Lindisfarne Castle

Potted History:
This castle was first built in 1550 with stone taken from the Priory and it was intended that the castle would defend the harbour from Scottish raider. The castle stand proud on top of Beblowe Craig, which is a mound of volcanic rock. The castle in many respects has been in the main a peaceful place, however, in the Civil War the castle did see off an unsuccessful six week siege by Royalist troops. By 1820 the castle’s guns were removed, therefore a fort no more. After this it did become a Coastguard Station for a while. Sadly, from 1885 the old castle was left and considerable decay set in until in 1902 the castle was bought by Edward Hudson the owner of ‘Country Life’ magazine. He employed Sir Edwin Lutyens, a renowned architect of his day to restore the now derelict building. The skill of Sir Edwin can still be seen in the “amazing conglomeration of styles and effects we see today.

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The castle does have other attributes too. For one thing that struck me about the castle that the changing light reflecting off of the stone walls and the rock face that supports it, can be very dramatic from one moment to another. In a twinkling of an eye the intensity changes making the castle theatrical.

It is a good walk up to the castle and one I expect to do a number of times as there is so much to see and take in, in and around this structure. The views out across the harbour and the bay to Old Law Island and the mainland towards Bamburgh Castle. If the conditions are right, weather-wise, you can make out some detail of the Farne Islands too.