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Beautiful Pictures Of Lindisfarne Castle
By Med | May 7, 2006
Lindisfarne is an island in the North Sea, just off the coast of north east England. When the tide is out, the island is accessible via a paved road. However, when the tide is in, the road is underwater. The ruins of St. Aidan’s monastery are on the island and open to the public. The monastery was begun in 635AD. Although originally build of wood, it later evolved into a great stone and brick structure. The monastery was destroyed on orders of King Henry VIII in 1536 and much of the materials were used to build a defensive castle at the opposite end of the island. The castle is quite small as castles go and is situated on top of a steep hill.
Lindisfarne, or Holy Island, a tidal island off the coast of Northumberland, became a major centre of Christianity when the Priory was built by St. Aidan in 635 A.D. The castle was completed in 1550 as a defence against Scottish and French invasion. It was captured briefly in 1715 by Jacobite forces.
Holy Island, cut off from the mainland for several hours each day, played a significant part in the development of Christianity in England. In 635 AD, the Irish evangelist, St Aidan, founded a monastic community that became one of the most important centres of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England. Viking raids finally forced the monks to abandon the island in 875, but in 1082, St Cuthbert rebuilt the Priory, the remains of which can still be visited.
Lindisfarne Castle is a much more recent structure, built on an outcrop of rock known as Beblowe Crag, 1570-2. The Tudor fort was built to safeguard a harbour that sheltered English ships at war with Scotland. The accession of James VI of Scotland to the English throne in 1603 united the two kingdoms and Lindisfarne Castle lost its importance as a border fort. However a garrison remained at the castle until the late 19th century.
In 1901, Edward Hudson, the founder of Country Life magazine, discovered the castle. He commissioned the architect, Edward Lutyens to convert the fort into a comfortable holiday home. The castle is now owned by the National Trust, and its furnished interiors are maintained as they appeared in the early 20th century.
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