| Shaped by time and tide |
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| Written by Catherine Dell, 2004 | |
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Page 1 of 2 The Northumberland coast is breathtaking: a shorescape of shimmering sea and sand, shifting dunes, craggy outcrops and rocky reefs - all under immense skies.
The beaches, stretching as far as the eye can see and beyond, are unspoilt and unpeopled - wonderful for walking, watching birds or just being. Not surprisingly, a 63km (39 miles) section of this magic coastline - from just south of Berwick down to Coquet estuary - has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Complementing the scenery, the imprint of history and human activity add further interest. Mighty castles, built against Viking raiders and marauding Scots, are reminders of a war zone past. Harbours and quaysides recall an era that looked to the sea for its livelihood. And then there is Holy Island, a focal point for visitors since time out of mind. Originally called Lindisfarne, this tidal island became a cradle of Christianity in the 7th century when St Aidan founded a monastery here and set about evangelising northern England. His most famous successor as prior was St Cuthbert, renowned for his holiness and his love of wildlife; he was particularly protective towards eiders and to this day they are known locally as Cuddy's (Cuthbert's) ducks. Cuthbert died in 687 and in his honour the monks created the magnificent Lindisfarne Gospels, now in the British Library.  Lindisfarne castle, Holy Island Dry-shod, o'er sands, twice every day, The pilgrims to the shrine find way; Twice every day the waves efface Of staves and sandall'd feet the trace. In turn this priory was destroyed by Henry VIII who then used much of its stone to build a castle overlooking the island's harbour. Today both the castle - restored by a young Edwin Lutyens in 1903 - and the priory ruins are open to the public. Visitors can also look around Gertrude Jekyll's walled garden - close the gate against the sheep - and explore the island's story at the Lindisfarne Heritage Centre; don't miss the 'turn the pages' virtual Gospel. Also look out for upturned herring boats, now storage huts, and disused lime kilns - leftovers of the island's livelihood in Victorian times. WindsweptBut to see Holy Island at its best and experience it as 'a place apart', stay over when the tide is in. Most tourists will have dashed back across the causeway and, if you take the waymarked trail around the island - alongside hawthorn hedges whipped by the wind and restless dunes anchored with marram grass - you are unlikely to see a soul. However you will see, and hear, abundant birdlife, especially during migration periods, and in winter when the island is home to thousands of waterfowl, waders and, famously, a flock of pale-bellied brent geese.When Aidan settled in Lindisfarne he was within signalling distance of his earthly protector, King Oswald, whose cliff-top castle at Bamburgh punctuated the southern skyline. Nothing remains of that first fortress. The massive stone pile that stands in its place, dominating both sea and land, has Norman origins and, for centuries, served as an impregnable bastion against the Scots. The Wars of the Roses, however, brought disaster: in 1464, Warwick the Kingmaker's cannons smashed Lancastrian Bamburgh into submission - and into the record book as the first English castle to be captured by artillery. Subsequently, the building suffered long-term decline until 1894 when the industrialist Lord Armstrong bought it, undertook a major restoration and, somewhat controversially, gave the interior a contemporary makeover. Visitors who have not done their homework are surprised to find more Victorian mansion than medieval fortress. In the lee of the castle, Bamburgh village clusters around its green. Nearby stands the parish church of St Aidan, much visited for its churchyard memorial to local girl crowned national heroine, Grace Darling. Discover the full story across the road in the Grace Darling Museum. Perhaps the most evocative exhibit here is the coble - 6.5m (211⁄2 feet) long - in which Grace, aged 22, and her father, keeper of the Longstone lighthouse in the Farne Islands, carried out their courageous mission. On 7 September 1838, braving the fury of storm-force winds and seas, they rowed out to rescue survivors from the wrecked steamer Forfarshire, a round trip of 3.2km (2 miles). When the dramatic exploit became public, Grace instantly acquired celebrity status: her image decorated mugs and vases; artists visited Longstone to paint her portrait; requests flooded in for locks of hair; poems were written in her honour; and a memorial fund, supported by Queen Victoria, raised over £700. Grace, used to the lonely lighthouse life, disliked this excessive attention but did not have to endure it for long as four years later she died of TB. Amazing birdlifeThe Farnes - a scattering of desolate rocky islets - still receive boatloads of visitors, but the main attraction today is the archipelago's amazing birdlife. Owned by the National Trust and maintained as a nature reserve, the guano-streaked outcrops are home to thousands of sea birds during the breeding season. Among the most numerous are eiders, guillemots, kittiwakes and puffins - sure to raise a smile with their crazy-coloured beaks and 'dinner jacket' plumage. Other species to look out for include terns (arctic, common, roseate and sandwich), razorbills, fulmar petrels, cormorants and the slightly sinister all-black shags. |
