Location: Holy Island, Northumberland Map
Tel. 01289 389244
Constructed: 1550
Entrance Fee: adult £4.40
Children (5- 15 years) £2.60
Lindisfarne Castle is a medieval citadel that stands on Holy Island, Northumberland in United Kingdom. Lindisfarne Castle was constructed in 1550 from bricks of the former Lindisfarne Priory that was disbanded by the orders of English king Henry VIII who split from Catholic Church and made himself the new head of the church. It was intended to protect Northern border of England against Scottish invasion, but when James I 24 March 1603 united England and Scotland it lost much of its influence and need.
Lindisfarne castle is located on what was once the
border of England with Scotland. Fortress saw many wars between the
British and the Scots, but this area was commonly attacked by the
Vikings. In the fact an attack on Lindisfarne monastery has became
the beginning of the Viking Age in Europe. Lindisfarne castle was
built in 1550, around the time when the Lindisfarne Monastery was no
longer used, and the stones of that monastery were used as
construction material. It was small by the standards of the time,
and it looked more like a fort. The castle sits on the highest part
of the island, on a stone called Beblowe.
The position of Lindisfarne in the North Sea made him vulnerable to
attack by the Scots and norsemen, and by the Tudor era it became
clear that a stronger fortification was needed. This resulted in the
creation of the fortress at Beblowe Grag, which between 1570 and
1572 formed the basis of the current castle.
After the dissolution of the Monastery by Henry VIII, his troops
used the remaining buildings as a naval store. Later, Isabel I
carried out works in the castle fortifying it and supplying it with
weapons, due to the developments that had been made in artillery.
When James I came to power, the Scottish and British thrones joined,
and the need for the castle declined. Even at that time the castle
served as shelter for Berwick and protected the small port of
Lindisfarne.
In the 18th century Lindisfarne castle was briefly occupied by
Jacobean rebels, but was quickly recovered by Berwick soldiers who
imprisoned the rebels; They excavated their escape and hid for nine
days in nearby Bamburgh Castle before completing their escape.
In the following years it was used as a coast guard and became a
tourist attraction. Charles Rennie Mackintosh made a sketch of the
old fortress in 1901.
In 1901, Lindisfarne Castle became the property of Edgard Hudson, an
advertising mogul and owner of Country Life magazine. The castle was
redecorated following a style of Arts and Crafts by Edwin Lutyens.
It is said that Hudson and the architect passed through the castle
while touring Northumberland and climbed the wall to explore the
interior.
The fenced gardens, which had served as a supply of vegetables to
the warriors, were designed by the friend and collaborator of
Lutyens, Gertrude Jekyll between 1906 and 1912. They are some
distance from the castle. Between 2002 and 2006, the original
planting plan devised by Jekyll was restored, which is maintained in
the Coral Collection of the University of California, Berkeley. The
castle and gardens are under the care of the National Trust since
1994 and are open to the public.
