Ever since I heard about Holy Island in Northumberland, I wanted to go there. This is the story of my trip to Holy Island,
I was intrigued. Wouldn’t you be? As I started to explore Google about this fascinating place, I became more and more intrigued by the minute. This little part of the world is ancient: it has a recorded history from as long ago as the sixth century AD; it was originally home to a monastery which was unfortunately destroyed by Vikings; a priory was built after that and it is home to one of the oldest churches in England, St Mary the Virgin, which was built in 635 AD.
After my dips into Google, I was even more interested in going to Holy Island. But sadly, it was not to be – for a while, at least. Almost on the eve of our planned trip to Sea Houses in Northumberland – with a visit to Holy Island on the way – my granddaughter contracted chicken pox, so we were pretty much housebound for a week or so. Fortunately, she didn’t get it that badly, so I had plenty of granny cuddles and play time.
So our trip to Northumberland was delayed for a whole year – till the summer of 2025. Same time- early July. Same place – Sea Houses. I certainly had plenty of time to look at photographs and explore the place in my mind!
Come early July 2025, we really were on our way. Our half day trip to Holy Island was carefully planned to take into account the tides. We crossed the causeway – a narrow road with shallow water and patches of beach and grasses on either side – at low tide. A paradise for bird watchers, and particularly noted for its waterfowl, like geese and ducks. As we had limited time, we pressed on towards the very charming village, with its stone houses, orange and grey tiled rooves, wild and cultivated flowers.
Bearing in mind that we were travelling with a four-year-old whose greatest delight was hot dogs and ice-cream, there was no time to explore the priory, St Mary the Virgin parish church, or the hidden gem of the gospel garden (which I only heard about after my visit) with its variety of plants like hydrangeas, geraniums and poppies.
Instead, we walked across an extensive field towards Lindisfarne Castle, past waterways with bobbing boats, all the while taking plenty of photographs of the castle which, like most castles, is incredibly photogenic. This one, perched on a promontory, is particularly so. I walked up a cobbled pathway towards the castle, noted the lime kiln, snapped my son-in-law who had explored a further promontory with a view to taking some stunning photos of the surrounding view. Needless to say, we had left my grandchild with her mum on a bench while we explored further.
What a scenic place. And what a privilege to be wandering around on hallowed ground – Holy Island became the base for Christian evangelism in Northern England where, before the Viking raids, monks from the Irish community of Iona had settled on the island.
Today, Holy Island is a hub for summer tourists – many restaurants, cafes line the streets, while hot dog and ice cream stands – a child’s dream – pop up during the tourist season.
I’m not sure if I’ll have the opportunity of ever visiting Holy Island again – I must say, I would love to explore the places I missed this time around, but I will remember Holy Island as a place of outstanding scenic beauty, with its impressive castle, its boats bobbing on the water and its charming village. If you ever get the chance to go there – even perhaps to spend the night, although the accommodation must be limited, trust me, it will be well worth the visit.
A memorable place indeed, which lives up to its name: Holy Island.
