English Heritage - Lindisfarne Priory

English Heritage maintains this site and runs a small museum and shop with a ticket kiosk. The ruins are well worth a visit if you’re interested in this aspect of history and the grounds are quite large for this sort of building. The museum is small but tastefully displays finds from the regular digs on the site. The shop is well stocked with interesting cards, magnets, tapestries, etc and children will love the selection of wooden weapons including swords and crossbows.

The Holy Island museum and priory are a real highlight of any visit to Lindisfarne. The ruins themselves are atmospheric and steeped in history, and the museum does a good job of bringing the story of the monks, the Viking raids, and the Lindisfarne Gospels to life. The exhibits are well presented, and the small heritage centre has some good interactive displays and short films that make it engaging for all ages. Staff and volunteers are knowledgeable and friendly, adding to the experience. On the flip side, the museum itself is fairly small, so you can get around it quite quickly, and some visitors feel the admission price of £10.90 is a little steep for what’s inside. It’s free, however, if you are an English Heritage member. As always on Holy Island, coming here, planning around the tides is essential — miss the safe crossing times and you could be stranded. Overall though, it’s a fascinating and evocative stop, especially when combined with a wander around the priory ruins and the island itself. A must for anyone with an interest in early Christianity or Northumbrian history.

The place is quite big once you get inside. There are staff on hand to give information and talk too. Some great views of the castle. There were a few little games to complete for the kids. Lots of information boards really bring the place to life. There are no toilets these are back in the coach car park.

Amazing bit of history, if you enjoy ruins and are visiting or in the north east of england i would highly recommend. I did it along with Bamburgh, only half an hour between them.

A place I aways wanted to go see once I'd spotted it on Google Maps. I know now it's a famous landmark, but I didn't know anything about Northumberland, nevermind The Holy Island. We went at night time so the whole quick visit was a little eerie. The journey over to the island, once the tide had gone out and the few cars waiting could cross set the scene. The crossing is unusual, a long stretch of tarmac road that minutes ago was under the waves, but now the vast body of water is drifting out to sea. It feels uncomfortable yet beautiful as the sun was setting. We followed the road, which felt longer than expected into the small village of Lindisfarne. The first large car park is stone based but in the village there is a disabled car park and EV charge points. Nothing was open when we arrived except for a small pub and a hotel that was just closing. We had a drink in The Crown and Achor which is a small lost in time pub The food menu had a lovely selection and the dishes we saw also looked plenty full (the guests left nothing so a great compliment to the chief). I walked around the church yard which has ruins from the old Priory as well as a church that looks to be still in use. Further on there is a vantage tower that I imagine has some spectacular views. Going out of the village we passed a few friendly locals in the dimly lit street. Crossing back to the mainland we went through the nature reserve which is a spectacular view with sea birds settling down and the sea now in the distance. Worth a visit but go in the day when all is open. Our visit was a last minute dash to say we'd been there rather than anything meaningful. Very much a lost in time kind of place which adds to the charm.

Great place to visit. Not a lot to see apart from the castle and priory. There was more interetin watching the tide come in and cover the causeway, which takes hours by the way lol. Tide times seem to include idiot factor also so don't panic when it says you must leave by a certain time. From the time published that you have to leave the tide takes about 2 hours from that time until you can't leave. Highly recommend popping into the Lindisfarne inn on the A1. Great food and dog friendly.

A lovely little place to visit with so much history. Although it is a ruin, there is quite a lot left and you can get a real feel for what rooms you were stood in etc. We really enjoyed this and am added bonus was it is an English Heritage site!

Not much to say here. Can't write anything negative - be mindful of the Priory ruins closing time the only thing to note - we crossed on to the Island late due to the tide, had very little time to experience the area properly.

Overpriced for what it is. There's no one really interested in telling you much about the place and its Christian history. You pay and you self tour a very small museum and it's old stones, old coins, old crosses and on the same site a fairly well destroyed abbey. There's a church and graveyard also on the site which are free to visit and they have as much of a story as the museum.

Didn't enter in the priory or the castle as we are not NT or EH members but looked from the outside. Both looked impressive buildings. Instead we walked around the island on the marked route. Unfortunately there was sea fret so didn't see much but was worth the visit. If you get an all day parking ticket you can park at Bamburgh castle @ sea houses on same ticket.

Unlike the nearby castle, the story of the Priory and its Museum is closely connected to the history of the region more generally, and the museum does an excellent job of presenting the larger historical context. The museum worked well at different levels. You can zoom through and then played with swords in the gift shop, or take your time and understand the rise and fall of the religious order and surrounding areas supporting it. Only down side: Touring the Priory ruins itself was slightly uncomfortable in the wind and rain.