B-b-r-r-i-i-n-n-g-g. ‘Nikki…’
Things all pointed even further north today, so we programmed the TomTom and drove the car to the farmost reaches of England. Actually we went further than that, and travelled across the border to Scotland. But, as we were in the historic walled town of Berwick-Upon-Tweed (its impressive viaduct looking still better on television), it seemed silly not to.
Today though, was all about Lindisfarne, or as it’s otherwise known, Holy Island. Once a place of pilgrims and worship, getting to the tidal island is an event in itself. Cut off by high tides twice a day, it can only be reached by a causeway, which if tide tables go unchecked, can leave car owners high and dry (though obviously not their cars).
Even though the previous evening’s paper has printed that day’s tide times, we found the correct causeway access window in Berwick, and parked the car on the edge of the road for some interesting pictures, with the receding waters of the mud flats slowly ebbing backwards. Luckily, any distress calls to the Volkswagen Press Office were avoided.
Don’t get caught out on the causeway
Tall sticks rise up from the huge expanses of flat land, marking the Pilgrim’s Way, which still plays a part in the pilgrimage trail, where many pilgrims would walk across the causeway mud flats to see the fabled Lindisfarne Gospels. Even the Scottish historical novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott noted the twice-daily high tides:
For with the flow and ebb, its style
Varies from continent to isle;
Dry shood o’er sands, twice every day,
The pilgrims to the shrine find way;
Twice every day the waves efface
Of staves and sandelled feet the trace.Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindisfarne
The island itself is made up of a village centre, the remains of a monastery, a pretty almost Spanish-looking church, coastal fishermen’s upturned boat sheds, and the jewel in the Holy Islands’ crown; Lindisfarne Castle. Built on a rocky outpost, and looking out to Bamburgh Castle further down the coast, it is based on a Tudor fort, and was refurbished in 1903 by Sir Edwin Lutyens, in the Arts and Crafts style.
Lindisfarne Castle
It looks much better in pictures than it does up close, its walls resembling a patchwork quilt, with cement adjoining the rocky foundations. The numerous flocks of sheep guarding it don’t seem to mind though, as they bleat and baa their way around the steep and sometimes slippery slopes on which the castle is built. Cautiously stepping on the rocks near Castle Point, we took pictures that recreated our postcard scenes, the blue skies above us seemingly turning ever more grey as the minutes rolled by.
The rolling clouds signalled both a shower, and time to go, but we had one more stop to make before we wound our way back past Alnwick, Morpeth, and Newcastle.
The Angel of the North
Keeping with the religious theme, we wanted to see the striking celestial being that is the Angel of the North, which, on a hill just outside Gateshead, was on the way home. Standing proudly on the side of the A1, it really is striking, being able to be seen for miles, looking like an aeroplane, which has had a rather unfortunate end. Made of steel, it stands 20 metres tall, with a wingspan of 54 metres, which makes it wider than the height of the Statue of Liberty.
Up close it really is enormous, but with that enormity comes a gracefulness, which, coupled with the stillness and quiet at the top of the hill, created a surreal experience. It certainly didn’t disappoint, and we were glad we’d made the slight detour to catch the Angel blankly gazing away from the sun.
Somewhat smaller, sculptor Anthony Gormley’s life-sized statues of people are currently gazing equally blankly off buildings in London, as part of his Event Horizon installation. Looking unnervingly like suicidal jumpers, they are no less striking than the Angel, and have certainly created interest and bewilderment in the capital.