]], a Northumbrian scholar in [[Charlemagne]]'s court at the time, wrote: "Never before has such terror appeared in Britain as we have now suffered from a pagan race&nbsp;... The heathens poured out the blood of saints around the altar, and trampled on the bodies of saints in the temple of God, like dung in the streets."{{sfn|Killeen|2012|p=30}} During the attack many of the monks were killed, or captured and enslaved.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Marsden|first=John|title=The Fury of the Northmen: Saints, Shrines and Sea-raiders in the Viking Age|publisher=Kyle Cathie|year=1993|location=London|pages=41}}</ref> 

Biographer [[Peter Ackroyd]] suggests: "The monasteries of Lindisfarne and Jarrow were not attacked at random; they were chosen as examples of revenge. The onslaught of the Christian Charlemagne on the ‘pagans’ of the north had led to the extirpation of their shrines and sanctuaries. The great king had cut down [[Irminsul|Jôrmunr]], the holy tree of the Norse people. What better form of retaliation than to lay waste the foundations devoted to the Christian God? The Christian missionaries to Norway had in fact set out from Lindisfarne."<ref>Peter Ackroyd ''Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors'', ch 5 (The History of England, vol 1) Macmillan, 2011.</ref> However, the raid on Lindisfarne took place decades after Charlemagne’s campaigns against the Saxons. Neither the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle nor any surviving Norse document ascribes a motivation to the raid on the monastery. 

As the English population became more settled, they seemed to have abandoned seafaring.{{sfn|Blair|1977|p=63}} Many monasteries were established on islands, peninsulas, river mouths and cliffs, as isolated communities were less susceptible to interference and the politics of the heartland.{{sfn|Blair|1977|p=63}} These preliminary raids, despite their brutal nature, were not followed up. The main body of the raiders passed north around [[Scotland]].{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=239}} The 9th-century invasions came not from [[Norway]], but from the [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danes]] from around the entrance to the Baltic.{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=239}} The first Danish raids into England were in the [[Isle of Sheppey]], [[Kent]] during 835 and from there their influence spread north.{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=243}} During this period religious art continued to flourish on Lindisfarne, and the {{lang|la|Liber Vitae}} of Durham began in the abbey.{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=95}} By 866, the Danes were in York, and in 873 the Danish army was moving into Northumberland.{{sfn|Stenton|1987|pp=247–51}} With the collapse of the Northumbrian kingdom, the monks of Lindisfarne fled the island in 875 taking with them St Cuthbert's bones (which are now buried at Durham Cathedral),{{sfn|Stenton|1987|p=332}} who during his life had been prior and bishop of Lindisfarne; his body was buried on the island in the year 698.<ref name="auto">{{Cite book|last=Richards|first=Julian|title=Blood of the Vikings|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|year=2001|location=London|pages=24}}</ref>

Prior to the 9th century, Lindisfarne Abbey had, in common with other such establishments, held large tracts of land which were managed directly or leased to farmers with a [[life interest]] only. Following the Danish occupation, land was increasingly owned by individuals, and could be bought, sold and inherited. Following the [[Battle of Corbridge]] in 914 [[Ragnall ua Ímair|Ragnald]] seized the land giving some to his followers [[Scula]] and [[Onlafbal]].{{sfn|Richards|1991|pp=30–31}}

==== Prior to dissolution of the monasteries ====

Once the region had been restored to political and military stability under the government of [[William the Conqueror]], the prospects for the rebuilding of the island's monastery began to improve. The first Norman [[Bishop of Durham]], [[William of St Calais]] endowed his new [[Benedictine]] [[Durham Cathedral|monastery at Durham]] with land and property in Northumberland, including Holy Island and much of the surrounding mainland. [[Durham Priory]] then re-established a monastery on the island in 1093. The monastery was re-established as a smaller "priory" which was to be administered as a sub-monastery of the Durham priory.{{sfn|Finlayson|Hardie|2009}} Smaller monasteries are often referred to as [[priories]] while larger monasteries are more commonly referred to as abbeys.

Under Norman rule, by 1150 the island's parish church had also been fully rebuilt over part of the site of the pre-Norman abbey. The newly constructed chapel included a cenotaph (an empty tomb) marking the spot where Cuthbert's body was believed to have been buried. Although his body by then had been relocated in Durham Cathedral, the place of his former primary shrine on Lindisfarne was still considered by many to be sacred ground and continued to draw pilgrims.<ref>[https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarne-priory/History/ History of Lindisfarne Priory] By english-heritage.org. Retrieved 2023-05-08.</ref> The pre-Norman island bishopric of Lindisfarne was not restored under Norman rule, perhaps because the newer and more centrally located bishopric of Durham was then better able to meet the church's administrative needs in the area.

As such, the island's restored but slightly smaller Benedictine monastery (sized as a priory under Norman rule) was then able to continue in relative peace under the new Norman monarchy and its successor [[royal house]]s for the next four centuries until its final [[Dissolution of the monasteries|dissolution]] in 1536 as a result of [[Henry VIII]]'s dissolution of the English church's ties to Rome, and his subsequent closing of the monasteries.

==== After dissolution of the priory ====

Even with the closure of the island's priory in 1536, the tradition of making religious pilgrimages to the island never ceased. In the 20th century ({{circa}} 1980~1990), religious author and cleric [[David Adam (priest)|David Adam]] reported that he had ministered to thousands of pilgrims and other visitors as rector of Holy Island.<ref>The Open Gate: Celtic Prayers for Growing Spiritually. November 17, 2006. By David Adam. Publisher: SPCK Publishing. Page 81.</ref> In the 21st century the tradition of making pilgrimage to Lindisfarne continues to be observed annually, as can be attested to by the [[Northern Cross (pilgrimage)|Northern Cross Pilgrimage]] amongst others.<ref>[https://www.scotsman.com/news/embarking-on-the-lanark-to-lindisfarne-pilgrimage-2347272 Embarking on the Lanark to Lindisfarne pilgrimage] Scotsman Newspaper. Published 31.3.2013. Retrieved 2023-05-08.</ref> The priory ruins which make for a popular tourist and pilgrimage destination, were built just after the Norman conquest, and date back to nearly 1,000 years ago. The chancel wall of the church dates back even further into Anglo-Saxon times.

