Lindisfarne, Northumberland
Lindisfarne Priory
The priory at Lindesfarne has a long and chequered history, originally founded around 634 by the Irish monk Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald.
In 793 Lindesfarne was attack in a violent raid by the Vikings, many more vicious raids would follow causing the monks to eventually leave the island and establish a new monastery in Durham, which eventually become Durham Cathedral.
Once the region had been restored to political and military stability under the government of William the Conqueror, the prospects for the rebuilding of the island's monastery began to improve and a new smaller Priory was built around 1093.
This new Benedictine priory was then able to continue in relative peace under the new Norman monarchy and its successor royal houses for the next four centuries until its final dissolution in 1536 as a result of Henry VIII's dissolution of the English church's ties to Rome, and his subsequent closing of the monasteries.
Today the priory site is a grand ruin attracting many tourists, the priory ruins under the care of English Heritage.
Lindisfarne, Northumberland
Lindisfarne Priory
The priory at Lindesfarne has a long and chequered history, originally founded around 634 by the Irish monk Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald.
In 793 Lindesfarne was attack in a violent raid by the Vikings, many more vicious raids would follow causing the monks to eventually leave the island and establish a new monastery in Durham, which eventually become Durham Cathedral.
Once the region had been restored to political and military stability under the government of William the Conqueror, the prospects for the rebuilding of the island's monastery began to improve and a new smaller Priory was built around 1093.
This new Benedictine priory was then able to continue in relative peace under the new Norman monarchy and its successor royal houses for the next four centuries until its final dissolution in 1536 as a result of Henry VIII's dissolution of the English church's ties to Rome, and his subsequent closing of the monasteries.
Today the priory site is a grand ruin attracting many tourists, the priory ruins under the care of English Heritage.