Trifter

THE Holy Island of Lindisfarne, lying off the Northumberland Coast is the Cradle of Christianity in England. St Aidan founded the original priory in 634 and it was home to St Cuthbert and many other early saints. The famous Lindisfarne Gospels were created here. Its very stones are incandescent with spirituality. An island twice a day, It still has an aurea of tranquillity even on the busiest of bank holidays.

People crossing the dramatic causeway will see the fairytale Lindisfarne Castle standing on the height of Beblow Crag ahead of them.

The ruins of the Benedictine Priory stand near the shoreline at the southern end of the village. A state of Aidan which has stood here for many years has been joined by one of Cuthbert, carved by local sculptor Fenwick Lawson.

Lindisfarne Priory is open from 11:00 to 18:00 daily between April and September and 100:00 to 16:00 each day in October, February and March. November to January opening times are 10:00 to 16:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. There is a small museum next to the priory

The Lindisfarne Heritage Centre on Marygate incorporates a visitor information centre, gift shop and an Internet access centre. It stages various exhibitions on the archaeology, history and environment of the island. It concentrates on people who have inhibited the island since the Mesolithic period. The exhibitions use the modern aids of interactive video, audio and computer technology to put their point over.

A major new exhibition is the facsimile and interactive display of the Gospels which was commissioned by the British Library. They are considered to be one of the masterpieces of early medieval park. Turning the Pages software enable the reader to look and different pages and fully appreciate the beauty of this magnificent work of art. The exhibition also traces its creation from the production of parchment to the jewels that have been lost from the cover.

Lindisfarne is not just history or religion. Cuthbert founded the first nature reserve in the world here. The island still has nature reserves. The combination of tidal mudflats, salt marshes and dunes form a unique shelter for visiting birds.

The Snook is the name of the bulbous outcropping of dunes at the western end of the island. An area of dunes merged with an intertidal land of sand and firm substrata, where visitors can watch cormorants, terns and eider duck as they gather fish from the bounteous sea. Autumn brings the pink-footed, greylag and pale-bellied geese. There are also curlew, lapwing, dunlin, widgeon, grey plover and the bar-tailed godwit. The dry-stone walls are utilised as hunting observation posts by the kestrels and merlins.

Other visitors head for St Aidan’s Winery, run by the Lindisfarne Mead Company. Mead, which was made by the Celtic Monks is still produced on this site. Many other hone-based products, such as honey beer and honey-flavoured lemon curd can be bought here.

Lindisfarne has four hotels and number of B and Bs. There is a car park with public toilets on Green Lane with other public toilets next to the Village Hall on Crossgate Street. This street also has a public telephone box and there is a post office/gift shop and general dealers in the village. The island also has Roman Catholic and United Reform Churches.

Holy Island is a tidal island that is linked to the mainland by a causeway, which is engulfed by the rising tide twice a day. It is a dangerous area and people are trapped by the inflowing tide every year. There is a refuge box on legs midway over the causeway, but prevention is better than cure. Details on the crossing times can be obtained from the Lindisfarne Heritage Centre on 1289 389004 or the Berwick Tourist Information Centre on 01289 330733. They are also published in local newspapers and there are notices with tide tables at each end of the causeway.

The Island is signpost from Beal on the A1 eight miles south of Berwick. Beal is approximately halfway between Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh.

Aqua-Trax offer a new way to view Lindisfarne and the Northumbrian coast. They operate all weather rigid inflatable boats from the neighbouring Seahouses Harbour. More details can be obtained from their office on 01665 720335.