Lindisfarne Castle

From a former fort to the holiday home of a wealthy Edwardian bachelor seeking a quiet retreat from London, the idyllic location of Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island has intrigued and inspired for centuries.

The Castle came into being during the Anglo-Scottish Wars, a series of conflicts lasting many centuries that only ended with the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of England in 1603. For over 300 years the castle was a garrisoned fort manned by soldiers.

The position of the island in relation to the border – a mere 7 miles away – and the strategic value of the deep water harbour, came to the government’s attention following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1530s. Lindisfarne Priory’s lands on the island came under state control in 1536 and the buildings once used by the monks became a massive military and naval depot for the Henry VIII war machine.

To protect this activity, a fortress was proposed in 1542 to be built on Beblowe Hill at the south-eastern tip of the island. This was to consist initially of earthen ramparts. However the Earl of Rutland – sent north by Henry to repel an expected Scottish invasion – noted that there was: 'stone plentie and sufficient to make the bulwark that shall defend the Eland all of stone…'.

The stone he refers to is that of the now expendable priory buildings, which shows quite starkly the change in authority on the island. Indeed, much of the sixteenth century fort on today’s site is made up of stone from the monastic buildings and some is still visible inside today. 

The renovation by Arts and Crafts architect Edwin Lutyens both hides and emphasises the old fort, all the while overlooking Gertrude Jekyll's enchanting walled garden and the unexpected grandeur of the Lime Kilns, an imposing and striking reminder of Lindisfarne's industrial past.

Before visiting please check the tide timetable to see safe crossing times for the Holy Island causeway and the latest opening times for the Castle.