Holy Island

Holy Island. Lindisfarne.

Waves Crashing on The Stony Beach.

On Saturday I paid my first-ever visit to Holy Island.

All week the weather forecasters had predicted rain and temperatures colder than Christmas, but they were proved wrong. The sky was blue; the sea was shimmering as we crossed the Causeway to join 40 friends from the Escomb group of churches and reflect on one of the most important centres of British Christianity.

The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful as we walked through the village to Fiddlers Green and St Cuthbert’s Centre where there would be laughter and fun and a shared lunch that proved to be enough for tea and supper as well. Afterwards with the tide surrounding the island completely, we walked for about two miles enjoying the experience of being separated from the world.

We went down to a flat beach and looked across calm water to a tiny island that St Cuthbert had used as a retreat and is still used to this day – completely isolated for nine hours at a time according to the tides.  Then we scrambled up a stony hill and discovered an incredible view across to the Farne Islands and Berwick and beyond. Below was the busy harbour with its fishing boats and lobster pots and above was the castle, gaunt against the skyline. In the water, seals' heads popped up to welcome us.

Changing direction, we walked on until we reached a very different beach, stony and pounded by a rough sea. White waves threw up beautiful brown seaweed and that particular smell always associated with the sea.

The lane back to the village was The Crooked Lonnen, running between fields full of lambs, all fat and healthy in the sea air. Bluebells, surely bluer than usual, flowered in the verges with small clumps of white daisies beside them.

Back amongst the stone cottages and country inns we came across a tiny craft shop selling pottery and beautiful jewellery and with a shadowy bookshelf in the centre. I was surprised and delighted to find Erica Yeoman’s novel “Devil’s Drove” on sale.  Erica is one of our Whitworth Room-to-Write group.

Wood carving on the Font cover.

At 4 o’clock there was a short service in the Parish Church of St Mary with its rich stained glass windows and beautiful wood carvings – a life-sized one in the south aisle is of six monks carrying St Cuthbert’s coffin on the first stage of its journey to Durham. It is named The Journey. A smaller carving on the font cover represents the Holy Spirit descending to a child.                                                                                         

At 6 o'clock we crossed the Causeway again; quite safe now but still very wet; a reminder of the tide that rules the lives of all who live or visit there just as it did thousands of years ago.