====Architecture and archaeology====

In 1838 Henry George Charles Clarke wrote a scholarly description of the priory. Clarke surmised that this Norman priory was unique in that the centre aisle had a vault of stone. Of the six arches, Clarke stated "as if the architect had not previously calculated the space to be occupied by his arcade. The effect here has been to produce a [[horseshoe arch]] instead of a [[semicircular arch]], from its being of the same height, but lesser span, than the others. This arch is very rare, even in Norman buildings". The Lindisfarne Priory (ruin) is a [[grade I listed building]], List Entry Number 1042304.{{sfnp|Historic England|1042304}} Other parts of the priory are a [[scheduled monument]], List Entry Number 1011650. The latter are described as "the site of the pre-Conquest monastery of Lindisfarne and the Benedictine cell of Durham Cathedral that succeeded it in the 11th century".{{sfnp|Historic England|1011650}}

Archaeologists led by [[DigVentures]] and the [[University of Durham]] have been conducting community excavations since 2016 outside the priory. A total of nine consecutive field seasons (including those planned for 2024) have unearthed numerous insights for the site. Artefacts of note recovered included a rare board game piece,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2020/02/07/rare-viking-era-board-game-piece-discovered-on-lindisfarne/#6c64fe0d3ec0 |title=Rare Viking Era Board Game Piece Discovered On Lindisfarne |date=7 February 2020 |work=Forbes|access-date=19 July 2020}}</ref> copper-alloy rings and Anglo-Saxon coins from both Northumbria and Wessex. The discovery of a cemetery led to finding commemorative markers "unique to the 8th and 9th centuries". The group also found evidence of an early medieval building, "which seems to have been constructed on top of an even earlier industrial oven" which was used to make copper or glass.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archaeology.co.uk/articles/summer-of-finds-on-lindisfarne.htm |title=Summer of finds on Lindisfarne |date=5 November 2019 |publisher=Current Publishing|access-date=19 July 2020 |quote=a new glimpse at life on the island before, during, and after the 8th century Viking raid that struck its monastic community.}}</ref>

===Historical island economy===

====Middle Ages economy====

Monastic records from the 14th to the 16th century provide evidence of an already well-established fishing economy on the island.{{sfn|Porteous|2018a}} Both [[Fishing line|line fishing]] and [[Fishing net|net fishing]] were practised, inshore in shallow waters and in the deep water offshore, using a variety of vessels: contemporary accounts differentiate between small '[[coble]]s' and larger 'boats', as well as singling out certain specialised vessels (such as a '[[Herring as food|herynger]]', sold for £2 in 1404).{{sfn|Porteous|2018b|p=55}} As well as supplying food for the monastic community, the island's fisheries (together with those of nearby Farne) provided the mother house at Durham with fish, on a regular (sometimes weekly) basis. Fish caught included [[cod]], [[haddock]], [[herring]], [[salmon]], [[porpoise]] and [[Mullet (fish)|mullet]], among others. [[Shellfish]] of various types were also fished for, with [[Lobster fishing|lobster nets]] and [[oyster dredge]]s being mentioned in the accounts. Fish surplus to the needs of the monastery was traded, but subject to a [[tithe]]. There is also evidence that the monks operated a [[lime kiln]] on the island.{{sfn|Finlayson|Hardie|2009}}

In 1462, during the [[Wars of the Roses]], [[Margaret of Anjou]] made an abortive attempt to seize the Northumbrian castles. Following a storm at sea 400 troops had to seek shelter on Holy Island, where they surrendered to the [[Yorkist]]s.{{sfn|Jacob|1988|p=533}}

====Post priory dissolution economy====

After King [[Henry VIII]]'s dissolution of the monasteries in 1536, Lindisfarne Priory was made to close its doors for the last time. The buildings of the old priory were then repurposed for use as a naval storehouse. As such, one of the economic focal points of the island became the military post which would be staffed by military personnel from time to time, instead of the former activities of the defunct monastery. Over the coming centuries, most of the priory complex buildings gradually fell into ruin.{{sfn|Finlayson|Hardie|2009}} In 1613 ownership of the island (and other land in the area formerly pertaining to Durham Priory) was transferred to [[the Crown]].

[[File:Lime kilns - geograph.org.uk - 410592.jpg|thumb|The lime kilns by the castle]]
In the 1860s a [[Dundee]] firm built [[lime kiln]]s on Lindisfarne, and [[Lime (material)|lime]] was burnt on the island until at least the end of the 19th century. The kilns are among the most complex in Northumberland. Horses carried [[limestone]], along the [[Holy Island Waggonway]], from a quarry on the north side of the island to the lime kilns, where it was burned with coal transported from Dundee on the east coast of Scotland. There are still traces of the jetties by which the coal was imported and the lime exported close by at the foot of the crags. The remains of the [[waggonway]] between the quarries and the kilns makes for an easy walk.

