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Decline, Wanderings, and Reestablishment of LindisfarneThe Venerable Bede hints at the decline of the monastery in the 730s. When the Vikings ransacked the monastery in 793, Alcuin said wryly that perhaps God was displeased by the lax lifestyle of the monks. After this event, the congregation of Cuthbert fled to Norham with his relics and began a pilgrimage of their own. In 883 they went to Chester-le-street, sixty miles south of Lindisfarne, where they remained for 100 years. Later they traveled to Ripon in 995, and finally to Durham in 1083; the latter was a Benedictine See. In 1104, Cuthbert's tomb was again examined and his body seen to be incorrupt. His relics were placed in the new Norman Cathedral at Durham (this hyperlink takes you to Dr. Vess's Durham page and the Cathedral's Virtual Tour). Monks from Durham later went back to the Holy Island, including Edward in the twelfth century; Bartholomew and Thomas went to the Inner Farne in 1150. Lindisfarne became a dependent priory of Durham. The priory, like most other monasteries in England, was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1537. It was later used as a military stronghold. In 1828 the secondary relics of Cuthbert were removed and placed in a museum, where they can be viewed today. Pictorial Tour of Lindisfarne Priory
The Nave, with its Rainbow Arch The Chapter House and Dormitory Gate through which people gained access to the cloister and inner buildings The Outer Court (guest house, stable, vat, well, and kiln) Anglo-Saxon cross base in front of the west facade Return to the Index of Lindisfarne: A Virtual Tour
For further exploration, consult the following links:English Heritage History of Lindisfarne Catholic Encyclopedia Article on Lindisfarne A Carpet Page from the Lindisfarne Gospels The Lindisfarne Gospels from the British Library Causeway Tide timetables for October 1999 get a sense of the rhythm of the day on Lindisfarne. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne Official Site
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Aerial
view of the priory grounds