Lindisfarne, (Holy Island) Northumberland.

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• published: 24 Oct 2011
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The island is within an Area of outstanding natural beauty on the Northumberland coast The ruined monastery is ine the care of English Heritage, who also run a museum/visitor centre nearby. The monastery was founded by Irish monk Saint Aidan, who had been sent from Iona off the west coast of Scotland to Northumbria at the request of King Oswald ca. AD 635, It became the base for Christian evangelising in the North of England and also sent a successful mission to Mercia. Monks from the community of Iona settled on the island. Northumberland's patron saint, Saint Cuthbert, was a monk and later Abbot of the Monastery, and his miracles and life are recorded by the Venerable Bebe. Cuthbert later became Bishop of Lindisfarne. He was buried here, his remains later translated to Durham Cathedral. (along with the relics of Saint Eadfrith of Lindisfarne). Eadberht of Lindisfarne, the next bishop (and Saint) was buried in the place from which cuthbert's body was exhumed earlier the same year when the priory was abandoned in the late ninth century. St. Aidan's Winery, the home of Lindisfarne Mead is situated in the centre of Holy Island village adjacent to the market place. The showroom has been open to the public since 1968 and attracts over 200,000 visitors annually from over the world. Each adult visiting the winery showroom has the opportunity to a free sample of the world famous Lindisfarne Mead. Lindisfarne Mead is a unique alcoholic fortified wine manufactured here on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne from fermented white grapes, honey, herbs, the pure natural water from the island's artesian well fortified with fine spirits. Mead has for centuries been renowned as an 'aphrodisiac' and the word HONEYMOON is derived from the ancient Norwegian custom of having newly-weds drink mead for a whole moon (month) in order to increase their fertility and therefore their chances of a happy and fulfilled marriage. Lindisfarne (especially the castle) is the setting of the Roman Polanski film Cul-de-Sac (1966) with Donald Pleasence and Lionel Stander, shot entirely on location there. The final episode of second series of the TV series Cold Feet was filmed in Lindisfarne Castle.