At the peak of the limestone quarrying and processing operations on the island, over 100 men were employed by these operations. [[Crinoid]] columnals, a certain type of intricate fossil with a hole in the middle which is sometimes found in limestone, were separated from the quarried stone and then milled smooth into beads. The remaining quarried limestone material would then be processed into lime. These more valuable beads would then be threaded onto necklaces and rosaries and exported from the island. The beads became known as [[St Cuthbert's beads]].<ref>[https://projects.digventures.com/lindisfarne/timeline/diary/site-diary-the-story-of-st-cuthberts-bead/ Site Diary: The Story of St Cuthbert’s Bead] DigVentures Ltd. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 2023-05-20.</ref>

The large-scale quarrying in the 19th century had a devastating effect on the limestone caves, but eight sea caves remain at Coves Haven.{{sfn|Scaife|2019}}{{page needed|date=June 2022}} Workings on the lime kilns stopped by the start of the 20th century.{{sfn|The National Trust}} The lime kilns on Lindisfarne are among the few being actively preserved in Northumberland.{{sfn|The National Trust}}

Holy Island Golf Club was founded in 1907 but closed in the 1960s.{{sfn|Llewellyn|Llewellyn|2012|loc=[https://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=320 Holy Island Golf Club]}}

[[image:Lindisfarne (Holy Island) in Northumberland.jpg|right|thumb|A lidar view.]]

====21st-century economy====
Lindisfarne was mainly a fishing community for many years, with farming and the production of lime also of some importance.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Walsh |first=Kevin |date=1995-01-01 |title='Medieval landuse, agriculture and environmental change on Holy Island, Northumbria |url=https://www.academia.edu/26358221 |journal=Ecological Relations in Historical Times, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers Conference 1993}}</ref>

Lindisfarne is well known for [[mead]]. When monks inhabited the island, it was thought that if the soul was in God's keeping, the body must be fortified with Lindisfarne mead.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pearce|first=Sophie|date=2020-09-01|title=The History Of Lindisfarne Mead & Amazing Reasons To Visit St Aidan's Winery On Holy Island, Northumberland!|url=https://thirdeyetraveller.com/lindisfarne-mead-st-aidans-winery/|access-date=2021-04-06|website=thirdeyetraveller.com|language=en-GB}}</ref>{{self-published source|date=June 2022}} [[Lindisfarne Mead]] is produced at St Aidan's Winery, and sold widely. The mead recipe remains a secret of the family which produces it.{{sfn|van Tuijl|2020}}

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
Lindisfarne Abbey and St Marys.JPG|Lindisfarne Abbey and St Mary's
Lindisfarne Lobster Pots.JPG|Lindisfarne lobster pots
Lindisfarne Castle from Harbour.JPG|Lindisfarne Castle from the harbour
Holy Island Plays Its Part- Everyday Life on Lindisfarne, 1942 D6771 (cropped).jpg|A Lindisfarne fisherman in 1942
Lindisfarne Upturned Boats in Harbour.JPG|Upturned boats in the harbour of Lindisfarne used as sheds
</gallery>

==Community and demographics==
At the 2021 census, Holy Island parish had a population of 151 people in 77 households.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" 
|+ Census population of Holy Island civil parish
|-
! scope=col width=18%| Census
! scope=col width=18% class="unsortable"| Population
! scope=col width=18% class="unsortable"| Female
! scope=col width=18% class="unsortable"| Male
! scope=col width=18% class="unsortable"| Households
! scope=col width=10% class="unsortable"| Source
|-
!scope=row| [[2001 United Kingdom census|2001]] 
|| 162
|| 79
|| 83
|| 88
|| <ref name="Census2001">{{Cite web|at=ONSID 35UC021 (Holy Island) in Tables KS001 (Usual resident population) and KS016 (Household spaces and accommodation type)|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Key Statistics|access-date=23 June 2025|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2001_ks}}</ref>
|-
!scope=row| [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011]] 
|| 180
|| 95
|| 85
|| 99
|| <ref name="Census2011">{{Cite web|at=Table KS101EW (Usual resident population) and Table KS105EW (Household composition)|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Key Statistics|access-date=23 June 2025|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2011_ks}}</ref>
|-
!scope=row| [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]] 
|| 151
|| 76
|| 75
|| 77
|| <ref name="Census2021">{{Cite web|at=GSS E04010808 (Holy Island parish) in tables PP001 (Number of Households) and PP002 (Sex)|publisher=Office for National Statistics|title=Parish Profiles|access-date=5 August 2024|website=2021 United Kingdom census|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021_pp}}</ref>
|}

A February 2020 report provided an update on community facilities. At the time, three pubs and a hotel were operating; the shop had closed but the post office remained in operation. No professional or medical services were available and residents were driving to [[Berwick-upon-Tweed]] for groceries and other supplies.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

In response to the perceived lack of affordable housing on the isle of Lindisfarne, in 1996 a group of islanders established a charitable foundation known as the Holy Island of Lindisfarne Community Development Trust. They built a [[visitor centre]] on the island using the profits from sales. In addition, 11 community houses were built and are rented out to community members who want to continue to live on the island. The trust is also responsible for management of the inner harbour. The Holy Island Partnership was formed in 2009 by members of the community as well as organisations and groups operating on the island.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

==Additional points of interest==

===Church of St Mary the Virgin===
The current parish church stands on the site of the wooden church built by St Aidan in AD 635. When the site was rebuilt by the Normans, the site of the original abbey church was redeveloped in stone as the parish church. It is the oldest building on the island that has been maintained in some fashion, and which has a roof on it. Remains of the [[Anglo-Saxon]] church exist as the chancel wall and arch. A Norman [[apse]] (subsequently replaced in the 13th&nbsp;century) led eastwards from the chancel. The nave was extended in the 12th&nbsp;century with a northern arcade, and in the following century with a southern arcade.{{sfn|Brother Damian SSF|2009}}

