DAY FIFTEEN: Lindisfarne and Bamburgh

Last day - Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island. The monks lived within protective sight of the Nothumbrian kings at Bamburgh, high tide isolated it from the mainland creating the remoteness they desired and it has a deep water harbor. There Eadfrith, who was bishop of Lindisfarne 698–721, created the Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the worlds' greatest artistic and religious treasures recounting the life of Jesus according to Matthew, Mark, Luke  and John (survives in the British Library, London). 

Before a road was built to Holy Island pilgrims would walk a path across the sand flats. A line of poles were erected in 1860 for navigation.You couldn't have been better warned about when to cross the causeway. Signs with photos of submerged cars caught in the the tide were everywhere.

I learned something big today... this is NOT Lindisfarne Priory!

HA! I always thought this was the place, it's not, it's the castle. As disappointing as it was to learn the images of isolated monks and Viking ships sailing up to this citadel (movies are to blame) is false, the story is still the same, and it takes nothing from it. The "real" monastery is in the village overlooking the castle and the sea. 

We left the best for last and sort of an ancestral pilgrimage since I'm 2% Scandinavian. Holy Island doesn't like to play up the Viking raid on the monastery in 793, instead focusing on the Christian community and the Gospels - all wonderful - BUT.....where's the fun in that? 

"This year came dreadful fore-warnings over the land of the Northumbrians, terrifying the people most woefully: these were immense sheets of light rushing through the air, and whirlwinds, and fiery dragons flying across the firmament. These tremendous tokens were soon followed by a great famine: and not long after, on the sixth day before the ides of January in the same year, the harrowing inroads of heathen men made lamentable havoc in the church of God in Holy-island, by rapine and slaughter."Entry for the year 793 in the Anglo Saxon chronicle

Well Worn Steps to the Monks Dormitory

 Undeniably barbaric and savage,  it never fails to capture the imagination for me.  793 provided the perfect dramatic entrance into the fascinating history of the Viking empire and particularly their role in British history. They helped shape England as it's known today. The thought of such a sudden and brutal attack is fascinating on a Hollywood scale, particularly when one comes to see the Priory and imagines just how powerful an impact that raid would have had on such a remote and peaceful community. Blood-thirsty warriors tearing up Christians and carrying prisoners off to their fierce-looking ships during daring raids.  A terrible day for Lindisfarne it may have been, but nevertheless a very important one. The Vikings were a fascinating culture of people.

The word at the time, Northumbrian scuttlebutt, was, they deserved what they got. 
The logic behind this thinking was that for something this bad to happen to arguably the holiest site in 8C Britain, then the local community had to have done something very bad themselves in order to evoke the wrath of God. The Anglo Saxon chronicle’s entries for the years preceding 793 is a catalogue of a series of very un-Christian behavior. One could think their isolation had lead to them straying into the pages of Richard III or maybe Macbeth; usurpers, murders and political assassination were the order of the day, even hairstyles and fashion sense had become reckless and unholy.

Discipline meted out by God had a new face,  spoke a new language and favored a new form of transport and all of this scared the living daylights out of the Anglo Saxons. Viking raiders fitted the bill very well for anyone in the 8C casting around for a hellish and bloody band of people - reportedly bringing the punishment of God down on the heads of wayward Christians.

Not one single raider would have been seen sporting a lovely pair of horns on either side of their helmet; neither would they have been hell-bent on destroying absolutely everything and anybody that they could find; and I doubt there was  time nor inclination for a monk to pull out a piece of paper and scribble down the phrase "A furore Normanorum, libera nos Domine" (From the fury of the north-men, God deliver us) as history states.

Saxon Cross Staff

Horns on one’s helmet are just not practical. They offer no protection and any impact upon them would jar the helmeted head severely .  Add to this the matter of the rigging and the large square sail of a ship filled with warriors  and you will almost certainly become entangled in something or poke someone’s eye out!

In the museum is a carved stone showing a group of men with swords and axes raised, believed to be a depiction of the Viking raid.  No one is wearing a helmet with horns.

Reproduction of a Carved and Painted Name Stone

Fantasy aside, there's no denying that the raiders did inflict terrible slaughter and injury on many people and that there were certainly many deaths on Lindisfarne that day. It would be inaccurate to suggest that these raiders lacked any purpose other than complete devastation of Lindisfarne and all those within the community. 
One interpretation of the timing of this raid might suggest that it was a much more organized affair rather than a lucky strike. Sailing right across the North Sea and arriving at Lindisfarne first time in the middle of January is somewhat hard to believe, even super-human. It is possible that they may have launched from elsewhere along the coast. Having gathered what information they could about Lindisfarne they could then plan a more precise attack. It is also possible then that they knew of Lindisfarne’s wealth, the size of the community there and the nature of that community - monasteries were popular targets as they were seldom well defended but had great riches.

