Durham Cathedral

The Cathedral houses the shrine of the seventh-century saint, Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, to whom the Lindisfarne Gospels were produced in honour of. The Gospels were taken from Durham Cathedral during the dissolution of the monasteries, ordered by Henry VIII. 

A modern facsimile copy of the Gospels is now housed in the Cathedral Treasury at Durham, which can be seen by visitors. There are some objects on display in The Treasures which date back to Cuthbert himself - including his cross and his coffin. Other items tell the story of the Cathedral and the community associated with it right up to recent times.
 
The cathedral also holds the tomb of Bede, the chronicler of Cuthbert's life and the first English historian.

Lindisfarne Priory

The Lindisfarne Gospels were made and used at Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island, a major religious community that housed the shrine of St Cuthbert, who died in 687.

St Cuthbert, Prior of Lindisfarne, is the most celebrated of the priory's holy men. After many missionary journeys, and ten years as a hermit on lonely Farne Island, he reluctantly became Bishop before retiring to die on Farne in 687. Buried in the priory, his remains were transferred to a pilgrim shrine there after 11 years, and found still undecayed - a sure sign of sanctity.

The museum here has been refurbished, offering a clear and lively interpretation of the story of St Cuthbert and the development of Lindisfarne Priory.

Lindisfarne Castle

In 1901, Edward Hudson, the founder of Country Life magazine, first laid eyes on the castle. He commissioned the architect Edward Lutyens to convert the fort into a comfortable holiday home. The castle is now owned by the National Trust, and its furnished interiors are maintained as they appeared in the early 20th century.

The Walled Garden (originally the Fort's vegetable garden but re-designed by Gertrude Jekyll in 1911 as part of the conversion) lies to the north of the castle. Her plans were recreated by the National Trust and planted for the 2003 season.

British Library

The Lindisfarne Gospels is one of the most significant books ever produced. The Sunday Times called it “the book that made Britain”. 

You can usually see this amazing mixture of faith, politics, design, fashion and trade in case 12 of the John Ritblat Gallery, but since April 2006 the copy has been replaced with a facsimiles during conservation work.

You can also leaf virtually through the Lindisfarne Gospels from the comfort of your own home with the British Library’s Turning the Pages programme on its website. 

Bede's World

Bede wrote about the life of St Cuthbert, who was the inspiration for the Lindisfarne Gospels. You can visit the interactive Age of Bede exhibition in the new museum building, the site of the Anglo-Saxon monastery of St Paul, and medieval monastic ruins, the herb garden, and the Anglo-Saxon demonstration farm.