After the [[English Reformation|Reformation]] the church slipped into disrepair until the restoration of 1860. The church is built of coloured sandstone which has had the [[Victorian era|Victorian]] plaster removed from it. The north aisle is known as the "fishermen's aisle" and houses the altar of St.&nbsp;Peter. The south aisle used to hold the altar of St.&nbsp;Margaret of Scotland, but now houses the organ.{{sfn|Brother Damian SSF|2009}}

The church is a grade&nbsp;I listed building number 1042304, listed as part of the whole priory.{{sfnp|Historic England|1042304}} The church forms most of the earliest part of the site and is a scheduled ancient monument number 1011650.{{sfnp|Historic England|1011650}} The Church of St Mary the Virgin has daily services of worship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Regular services at St Mary's Church |url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/16351/ |publisher=[[Church of England]] |access-date=30 June 2025 |date=2025}}</ref>

===St Cuthbert's Isle (Hobthrush)===
{{Quote box |width = 12em |align = right
 |quote = . . . "Now indeed<br>at the first beginning<br>of his solitary life,<br>he retired to<br>a certain place{{efn| A Journey to Lindisfarne (Alistair Moffat)<br>..."This certain place was the islet of ''Hobthrush''...{{sfn|Moffat|2019|pp=215–16}} }}<br>in the outer precincts<br>of the monastery<br>
which seemed to be<br>more secluded..."{{efn| A Journey to Lindisfarne (Alistair Moffat)<br>..."Bede wrote that it was more secluded, '' 'secretior' ''
<br>...translation of original Latin might be 'more solitary', 'more deserted'...{{Sfn|Moffat|2019|pp=216}} }}
<br>([[Latin]]: [[wikt: secretus#Latin|''sēcrētus'']]) | source = — [[Bede]]}}
{{See also|Cuthbert#Hermit's life}}
St Cuthbert's Isle, also known as ''Hobthrush'', is a small islet of [[Whin Sill|black dolerite rock]], described by Bede as being<br>"...in the outer precincts of the monastery..."{{efn|Historic England..."A chapel dedicated to St Cuthbert is mentioned by Bede (AD 673-735) and described as being in the outer precincts of the Anglo-Saxon monastery; it is believed to refer to this island...<ref name= List_1014485>{{National Heritage List for England |num=1014485 |desc= Medieval chapel and associated building on St Cuthbert's Isle |accessdate= 1 November 2023}}</ref> }}
The islet is reputed to be the place where [[Cuthbert]] spent<br>"...the first beginning of his solitary life..."{{efn| The Holy Island (Cartwright)
<br>..."This small island...was the site of Cuthbert's earliest retreats before he went to the Farnes, and [[Eadberht of Lindisfarne|Eadberht]], also,
 was in the habit of isolating himself there in [[Lent]]...{{sfn|Cartwright|Cartwright|1976|pp=56}} }}

The islet is a short distance from Holy Island.<ref>{{cite web |title= MAGiC MaP : Lindisfarne – St Cuthberts Isle – Monastery.
 |url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?chosenLayers=moncIndex&xygridref=412300,641600&startScale=5000 |publisher= Natural England – Magic in the Cloud.}}</ref><ref name= Magic_Notes>MAGiC MaP – Notes 
# Use ''Table of Contents'' for Colour mapping.
# There may be intermittent problems with the [[Natural England|magic.defra.gov.uk]] website, if so then try again another time.</ref>
It is possible to walk across sand and rocks to the islet when tidal conditions allow.{{efn| A Journey to Lindisfarne (Alistair Moffat)<br>
..."The tide had retreated far enough to allow safe passage across the sand and rocks to Hobthrush, St Cuthbert's Isle...{{sfn|Moffat|2019|pp=213}} }}{{efn| Distances from St Cuthbert's Isle:
# Holy Island — about {{convert|0.12|mi|km}}
# Monastery — about {{convert|0.18|mi|km}} }}

There are the remains of a medieval chapel, designated as a [[scheduled monument]]:<ref name= List_1014485/> 
* Stone-built chapel – post-Norman Conquest
* Earthwork bank
* Semicircular mound, possibly the remains of a circular [[monastic cell]] 
* Modern wooden cross

The name "''Hobthrush''" relates to [[Hob (folklore)]] – the similarly named "''Hob-trush''" is also found in [[North Yorkshire]].{{efn| See [[Hob (folklore)]] > [[Hob (folklore)#North York Moors|North York Moors]].}} It is possible that the name was introduced by [[Navvy|migrant workers]] while working on Holy Island.

===Lindisfarne Castle===
{{main|Lindisfarne Castle}}
Lindisfarne 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.{{sfn|The National Trust|2023}}

After Henry VIII suppressed the priory, his troops used the remains as a naval store. In 1542 Henry VIII ordered the [[Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland|Earl of Rutland]] to fortify the site against possible Scottish invasion. [[John Harington (died 1553)|Sir John Harington]] and the Master Mason of Berwick started to plan to build two earth bulwarks, although Rutland advised the use of stone from the priory.<ref>Joseph Bain, ''Hamilton Papers'', vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1890), p. 179.</ref> In September 1544 a Scottish fleet led by John Barton in the ''[[English ship Mary Willoughby|Mary Willoughby]]'' threatened the English coast. It was thought the Scottish ships might try to burn Lindisfarne, so orders were given to repair the decayed bulwark or blockhouse at Holy Island.<ref>Joseph Bain, ''Hamilton Papers'', vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1892), pp. 463, 471–76.</ref>

