Name: Lindisfarne Priory
Address: Holy Island, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2RX
Telephone: 0128 938 9200

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Lindisfarne Priory

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Holy Island, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2RX

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Lindisfarne Priory Timeline

635Foundation

Oswald, King of Northumbria, summons Irish monk Aidan from Iona to be bishop of his kingdom. Oswald grants Lindisfarne to Aidan for his monastery.

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670SPrior Cuthbert

A monk named Cuthbert joins. He is eventually made Prior, but when his reforms prove unpopular, he retires to a small island nearby as a hermit.

685-7Bishop Cuthbert

King Ecgfrith makes Cuthbert a bishop. He gains a great reputation as a pastor, seer and healer.

687-98Cult of St Cuthbert

Cuthbert dies and is buried in a stone coffin. After monks later find his body undecayed, his remains are raised to a ground-level coffin-shrine.

8th CenturyLindisfarne Miracles

Miracles are reported at St Cuthbert's shrine. Lindisfarne becomes the major Northumbrian pilgrimage centre. The monastery grows in power and wealth.

8th-10th CenturyChristian Resilience

At least 23 carved stones show that the Christian burial ground at Lindisfarne remains in use throughout the Viking invasions.

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710-25Lindisfarne Gospels

The monastery produces the Lindisfarne Gospels, masterpieces of early medieval art.

793-875Viking Raids

Viking pirates make a devastating raid on Lindisfarne. The monks abandon the island, wandering for seven years carrying St Cuthbert's coffin and treasures. They eventually settle in Chester-le-Street.

995Durham Remains

St Cuthbert's relics are moved again and eventually enshrined at Durham. A wealthy monastic community grows up around them.

11th-13th CenturiesReturn to the Island

Durham monks return to Lindisfarne. They build a church with a cenotaph marking Cuthbert's original grave.

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13th-14th CenturiesMonastic Fortifications

Edward I invades Scotland. The monks fortify the priory but cannot afford a garrison. They later ask Richard II for permission to remove the fortifications.

1537Royal Suppresion

Henry VIII orders the priory to be closed. The buildings remain, probably proving useful to the Crown's defence strategy in the north.

18th CenturyRomantic Ruins

Antiquarians and artists are attracted to the ruins. Drawings and descriptions reveal that the church survives until about 1780.

19th-20th CenturiesConservation and Excavations

Local landowner Mr Selby buys the site. Despite his efforts, the west front collapses. Sir William Crossman excavates the monastic buildings. The church is also excavated and the walls strengthened.

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