Northumbria's Golden Age

Prehistoric sites within 15 miles of the hotel

After the Roman occupation, what we now call England was divided into several kingdoms. In about 600AD, the kingdom of Northumbria was created when Aethelfrith united his kingdom of Bernicia (encompassing modern Northumberland) with neighbouring Deira ( Yorkshire ). Like most Anglo-Saxons at that time, Aethelfrtih was a pagan.

When he died in battle his sons Oswald and Oswy and his daughter Ebba were forced to flee to the west coast of Scotland . They found sanctuary among the Irish Celtic monks on the island of Iona and were brought up as Christians.

Kirknewton – approximately 12 miles from the hotel

The first Northumbrian king to be converted to Christianity was Edwin, a member of the Deiran royal house. Though his capital was at York , Edwin had a royal palace called Ad Gefrin near Kirknewton in Glendale .

Nothing can be seen above ground today, but the site is marked with a memorial and interpretive panels, and is open to public access at all times. A scale model reconstruction of Ad Gefrin is on display in the Cheviot Centre at Wooler.

The 8th century monk-historian, Bede of Jarrow recorded that St. Paulinus baptised 3,000 Northumbrians in the waters of the River Glen near Ad Gefrin in one day in 627AD.

Cradle of English Christianity

Lindisfarne – approximately 20 miles from the hotel

Edwin was killed in battle and Northumbria was overrun by pagan Mercians. Aethelfrith’s son Oswald returned from Iona , defeated the enemy and regained the kingdom.

In 635AD, King Oswald brought St. Aidan from Iona to build the first monastery on Lindisfarne , which became one of western Europe’s greatest centres of culture and learning.

Aidan was followed by a succession of saintly bishops and monks who produced beautiful work of art, like the famous Lindisfarne Gospels, and founded churches throughout Britain .

In 793AD, Lindisfarne suffered the first recorded Viking raid on the English coast. An audiovisual presentation in the Lindisfarne Heritage Centre tells the story of the raid. The continuing Viking threat forced the monks to abandon Lindisfarne in 875AD.

Benedictine monks from Durham returned at the end of the 11th century to build a new monastery on Lindisfarne . They renamed it Holy Island . The ruins of that medieval Lindisfarne Priory, dissolved by Henry VIII in 1537, are in the care of English Heritage and open to the public at advertised times throughout the year. The Priory has an excellent visitor centre.

Approximately 25 miles from the hotel

King Oswald’s sister Ebba (or Abb) founded a monastery on the Berwickshire coast at a place now known as St. Abbs Head. There is some dispute about the exact location of the monasstery, but there is good evidence that it was on Kirk Hill near St. Abbs Lighthouse.

Park at the St. Abbs National Trust Visitor Centre then walk to the site which affords magnificent views along he coast northwards to the Bass Rock and south to Holy Island .

Bamburgh – approximately 25 miles from the hotel

St. Aidan died at Bamburgh in 651AD. It is said that the wooden he was leaning against when he died was built into the church that stood on the site. That church and its successor were both destroyed by fire, but the beam miraculously survived and can be seen abve the font, in the base of the tower of the present Bamburgh Church. The fine carved screen behind the High Altar displays statues of many of the saints of Northumbria ’s “Golden Age”.

King Oswald’s capital stood on the site now occupied by Bamburgh Castle . The first medieval fortress was built here for William the Conqueror in about 1070. In 1464, during the Wars of the Roses, Bamburgh became the first castle in Britain to fall to cannon bombardment. The Castle is open to the public at advertised times.

St. Cuthbert’s Cave – approximately 14 miles from the hotel

On the night that Aidan died, far away on the hills overlooking the Tweed near Melrose a shepherd-boy called Cuthbert had a vision of the saint’s soul being carried to Heaven. Cuthbert took this as a call to became a monk. He later became Bishop of Lindisfarne and Northumbria ’s best-loved saint.

St. Cuthbert’s Way is a long-distance footpath starting at Melrose and ending on Lindisfarne , which links sites associated with the saint’s life. Maps and info rmation leaflets are available from local tourist info rmation centres.

Cuthbert died on the Farne Islands and was buried in Lindisfarne monastery. When the monks abandoned Lindisfarne in 875AD, they took with them the coffin containing Cuthbert’ body.

St. Cuthbert’s Cave , near Chatton, is said to be one of the places where the monks took found safety for a while. The cave can be reached by a pleasant walk from the car park at Holburn Grange.

Carham – approximately 5 miles from the hotel

In 1018 a battle took place between Scots and Northumbrians at Carham, which stands on the B6350, about five miles up the Tweed from the Collingwood Arms Hotel. The Scots were victorious and the area from the Tweed to Edinburgh became part of Scotland . The Vikings had by then colonised the area of Northumbria from York to the Tees , and what remained of the kingdom was reduced to the two counties of Durham and Northumberland.