Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne Castle
Lindisfarne Priory
Hadrians Wall
Hexham
Newcastle
North East England
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The Anglican Parish Church of Saint Mary the Virgin stands on the site
of the wooden church built by St. Aidan in 635 AD, which was replaced during
the Anglo-Saxon period by a small stone church. When the Benedictine monks began
to build the second monastery in the 12th century they decided this should be
the parish church.
The building was enlarged twice: once in the 12th century by a Romanesque
north arcade, and then with the addition of an early English south arcade and chancel in the 13th century.
Parts of the original Saxon church survive in the wall containing the chancel
arch. The tower and the porch were added later. The west wall has a 20th century
window depicting St. Aidan and St. Cuthbert. In the south aisle stands a
statue depicting the monks of Lindisfarne carrying St.Cuthbert's body on the
first stage of its journey to Durham.
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