By December 1547, Ralph Cleisbye, Captain of the fort, had guns including a wheel-mounted [[demi-culverin]], two brass [[saker (cannon)|sakers]], a [[falconet (cannon)|falcon]], and another fixed demi-culverin.{{sfn|Starkey|1998|p=134}} However, Beblowe Crag itself was not fortified until 1549 and Sir Richard Lee saw only a decayed platform and turf rampart there in 1565. [[Elizabeth I]] then had work carried out on the fort, strengthening it and providing gun platforms for the developments in artillery technology. When [[James VI and I]] came to power in England, he [[Union of the Crowns|combined the Scottish and English thrones]], and the need for the castle declined. At that time the castle was still garrisoned from Berwick and protected the small Lindisfarne Harbour.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

During the [[Jacobite rising of 1715]] the [[Earl of Mar]] (later commander of the Jacobite army) planned for a Franco-Spanish invasion of North-East England to link up with indigenous Jacobites and the Scottish army marching south. Holy Island was regarded by Mar as the ideal place for a landing.{{sfn|Gooch|1995|pp=34–35}} The following day, however, he decided on a more southerly landing.{{sfn|Gooch|1995|p=35}}

Lindisfarne was close to [[Bamburgh]] which at that time was owned by [[Thomas Forster]] who was a committed Jacobite.{{sfn|Gooch|1995|p=38}} The Jacobites wanted to secure the castle on Holy Island so as "to give signals to the ships from which they expected succours from abroad". The castle was sealed but only held by around six men. The brigantine ''Mary'' of the Tyne, ex France was anchored in the bay. The master, [[Lancelot Errington]], went ashore on 10 October 1715 to ask Samuel Phillipson, the castle's [[Master Gunner]] who also served as the unit's [[barber]], for a shave.{{sfn|Gooch|1995|p=71}} The men knew each other and so this seemed entirely innocent. Errington established that only two soldiers (Phillipson and Farggison) and Phillipson's wife were actually in the castle, the rest of the garrison being off duty. Errington returned with his nephew later in the day claiming to have lost the key to his watch then pulled a pistol on Phillipson and ejected the three people. Forster was expected to send reinforcements to the castle but never did.{{sfn|Gooch|1995|p=72}}

The following day Colonel Laton with a hundred troops arrived from Berwick and was joined by 50 of the islanders in retaking the castle. The Erringtons fled, were caught and imprisoned in the tollbooth at Berwick but tunnelled their way out and escaped back to Bamburgh.{{sfn|Gooch|1995|p=73}} On 14 October two French ships signalled to the castle, but on receiving no reply withdrew.{{sfn|Gooch|1995|p=74}}

The castle was refurbished in the [[Arts and Crafts]] style by Sir [[Edwin Lutyens]] for the editor of [[Country Life (magazine)|''Country Life'']], [[Edward Hudson (magazine owner)|Edward Hudson]]. Lutyens also designed the [[Holy Island War Memorial]] on the Heugh. 

One of the most celebrated gardeners of modern times, [[Gertrude Jekyll]] (1843–1932), laid out a small walled garden just north of the castle in 1911.{{sfn|The National Trust|2020}} The castle, garden and nearby lime kilns are in the care of the [[National Trust]] and open to visitors.{{sfn|The National Trust|2020}}

===Green Shiel===
This monument on the north coast includes a [[farmstead]] dated to the early medieval period. The stone-built foundations of five rectangular buildings have been uncovered by excavation within the dune system. The settlement at Green Shiel is a rare example of an early medieval farmstead in Northumberland. There are no other known examples of stone-built farmsteads of this period in the region, and as such it is of particular importance.<ref>{{NHLE |desc= Early medieval farmstead at Green Shiel, Holy Island
 |num= 1015632 |accessdate=22 February 2024}}</ref> The settlement has been dated to the 9th century.<ref>{{cite web |title= Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve leaflet
 |url= https://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/general/pdf/NNRLindisfarneLeaflet.pdf |publisher= Natural England}}</ref>

===Navigational markers===
{{Infobox lighthouse
| qid = Q18431329
| image_width = 100px
| mapframe=no
| construction = Unpainted square stone obelisk
}}{{Infobox lighthouse
| qid = Q106367910
| image_width = 100px
| mapframe=no
| construction = Unpainted square stone obelisk
| height = {{convert|25|m|ft}}
}}{{Infobox lighthouse
| qid = Q3739194
| image_width = 100px
| mapframe=no
| shape = quadrangular tower with black triangle daymark and light
}}
The [[Corporation of Trinity House]] maintains three [[beacon]]s on or near the island, to guide vessels entering Holy Island Harbour: one is on Heugh Hill, the other two at Guile Point. Two of the three have navigation lights attached (and Trinity House classes them as '[[lighthouse]]s'). Until 1 November 1995 all three were operated by [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne Trinity House]] (a separate corporation, which formerly had responsibility for navigation marks along the coast from Berwick-upon-Tweed to [[Whitby]]), but on that day responsibility for marking the approach to the harbour was assumed by the London-based Corporation.{{sfn|Corporation of Trinity House|2016|loc=[https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/heugh-hill-lighthouse Heugh Hill]}}

Guile Point East and Guile Point West are two stone obelisks which function as [[Leading lights|leading marks]], guiding vessels approaching the harbour from the east. The beacons, which stand on a small tidal island on the other side of the channel, were established in 1826 by Newcastle-upon-Tyne Trinity House (in whose ownership they remain). When aligned, they indicated the safe channel over a submerged [[Bar (landform)|bar]].{{sfn|Imray|1854|p=19}} Since the early 1990s, a [[sector light]] has been fixed about one-third of the way up on the Guile Point East beacon.{{sfn|Corporation of Trinity House|2016|loc=[https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/guile-point-east-lighthouse Guile Point East]}}

