Post 11: Lindisfarne and Hadrians Wall

Jody here. Just a few words about our visit to Northumbria (the northern most region of England on the east coast). The highlight was our trip to the Isle of Lindisfarne. The island is one of the most important holy sites in the UK because of the important Celtic Christian monastic tradition there. To reach the Island one has to wait for the tides to go out so that the causeway is passible. The island is seperated from the mainland as the tides come in and many careless motorists have been caught in the rising tide. As we drove across the causeway I was struck by the isolation of the island and felt a deep sense of conection with the Christian heritage here.

We decided to make a day of it and stay on the isaland as the tides came in. Most tourists fled so as not to be trapped by the tides. But this is the best time to really experience the island. The most memorable part of the day was the wind. UNBELIEVABLE! Just constant pounding and not a tree in sight to block the wind. The island is very striking with low dunes and one large rock outcrop where the castle was built.

We spent several hours exploring the remains of the priory and visiting St. Mary's parish

Church. The sun was out and the day was beautiful, but the wind eliminated any hope of an outdoor picnic. So we ate our packed lunches in the car to escape. Then we braved the elements for the hike to the castle. The priory was actually dismantled by Henry VIII to build the castle. The walk along the habor shore was beautiful... but did I mention the wind? As we climbed the path to the castle entrance the view became more and more striking. We could see for miles. Across the harbor lies Bamburgh castle - a large looming fortress and just off shore are the Farne islands which are home to over 4000 Atlantic seals and 10o,ooo puffins.

We entered the castle and were delighted by the restoration. This castle is restored to the period of the last owner (c. 1930) and it is quite homey. Given the choice I would live in this castle. The wind was so fierce that Stephanie and Abby did not venture out onto the top battlement. But Abby did enjoy the scavenger hunt to find 10 selected portraits or pieces of artwork.

After touring the castle we hiked out to the point where some visitors had made rock art with stones from the shoreline. Abby had a ball as we added our own masterpieces to the collection. We then walked back through a sheep pasture so Abby could see the lambs and the garden. I am amazed that she is such a great traveler. It was cold and windy and we had been dragging her from museum to museum. Yet on she trudged. She loves the idea of exploring with mom and dad.

After a visit to the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibit we had a snack in the local pub and headed back to our B&B. Our hosts were very gracious and we enjoyed the tea and scones.

The next day we awoke to .... more wind. Constant 50 mile per hour wind! We decided to venture further south instead of driving back to Buckie. We ended up visiting a few sites on Hadrian's Wall. As you may know the wall was built by the Romans to keep out the hordes from Scotland. It dates to c. 130 A.D. The museum at Chester's Fort was especially interesting. It was full of altars to various dieties. The altars all date from the Roman occupation. I felt like Paul in Athens when he noted the various altars in that city. Little remains of the fort itself, though the main gates, commandants house, and baths have been excavated. Of course Abby wanted to play hide and seek among the ruins. With sword in hand she explored the entire site.

We made a few stops at various sights along the wall. The best was Housesteads Fort where we were actually allowed to hike a portion of the wall. The landscape was also beautiful and it is clear why the Romans built the wall on this high ridge. It has a commanding view of the northern hills and in places the wall runs along the edge of clifts over 100 ft. high.

Running out of time we began our 6 hour drive back to Buckie. Along the way we drove through the beautiful Cairngorm Moutains. The highest peaks still have snow! As night settled I noticed one of the mountains looked like it was on fire. Within a few minutes we realized that the moon was rising over the moutains. Our little amateur astronomer was thrilled, and we were reminded of the beauty of God's good creation. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!