Across the causeway to Holy Island

To continue from yesterday and my delight in rummaging in rock pools. With the tide far out and the rocks exposed, it was, 'keep hold of Ian in case I went 'A over T'' to find the best ones. That seaweed was lethal if trodden on!  Mind you if I had gone Ian would have gone with me, gosh the thought of being airlifted out by the Coast guard helicopter, nearly had me wishing!! 😉🚁

 It was a chance remark from a lady with her kiddies who told of the black slugs in one of the pools. Pointing us in the general direction, we set off to find it. And what a find. A Sea Hare grazing on the seaweed.

Plenty of other small crabs, shrimps and what looked like a curled up wood lice.

Wednesday 6th

What a dismal start to today. Rain for most of the night, and for the first time this holiday the brolly had to be deployed on the way to the showers. In a way, walking around Holy Island, Lindisfarne didn't really appeal, but we had been advised to go by another motor homer, it was too good a place to miss, and I did fancy going over the causeway just as the tide receded, so rain or no, we set off.

The tide times were in our favour, safe to go across to the island at 10.45am. I had hoped to be there to see the causeway still underwater, but we got well and truly held up at the level crossing leading toward it. Network rail bods were doing rail surveys and the red crossing lights were flashing as we arrived. Gosh, we were there for ages. Eventually a train came through, but still we waited. Would the barriers ever get raised? Then another train came through, and finally, after 10 minutes, the barriers came up. 

When we did arrive at the causeway, the water had long receded from the road. So much for the 10.45 safe crossing. It must have been open much sooner, so I never did get to see the road covered in seawater.

The island has a huge car park, plenty of room for several hundred cars and no problem for motorhomes. First stop was Lindisfarne Castle. Perched on top of steep rock, t'was the perfect stronghold, or so one would think. To read, it's history CLICK HERE But here is a short extract from the site;

One of the most photographed castles in England, and for good reason, Lindisfarne Castle rises from a high outcrop of basalt as if it was a natural, organic part of the rock. Though it looks every inch a perfect medieval fortress, Lindisfarne is actually a sympathetic 20th-century restoration of a Tudor fort.

I was surprised at the amount of rooms. It looked so narrow and tiny from below, but looks can be deceiving. No steps to get to it, rather small cobbles that made me wonder if going up was the right thing to do. What goes up must come down and with that rain, I felt very aware they may be slippery. Right on the side by the handrail was proper stones, looked perfect for me to come down, and I could hold on to that rail. I didn't slip once, but oh the knees!!! Every step about killed, if only one could keep going up and never have to descend, I would be very happy about that!

 

Below the castle were lime kilns. Not just arches made in the side of rock with no way of seeing inside. These were some of the largest and best preserved in England.

k

This from Undiscovered Scotland
. The kilns were constructed as a block of six, in two banks of three, and there were access and service tunnels between them, which would have had rails for the horse drawn or man pushed tubs which carried away the lime after it had been raked out through the "eyes", of which there were three or four per kiln.

By now our stomachs had thought throats had been cut, so off to find an eatery. This wasn't as easy as one might think. Plenty of coffee houses, café's and pubs (well, two that we found anyway) but the island was busy, and it seemed as if everyone had the same idea as us. Eventually we managed to grab the last table at the The Ship. Food took a while before it was served, we had been warned, but when it did arrive one couldn't fault it. We had burgers, not just your common burger that is served from McDonald's, but beefy with bacon and cheese, coleslaw, salad and a huge complete gherkin on top. Chips were served with it and all for £13 each. Not bad at all. 

One last attraction to see, The Priory. Again, this excerpt from English Heritage.

This was one of the most important centres of early English Christianity. Irish monks settled here in AD 635 and the monastery became the centre of a major saint’s cult celebrating its bishop, Cuthbert. The masterpiece now known as the Lindisfarne Gospels was created here in the early 8th century. The ruins now visible are those of a 12th-century priory, which claimed direct descent from the early monastery.

And this about St Cuthbert

Sometime in the 670s a monk named Cuthbert joined the monastery at Lindisfarne. He eventually became Lindisfarne’s greatest monk-bishop, and the most important saint in northern England in the Middle Ages.

As prior of Lindisfarne, Cuthbert reformed the monks’ way of life to conform to the religious practices of Rome rather than Ireland. This caused bitterness, and he decided to retire and live as a hermit. He lived at first on an island (now called St Cuthbert’s Isle) just offshore, but later moved across the sea to the more remote island of Inner Farne.

On the insistence of the king, however, Cuthbert was made a bishop in 685. His new duties brought him back into the world of kings and nobles, but he acquired a considerable reputation as a pastor, seer and healer.

St Cuthberts Island

By the Priory was St Marys Church still with services being held regularly.

Phew, we had spent over 5 hours on the island. We were very aware of the tide times, and seeing this sign didn't help.

We had consulted the times and knew we could stay until at least 7 pm. But both of us was hurting, me from the knees and Ian from his hamstring. It was decided to leave and head for Alnwick.

Back across the causeway. Hadn't realised folk could also walk from the mainland to the island. Those posts showed the safe route. 

At Alnwick we found an Argos. The mirror parts ordered from eBay had arrived. Within 5 minutes, the new indicator cover and small mirror were fitted.  From there we found a long term car park away from the town. That was to be our park 4 night.

And todays wildlife