The already revised plan for the day was to visit Lindisfarne after a later start. Photographing the house martins was re-scheduled for the evening rather than early morning. However, the morning brought a whole different set of issues for the tour. Someone in the hotel’s kitchen had tested positive for COVID-19 overnight. This meant that all service had to stop until quarantine periods were completed. Breakfast was a continental buffet plus cereal. This change probably helped our diets after all the wonderful breakfasts we had had on the earlier days! Regrettably the hotel also had to stop serving both lunches and dinners.
This delivery truck was backing up below our window in the morning – just one of the many that disturbed our sleep at the hotel.
Lindisfarne – 1st July 2021
Day 5: Depart hotel at 6am for house martin photography (chicks in nest and adults in flight). Return to hotel for breakfast at 9am. Depart hotel at 10.30am for Lindisfarne (to coincide with tidal crossing time). Photography of Lindisfarne castle, harbour and orchids. Return to hotel for evening meal at 7.30pm. Evening review of group’s images and how to process them.
At the causeway we paused to take pictures and to wait for the tide.
Holy Island Harbour
Inland from the harbour was a row of cottages. From there we could see the priory across a meadow.
Lindisfarne Priory
From the cottages we walked across the meadow and stopped alongside the path where all the poppies were.
While we were taking images of the Lindisfarne Priory three members of Farnborough Camera Club walked past the group. Robert very kindly took a group picture with the castle framed behind us.
The views of the priory with the poppies was clearly very popular as the grass in the meadow was by now well trampled.
We continued walking across the meadow and then past the Crown and Anchor and through the lanes until we came to the road that led to the castle.
My Lindisfarne Castle images
Gertrude Jekyll Garden
After my turn taking images of the castle balancing down the slope on rocks, I was asked by these ladies to take their pictures.
Our next stop was the Gertrude Jekyll Garden. This was situated away from the castle and surrounded by stone walls. From Wikipedia she had created over 400 gardens and in the listing this garden is shown with the castle in the background.
Late lunch
After walking back to the houses we stopped at one of the cafes and enjoyed a lunch sitting outside as a group. My ploughman’s lunch was excellent.
In the dunes on Lindisfarne
The last part of our visit was to leave the houses and head back towards the causeway and then turned left and parked the mini-bus. From the car park we walked into the dunes to look for orchids.
Pilgrim’s Way
At the end of the causeway we stopped again.
Walking away from the causeway I was looking for a view along the pilgrim’s way to Lindisfarne. This was marked by the tall posts and a rescue hut.
Lindisfarne Castle is on page 13, Holy Island Harbour is on page 15 and Lindisfarne Priory is on page 17
Holy Island Causeway is on page 64 and The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is on page 66
The Castle Inn
I decided to give the house martin’s photo shoot a miss and instead we went to look for somewhere to eat a late dinner as the Victoria Hotel’s dining room was now closed.
Bamburgh was very busy in the evening and we had to try quite a few places before we found a free table. The Castle Inn had a large dining room extension at the rear. The dining room had almost every table occupied. We kept things simple and had some excellent fish and chips.
The Castle Inn, Bamburgh on TripAdvisor
Good fish and chips but take care if inside
Our meal was delivered promptly and was excellent (see picture). We were sat in the large dining area at the rear of the Inn.
COVID related: the one way system seemed to confuse the majority of guests with the queues at the bar, trying to leave the toilets safely and even which exit to use … and not a lot of mask wearing when moving about
St Aidan’s Church
After dinner we walked to St Aidan’s church. There in the churchyard was the Grace Darling Memorial. We had been taught about her famous rescue with her father but had never been told just how young she had been when she died from TB at only 26.
This gravestone was fascinating to look at.
Victoria Hotel
The bar at the hotel was open and we took a time out for a drink before we went upstairs to pack for our last day of the tour and for our journey home. The hotel was advertising Christmas breaks over the entrance. We just hoped that they would be able to be open for Christmas.
Then it was time to begin our packing.