Intricate Saxon Knotwork

 Lindisfarne suggests that Vikings had a flare for organised crime. They were far from the mindless savages that they are portrayed as. The crew that reached Lindisfarne in 793 were only the beginning of something much larger and only displayed a fraction of their potential.

From Holy Island, Bamburgh on the Horizon

Ragworm

  
I noticed holes in the sand, perfect holes about 2-3" in diameter. Beside each hole was a pile of spaghetti-like sand. I asked someone what this was, they said Ragworm. They're large, centipede-like creatures, popular for bait. Outer space! 

Lighthouse 1910

Someone Got Creative With These Cement Blocks

View of the Village From the Castle

Sunday Afternoon Cricket

Will Be Back! 

Our last day ticked on. Back in Bamburgh we have soup and tea at the Copper Kettle Tea Rooms. The building used to be one of 4 identical  18C cottages for workers restoring the castle. Then a walk to the lighthouse along the beach and around the castle. Bamburgh is not a pretty structure, too many eras built on and that red stone again, but it's imposing and majestic as it dominates the village from every angle. I can't imagine living with it as a daily backdrop. There was a cricket match starting up, lots of ice cream being eaten, dogs being walked. Time to have a last dinner and pack up, it's an early 6AM drive to Newcastle in the morning to catch the plane to London. Time to part company. We will say good bye to the North, to the beautiful wild crags of the Wall, which turned out to be so much more than I expected and an adventure to cherish. 
The sun came out too, to wish us farewell. A perfect end to an amazing trip.

As always I have to thank my wonderful shoes. Water, mud, lots of mud, nettles, tea shops, pavement, shopping, 5-star hotel carpets, sheep poo, cow pats, Roman stones, medieval castles. 

DAY FOURTEEN: Dunstanburgh and Alnwick

Castle Crawl..... First stop, the invitingly poetic looking ruins of Dunstanburgh. 

On a remote headland  of cliffs and crashing waves the castle was built at a time when relations between King Edward II and his most powerful baron, Earl Thomas of Lancaster, had become openly hostile. Thomas of Lancaster was the eldest son of Edmund Crouchback, the 1st Earl of Lancaster.  Crouchback was the youngest son of King Henry III and brother of King Edward I. Henry III was the the eldest son of notorious King John, Richard the Lionheart's greedy (misunderstood?) brother.

Are you taking notes?


Lancaster began the great twin-towered keep on the wave-battered coastline in 1313 on a grand scale. It's believed he built it purposely to show off his threat and might, more as a symbol of his opposition to the king than as a true military stronghold. The castle can be seen from distant Bamburgh, home of the Northumberland king, and a daily reminder of Lancaster's presence in a "nyah nyah" kind of way. 

Unfortunately the earl failed to reach Dunstanburgh when his rebellion was defeated. He was taken and executed in 1322. 

The Chronicle of Lanercost: Edward "sent for the earl to come to Pontefract, where he remained still in the castle of the earl; and there, in revenge for the death of Piers de Gaveston (whom the earl had caused to be beheaded), and at the instance of the earl's rivals (especially of Sir Hugh Despenser the younger), without holding a parliament or taking the advice of the majority, caused sentence to be pronounced that he should be drawn, hanged and beheaded. But, forasmuch as he was the queen's uncle and son of the king's uncle, the first two penalties were commuted, so that he was neither drawn nor hanged, only beheaded in like manner as this same Earl Thomas had caused Piers de Gaveston to be beheaded. Howbeit, other adequate cause was brought forward and alleged, to wit, that he had borne arms against the king of England in his own realm;

Soon after Thomas' death, miracles were reported at his tomb at Pontefract, and he became venerated as a martyr. Afterwards, the castle passed eventually to John of Gaunt, who strengthened it against the Scots.

The focus of fierce fighting during the Wars of the Roses, it was twice besieged and captured by Yorkist forces, but subsequently fell into decay.

The view from its high perch over the coast and fields, still marked by medieval plow systems, is unsurpassed. Despite it's violent history it had a good feeling, maybe partly due to all the birds making nests in its sheltered niches. 

The Sea Thrift is Blooming! 