The Heugh Hill Light is a metal framework tower with a black triangular day mark, situated on Heugh Hill (a ridge on the south edge of Lindisfarne). Prior to its installation, a wooden beacon with a triangle topmark had stood on the centre of Heugh Hill for many decades.{{sfn|Imray|1854|p=19}} When aligned with the church belfry (on a bearing of 310°), it indicated that the bar had been cleared and provided a line of approach into the harbour.{{sfn|Fowler|1990|p=22:137}} 

Nearby on Heugh Hill is a former coastguard station (recently refurbished and opened to the public as a viewing platform).<ref>{{cite web |title=The Heugh |url=https://visitlindisfarne.com/listings/attractions-activities/the-heugh/ |website=Visit Lindisfarne |access-date=5 April 2025}}</ref> An adjacent ruin is known as the Lantern Chapel; its origin is unknown, but the name may indicate an earlier navigation light on this site.<ref name="HeughArchaeology">{{cite web |title=Archaeological Excavations on Lindisfarne Heugh |url=https://www.islandshirearchives.org.uk/content/areas/holy-island/archaeology/archaeological-excavations-lindisfarne-heugh |website=Islandshire Archives |access-date=5 April 2025}}</ref>

On the other side of the island, the Emmanuel Head [[daymark]] provides a visual navigational [[Fix (position)|fix]] during daylight hours. It is a white brick pyramid, standing {{convert|35|ft}} high, on Emmanuel Head at the north-eastern point of Lindisfarne. Built in 1810, it is said to be Britain's earliest purpose-built daymark.{{sfn|Jones|2014}}{{page needed|date=June 2022}}

<gallery heights="165" widths="200">
File:Emmanuel Head Beacon - Holy Island - geograph.org.uk - 63388.jpg|Emmanuel Head Daymark
File:Former coastguard station and remains of Lantern Chapel, The Heugh, Holy Island - geograph.org.uk - 409679.jpg|Public viewing platform and former coastguard station with remains of 'Lantern Chapel'
</gallery>

==Tourism==
[[File:Pilgrim's Way, Lindisfarne.JPG|thumb|Tourists crossing Pilgrim's Way]]
Tourism grew steadily throughout the 20th century, and the isle of Lindisfarne became a popular destination for visitors. Those tourists staying on the island while it is cut off by the tide experience the island in a quieter state, as most day trippers leave before the tide rises. At low tide it is possible to walk across the sands following an ancient route known as the Pilgrims' Way (see the [[#Causeway safety|note about safety]], above). This route is marked with posts and has refuge boxes for stranded walkers, just as the road has a refuge box for those who have left their crossing too late. The island is the eastern end point of the [[St Cuthbert's Way]] long distance path, and walkers on the Way can choose either the Pilgrims' Way or the modern causeway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stcuthbertsway.info/long-distance-route/fenwick-to-holy-island|title=Fenwick to Holy Island|website=St Cuthbert's Way official website|accessdate=20 February 2026}}</ref> 

The isle of Lindisfarne is surrounded by the {{convert|8750|acre|adj=on|abbr=off}} [[Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve]] which attracts bird-watchers to the [[tidal island]]. The island's prominent position and varied habitat make it particularly attractive to tired avian migrants, and {{as of|2016|lc=y}} 330 bird species had been recorded on the island.{{sfn|Kerr|2016}}{{page needed|date=June 2022}}

The island is within the [[Northumberland Coast National Landscape]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.northumberlandcoast-nl.org.uk/places/holy-island|title=Holy Island of Lindisfarne, Northumberland|website=Northumberland Coast|access-date=December 26, 2025}}</ref> an [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/community/the-northumberland-coast-national-landscape-launches-new-website-4964489|title=The Northumberland Coast National Landscape launches new website|date=28 January 2025|website=Northumberland Gazette}}</ref> The ruined priory is in the care of [[English Heritage]], which also runs a museum/visitor centre nearby.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://visitlindisfarne.com/listings/attractions-activities/lindisfarne-priory/|title=Lindisfarne Priory|website=Visit Lindisfarne|access-date=December 26, 2025}}</ref>

It is possible to see old wooden boats turned upside down on the land, used as sheds.<ref>{{cite news |title=Historic island's sheds replaced |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4789660.stm |access-date=22 May 2024 |work=BBC News |date=9 March 2006}}</ref><ref name="auto"/> These upturned boats near the foreshore provided the inspiration for Spanish architect [[Enric Miralles]]'s [[Scottish Parliament Building]] in [[Edinburgh]].{{sfn|BBC|2000}}

==Media==
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC North East and Cumbria]] and [[ITV Tyne Tees]]. Television signals are received from [[Chatton transmitting station]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Chatton|title=Full Freeview on the Chatton (Northumberland, England) transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=3 March 2024|archive-date=9 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209074921/https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Chatton|url-status=dead}}</ref> Local radio stations are [[BBC Radio Newcastle]], [[Capital North East]], [[Heart North East]], [[Smooth North East]], [[Hits Radio North East]], [[Greatest Hits Radio]] and Holy Island Radio, a community based station.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://holyislandradio.uk/|title=Holy Island Radio |access-date=3 March 2024}}</ref> The island is served by the local newspaper, ''[[Northumberland Gazette]]''.

