“There once was a comely young lass
Who
stood in the sea to her ankles”
It doesn’t rhyme now but it will when the
tide comes in!
This old limerick stuck in my mind as we
traversed the mudflats on our way to the “Holy Island” of Lindisfarne. The road is passable for only a few
hours each day. At high tide the
water rises five meters, isolating the island’s 120 residents and any
time-challenged tourists.
Lindisfarne is considered the “cradle of
British Christianity” and the priory has existed there since the early
600s. St. Cuthbert lived here and
it was his first burial site. His
remains have been shuttled back and forth to Durham Cathedral several times,
where they rest today. The priory
was heavily fortified to protect it from invading Scots but not much remains
today.
The Elizabethan Lindisfarne Castle,
perched on a rocky hill at the end of the island, is managed by British Trust
and was too expensive for us to visit so we just photographed it from
afar. The rain finally sent us
scurrying back to the car but the hearty Brits kept coming with dripping dogs
and unfurled umbrellas. How
fleeting summer can be.
