Join the Plucky Pilgrims on Medieval Island

Head to Lindisfarne Priory on Saturday 4 August and Sunday 5 August

English Heritage is inviting visitors to join Lindisfarne Priory’s plucky pilgrims as they step back in time to the 15th century on Saturday August 4 and Sunday 5 August.

Thousands upon thousands of pilgrims have flocked to Lindisfarne since 698 C.E, reaching the Holy Island by walking across the sands at low tide.

Visitors to ‘Medieval Island’ can enjoy a less hazardous journey as they join English Heritage’s band of medieval pilgrims at the Priory.

Jon Hogan, event manager at English Heritage said: “The Medieval Island event features pilgrims who will tell tales of their travels and how they defended themselves during their journeys of plight. Their fascinating tales will give an exciting insight into how people would have lived in the 15th century.”

“It will be a great weekend for the whole family as they will learn about the North East’s medieval past.”

Visitors are encouraged to go to the pilgrim’s encampment to discover life in a traveling medieval household.

From the end of the 8th century, this isolated island with its rich monastery was easy prey for Viking raiders. In 875 the monks left, carrying Cuthbert’s remains, which after long wanderings were enshrined in Durham Cathedral in 1104, where they still rest. Only after that time did Durham monks re-establish a priory on Lindisfarne.

The evocative ruins of the richly decorated priory church they built in c. 1150 still stand, with their famous ‘rainbow arch’ – a vault-rib of the now vanished crossing tower. The small community lived quietly on Holy Island until the suppression of the monastery in 1537.

The museum has been refurbished, offering a clear and lively interpretation of the story of the developments of Lindisfarne Priory.

Medieval Island begins at 11am. Visitors should check the tide timetables when planning their journey. Admission costs £4.90 for adults, £3.70 for concessions and £2.50 for children. Entry is free for members.

For a full list of English Heritage sites, admission prices and opening times, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/properties