==Culture==

[[J. M. W. Turner]], [[Thomas Girtin]] and [[Charles Rennie Mackintosh]] all painted on Holy Island.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Girtin |first=Thomas |date=1796–97 |title=Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, Northumberland |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/341793 |access-date=30 April 2026 |website=The Met}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Turner |first=Joseph Mallord William |title=Holy Island, Northumberland |date=1829 |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1028632/holy-island-northumberland-watercolour-turner-joseph-mallord/ |access-date=2026-05-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mackintosh |first=Charles Rennie |title=Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868-1926) Purple Mallows, Holy Island |url=https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5123863 |access-date=2026-04-30 |website=Christie's}}</ref>

The island was featured on the television programme ''[[Seven Natural Wonders]]'' as one of the wonders of the north.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}} The [[Lindisfarne Gospels]] have also featured on television among the Treasures of Britain.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}} It also features in an [[ITV Tyne Tees]] programme ''Diary of an Island'' which started on 19 April 2007 and on a DVD of the same name.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rae |first=Helen |date=2007-03-24 |title=TV show explores life on Lindisfarne |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/tv-show-explores-life-lindisfarne-1489081 |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=Chronicle Live |language=en}}</ref>

===Music===
The English folk-rock band [[Lindisfarne (band)|Lindisfarne]] takes its name from the island.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}} The English musician [[James Blake (musician)|James Blake]] wrote [[Lindisfarne / Unluck|two electronica songs named after Lindisfarne]], both appearing on [[James Blake (album)|his 2011 album]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}} The rock band [[Iona (band)|Iona]] had a song called Lindisfarne on their 1996 album [[Journey into the Morn]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

The opening track "793 (Slaget om Lindisfarne)" on Norwegian metal band [[Enslaved (band)|Enslaved]]'s 1997 album ''[[Eld (album)|Eld]]'' deals with the 793 raid from the Viking invaders' perspective.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

The [[Muscle Shoals, Alabama]] based [[shoegaze]] duo Sister Ray Davies' 2025 album ''Holy Island''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sisterraydavies.bandcamp.com/album/holy-island|title=Holy Island, by Sister Ray Davies|website=Sister Ray Davies}}</ref> (released by [[Sonic Cathedral]]) was inspired by Lindisfarne <ref>{{cite web | title=Behind the music - Sister Ray Davies | website=[[RTÉ.ie]] | date=11 November 2025 |url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2025/1111/1539834-behind-the-music-sister-ray-davies/#:~:text=The%20duo%20of%20Adam%20and%20Jamie%20Sego,is%20a%20concept%20album%20about%20the%20ancient}}</ref>, with songs referencing names (such as [[Aidan of Lindisfarne|Aidan]]) and events in the island's history, up to and including the 793 AD Viking raid.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

The song "Altars On Fire", from German power metal band [[Powerwolf|Powerwolf]]'s 2023 album [[Interludium|Interludium]], is about the burning of the abbey during the 793 Viking raid from the English perspective.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

===In popular fiction===
Most of [[LJ Ross]]'s [[crime novel]] ''Holy Island'' (2015) is set on Lindisfarne. Much of [[Ann Cleeves]]'s mystery novel ''The Rising Tide'' is also located here and was filmed on the island for the TV series ''[[Vera (TV series)|Vera]]'' based on the lead character in Cleeves' novels, DCI Vera Stanhope as played by [[Brenda Blethyn]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

The Viking raid appears in season one of the television series ''[[Vikings (TV series)|Vikings]]''. A dramatised version of the first Viking raid on the island appears in the final episode of season 3 of the comedy series ''[[Norsemen (TV series)|Norsemen]]''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

It is also mentioned as background in [[Anne Perry]]'s novel ''A Question of Betrayal'' (2020).{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

The Viking raid appeared in the [[Big Finish Productions]] ''[[Doctor Who]]'' audio story ''Escape from Holy Island'' (2024), starring the [[Sixth Doctor]] and his companion [[Peri Brown]].{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

Lindisfarne was the location for filming of director Roman Polanski's 1966 comedy thriller [[Cul-de-sac (1966 film)|''Cul-de-sac'']] (starring Donald Pleasence, Françoise Dorléac, Lionel Stander and Jack MacGowran).{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

[[Danny Boyle]]'s film ''[[28 Years Later]]'' (2025) is set on Lindisfarne, although the aerial views of the island were CGI.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026}}

The island was the setting for [[List of Wolfblood episodes|season 1 episode 5]] (2012) of ''[[Wolfblood]]'', a supernatural teen drama from Children's BBC.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wolfblood: Season 1, Episode 5 {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/wolfblood/s01/e05 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Arms==
{{Infobox COA wide
|name = Holy Island Parish Council
|escutcheon = Barry wavy Argent and Azure a Pomeis ensigned with an ancient crown and charged throughout with a Celtic cross Or on a chief also Azure on a landscape a representation of the ruined priory of Lindisfarne Proper.
|crest = A monk seated affrontée and habited in a saffron-coloured robe Proper behind the head a nimbus Or and holding in the hands an open book Gules garnished Gold.
|motto = Ecce Ego Mitte Me (Here I Am, Send Me!)
|notes = Granted 10 June 1959 by [[Sir George Bellew]] (Garter) and [[Sir John Heaton-Armstrong]] (Clarenceux). Design negotiated with [[John Brooke-Little]] (Bluemantle).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.islandshirearchives.org.uk/content/areas/holy-island/historical-documents/letters-patent-coat-arms |access-date=18 September 2022 |title=Letters Patent and Coat of Arms |publisher=Islandshire Community Archive Group}}</ref>}}