I don't know why I'm sort of obsessed with castle bathrooms. Maybe imagining the people living there with the same basic human need as us brings them into perspective. Dunstanburgh had mire than its share of garderobes. Along the sea wall it had 5 evenly spaced, within each tower were more. Was the owner incontinent? Did he worry about his inhabitants' comfort? I think it was constantly being guarded and the men on duty didn't go far from their posts. 

After having stayed at Langley Castle as actually sitting in the large window with cushions and views I could really understand the design of these seats.

Next stop, Alnwick. Pronounced Eh-nick, rhymes with "panic" - Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in the country (Windsor being first) and home to the Duke of Northumberland's family, the Percys, for over 700 years. The current 12th duke is Ralph Percy (born 1956).

I could see why it was used in the Harry Potter movies as Hogwarts School. Its brooding and dark medieval architecture and over the top Italianate accents makes it a mix of  time periods with melancholy even sinister  overtones. It was also used as  Brancaster Castle in Downton Abbey's Christmas specials . There was an exhibit of Downton clothing and props in the dinning room with its long table set for 80, complete with place cards. 

Besides the Disneyland attractions meant for families and children, Alnwick is home to medieval England's most celebrated knight: Harry Hotspur. I admit I'd never heard of him. 

Lots of Fake Stone Guards on the Battlements

Story Time! Henry Percy, son of the 1st Earl of Northumberland, is better known by the name given to him by his enemies due to the eagerness (and impetuousness) with which he would ride into battle: Harry ‘Hotspur’.  He never became Earl of Northumberland due to predeceasing his father. At the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403, which took place partly under a solar eclipse, Henry IV dressed several of his knights in his attire and used them as a form of decoy; each time Hotspur killed one, he would think he had killed the King, only to find he hadn’t. Due to the swift re-enforcing arrival of the king’s son, the Prince of Wales, on the battlefield, Hotspur was effectively rushed into battle not fully prepared. He apparently left his sword behind. Oops. He was killed by an arrow in his eye . Hotspur was buried near the battlefield, but then exhumed, and his head was displayed on the walls of York as a warning to other potential rebels of what would happen to those who went against the king. His body was quartered, and the four pieces displayed in Newcastle, London, Bristol and Chester, again as a warning to others.

Important people are easily commemorated. 

I Like That Someone Made This Hidden Horse Tie

It was a challenge to dig beneath the  pompousness and find the roots of this fine castle. Dragon Quest, archery, talking mannequins, the Harry Potter magic show, learn to fly on broomsticks, be a knight.... I'm not one impressed by stuff, gilded stuff, china stuff. And Mr. Northumberland had a lot of stuff! His family had some avid explorers and archaeologists. What one hangs on to 700 years ago becomes valuable one day. They collected and there were many rooms turned into  museums from bronze age, Celts and Viking artifacts ( very cool) to state rooms of an army's worth of guns, powderhorns, works by Canaletto, Titian, Van Dyck, Turner, ; an extensive gallery of Meissen, Chelsea, and Paris porcelain; and the "priceless Cucci cabinets, originally created for Louis XIV of France".

Just imagine 700 years of immortal hoarding! I wasn't' supposed to take photos but I sneaked one of the china gallery.

You didn't miss the 52" flat screen and zebra print bean bag chairs. The Dukester is just a regular guy!



 What I like is the imagined life within the walls, the fantasy. 

Masons Marks

They were made by the stonemasons who cut the blocks that make up the walls, piers, arches and windows of castles and  churches.  Somebody built these things! They stand out from other stone "noise" because there are usually several examples of the same mark in close proximity, and by their decisiveness in cutting, since they were cut by people skilled in using sharp tools . The marks are a way for masons to identify which pieces of masonry they have produced,  to ensure they were paid for their work and as  quality control. There is no way to identify a particular name to a symbol, though sometimes a mason would have his mark put on his own gravestone. 

Here are some examples of masons marks.

It makes it all more human, doesn't it? After all, they were just like us. 

DAY THIRTEEN: BAMBURGH, Northumbria

You're not just looking at a view, you're standing in the footsteps of Kings

I read that in a guide brochure and that about says it all. 

Relocation day to Bamburgh ( Bamburrah) , on England's east coast . Bamburgh is a stunningly attractive small village set on the Northern stretch of the Northumberland Coast. It is without doubt dominated by its magnificently striking Castle that can be seen for miles around, giving the whole village an imposing and dramatic feeling. The history and conflict surrounding the castle is one of the most turbulent and far-reaching in English history. You can't fail to be impressed by the sheer scale of the Castle once you are up close and in the village itself.

