Holy Island

Holy Island, or LINDISFARNE, a small island of Northumberland, 9½ miles SE. of Berwick-on-Tweed. It is 3 miles long by 1¼ broad, and has an area of 2457 acres. At low-water it can be reached by walking across the sands, a distance of 3½ miles; at high-water the strait covered by the sea is 1½ mile wide. The village (pop. 686) is guarded by the castle, built about 1500, and still in good repair. The island is chiefly interesting for the ruins of its Benedictine priory church. This was built in 1093 out of the materials of the ancient cathedral, erected here in the 7th century, under the auspices of Bishop Aidan. Here a company of Columban monks established themselves, and grew into the famous priory of Lindisfarne, the luminary of the north, the Iona of England. It reached its greatest glory under St Cuthbert (q.v.). The cathedral suffered severely from the ravages of the Danes, and was gradually allowed to fall into ruins as Durham grew into importance. In August 1887 three thousand barefooted pilgrims crossed the sands to Lindisfarne. See works by G. Johnston (1853) and F. R. Wilson (1870).