== Notes==
{{notelist|1}}

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  | date = 2019
  | url = http://data.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/doc/4000000074586541
  | publisher = [[Ordnance Survey]]
  | access-date = 12 November 2019
  }}
* {{citation
  | last1 = Porteous
  | first1 = Katrina
  | title = Holy Island's Fishing Heritage
  | date = 13 May 2018a
  | url = https://www.islandshirearchives.org.uk/content/areas/holy-island/fishing/holy-islands-fishing-heritage
  | website = Islandshire Archives: A community history of Holy Island and the adjacent mainland
  | publisher = Peregrini Project
  | access-date = 16 June 2020
  }}
* {{citation
  | last1 = Porteous
  | first1 = Katrina
  | title = Holy Island's Fishing Heritage
  | date = 4 December 2018b
  | url = https://www.islandshirearchives.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Fishing-Heritage-Katrina-compressed.pdf
  | website = Peregrini Lindisfarne – An Anthology
  | access-date = 16 June 2020
  }}
* {{citation
  | last = Richards
  | first = Julian D.
  | author-link = Julian D. Richards
  | title = Viking Age England
  | publisher = BCA
  | year = 1991
  | series = English Heritage Book of&nbsp;...
  | isbn = 978-0-7134-6519-8
}}
* {{citation
  | last = Scaife
  | first = Chris
  | title = The Caves of Northumberland
  | date = 2019
  | publisher = Sigma Leisure  
  | isbn = 978-1-910758-43-4
}}
* {{citation
  | last = Simpson
  | first = David
  | year = 2009
  | title = Place-Name Meanings K to O
  | work = Roots of the Region
  | url = http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/PlaceNameMeaningsKtoO.html
  | access-date = 11 August 2013
  }}
* {{citation
  | editor-last = Starkey
  | editor-first = David
  | title-link = Inventory of Henry VIII of England
  | title = The Inventory of Henry VIII
  | volume = 1
  | publisher = Society of Antiquaries
  | year = 1998
}}
* {{citation
  | last = Stenton
  | first = Sir Frank M.
  | title = Anglo-Saxon England
  | series = The Oxford History of England
  | volume = II
  | isbn = 978-0-19-821716-9
  | year = 1987
  | orig-year = first published 1943
  | edition = 3rd
  | publisher = OUP
}}
* {{citation
  | last = Swanton
  | first = Michael
  | title = The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
  | publisher = Phoenix Press
  | edition = New
  | orig-year = c. 1000
  | date=  2000
  | isbn = 978-1-84212-003-3
}}
* {{citation
  | last = van Tuijl
  | first = Michael Vrieling
  | date = 22 June 2020
  | title = Lindisfarne Mead, Fruit Wines and Liqueurs
  | url = https://www.hiol.co.uk/visitor-information/local-produce/lindisfarne-mead
  | access-date = 23 June 2020
  | website = Holy Island of Lindisfarne
  | archive-date = 23 June 2020
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200623083540/https://www.hiol.co.uk/visitor-information/local-produce/lindisfarne-mead
  | url-status = dead
  }}
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation
  | last = Aslet
  | first = Clive
  | title = The Last Country Houses
  | publisher = Yale University Press
  | place = London
  | date = 1982
  |ref=none}}
* {{citation
  | last = Baker
  | first = David
  | title = Lutyena at Lindisfarne
  | publisher = unpublished B Arch thesis
  | place = Newcastle
  | date = 1975
  |ref=none}}
* {{citation
  | last = Brereton
  | first = Sir William
  | title = Notes on a Journey through Durham and Northumberland in the Year 1635
  | publisher = M.A. Richardson
  | place = Newcastle
  | orig-year = 1635
  | date = 1844
  |ref=none}}
* {{citation
  | last = Brown
  | first = Jane
  | title = Lutyens and the Edwardians
  | publisher = Viking
  | place = London
  | date = 1996
  |ref=none}}
* {{citation
  | last = Cornforth
  | first = John
  | title = The Inspiration of the Past
  | publisher = Harmondsworth
  | date = 1985
  |ref=none}}
* {{citation
  | last = Festing
  | first = Sally
  | title = Gertrude Jekyll
  | publisher = Viking
  | place = London
  | date = 1991
  |ref=none}}
* {{citation
  | last = Magnusson
  | first =  Magnus
  | author-link = Magnus Magnusson
  | title = Lindisfarne, The Cradle Island
  | year = 1984
  | publisher = Oriel Press
  | isbn = 978-0-85362-223-9
  |ref=none}}
* {{citation
  | title = A Holy Island Prayer Book: Prayers and Readings from Lindisfarne
  | last = Simpson
  | first = Ray
  | publisher = Canterbury Press
  | year = 2013
  | isbn = 978-1-85311-474-8
  | location = UK
  |ref=none}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Lindisfarne}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* [https://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/villagehall/ Holy Island Village Hall]
* [http://www.stmarysholyisland.org/ Church of St Mary the Virgin, Holy Island of Lindisfarne]
* [https://holyislandcrossingtimes.northumberland.gov.uk/ Holy Island Safe Crossing Times]
* [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarne-priory/ Lindisfarne Priory] – English Heritage
* [https://holy-island.uk/crossing-holy-islands-causeway-and-what-you-need-to-know/ Video: Holy Island Causeway information]
* [https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lindisfarne-castle Lindisfarne Castle] – National Trust
* {{PastScape |num=7835|desc= Lindisfarne Priory|fewer-links=yes |ref=none}}
* [https://www.visitnorthumberland.com/holy-island  Lindisfarne Visitor Information] Official visitor information site
* [https://visitlindisfarne.com  Visit Lindisfarne] Locally-run information site

{{Navboxes |list1 =
{{Coastal settlements
|place         = Northumberland
|settlement    = Holy Island
|anticlockwise = [[Berwick-on-Tweed]]
|clockwise     = [[Bamburgh]]
}}
{{Hen ogledd}}
{{Lighthouses of Trinity House}}
{{Lighthouses in England}}
}}
{{Viking Invasion of England}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lindisfarne| ]]
[[Category:Anglo-Norse England]]
[[Category:History of Northumberland]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in England]]
[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Northumberland]]
[[Category:Celtic Christianity]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Tidal islands of England]]
[[Category:Islands of Northumberland]]
[[Category:Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation]]
[[Category:Lime kilns in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Northumberland]]
[[Category:Northumberland places with etymologically Brittonic names]]