Away from Moldy Dacron Manor and relocation to the east coast, we swung north to Scotland, just because, then traveled east along the border, dropping down into England again. I felt a sense of AHHHHHH. Home again! Want to know what was really strange? Having the world pass by at 50mph. After 2 weeks of a slow, meditative pace of 2.6, driving again was an adjustment. 

You can almost imagine the medieval village settled by the mighty castle, and the fear its might evoked.

There's more than the castle, more than the holiday homes and the beach, though the sun disappeared and the North Sea air blew in so there wasn't much beaching to be enjoyed. 

The  church of St Aidan perched on a hilltop overlooking the sea, was founded in 635 by St Aidan. The story goes ( and there's always a story) Aidan was called by King Oswald to come to his newly united kingdom of Northumbria and spread the Word of Jesus. A few days back we walked past Heavenfield, the battle site where Oswald raised a cross and triumphed over Celtic pagans. From there you can walk the Oswald Way to Bamburgh. Anyway.....

St Aidan's

in the churchyard is a memorial dedicated to the heroic tale of Grace Darling. She isn't buried here but she was born in Bamburgh. The tale of her bravery in saving nine sailors who were shipwrecked on the Farne Islands is legendary. 

1838, the paddle steamer SS Forfarshire hit the rocks off the coast of the Farne Islands, North of here. ​  Out of 60 passengers, 9 people survived, clinging to rocks in the storm. As morning dawned, the lighthouse keeper's daughter, Grace Darling, decided to row out with her father and saved them. She kept the boat steady in the ongoing storm while her father rescued the survivors one by one. Grace became a heroine. She died of tuberculosis 3 years later at the age of 26.
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Grace Darling Memorial

The Town Water Supply Back in the Day

 TALE of the LAIDLEY WORM: King Ida of Northumbria had two children, a son named Childe Wynd and a beautiful daughter named Margaret. Her evil stepmother, a sorceress,  was jealous of her popularity and turned Margaret into a loathsome serpent. News of the Worm terrorizing people and eating livestock reached Margaret's brother at sea. He returned in a boat with a keel made from the wood of a Rowan tree , a sure protection against dark magic.  Facing the Worm and ready to slay it, he heard a voice he recognized as his sister's say "Strike me not for I am your sister!"
The two returned to the castle where Childe touched the sorceress with a Rowan branch. She turned into a warty toad, which Margaret threw down the well at Bamburgh. She is still there today. But the spell can be broken - for once every seven years, on Christmas Eve, the portal of the cave opens, in case any man is willing and brave enough to kiss the toad, and free the dark woman of the west from her magical prison. 

Yarn Bomb

"Croquet, Great Game if You've Got the Balls For It" BOFUR

eerfcc

Another Secret Symbol

So to Bamburgh - a castle was  first built on the site in the 6C as part of the northern frontier separating England from Scotland.  The prominent site was one of the key strongholds of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria. It is traditionally said to have been founded in 547 by King Ida, one of the first Anglian rulers of the north. The name means 'Bebbe’s fort' . It was the seat of King Ida's grandson, the ruler King Aethelfrith of Bernicia (593-617) "The Ravening Wolf". Why don't we have names like this anymore?

Bernicia was the area of what is now where I'm sitting, NE England and SE Scotland. Bamburgh was particularly important under Oswald (king and saint), who succeeded Aethelfrith and converted to Christianity. The twin centers of Bamburgh and the monastery of nearby Lindisfarne were to be the focus of the Northumbrian golden age in the seventh and eighth centuries. The Vikings first raided Lindisfarne, more on that when we go to Holy Island, then under Olef and Swein Forkbeard they seiged the castle ,tearing it apart in 993. The castle changed hands many times, falling into disrepair. What remains today is the great Norman keep from 1120. In 1610, with the unification of the Scottish and English crowns accomplished, and the frontier no longer significant, the castle was sold to a local  family, who stripped it of its materials. In 1704 it was bought by Lord Crewe, Bishop of Durham, for whom our B&B is named. It was used at different times as a school, a hospital and accommodation for shipwrecked sailors. 
It's now owned by Francis Watson-Armstrong, but he doesn't live there. He's a farmer and  opens it to the public. 

A walk around the village inspired many visuals of history and fantasy.

Sweet Room at the Lord Crewe B&B

Cold, Gray Day Calls for Tea!