Newbiggin-by-the-Sea beach with sandy shoreline, sea, and houses in the backgroundEngland

Newbiggin-by-the-Sea: A Journey Through Northumberland’s Timeless Seaside Town

A little seaside town located on the North Sea coast about 15 miles northeast of Newcastle, Newbiggin was once a busy shipping port, then a popular holiday destination, but now its prosperity relies mostly on fishing, pleasure boating and attracting tourists. An old oral tradition suggests that the village known apparently as South Wallerick was attacked by a band of …

Continue Reading
Goldcliff WalesWales

The gold cliff of Goldcliff

Goldcliff is a small village situated within the city boundaries of Newport, within the rural county of Gwent in South Wales. The quaint village had a population of only 329 in the 2011 census. The gold cliff Goldcliff claims its name from the imposing cliff face that towers over the nearby Hill Farm. The 60-foot cliff is made of siliceous …

Continue Reading
Aerial view of Sunderland South Docks in June 1969, showing the extensive dockyard area, surrounding city, and the nearby river flowing into the sea.England

Sunderland: A Coastal City with a Colourful History

Sunderland Harbour (Credit J. Thomas: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en) Built up around both banks of the River Wear and with an extensive North Sea coastline we find the port city of Sunderland. The modern city is in fact the merging of three separate Anglo-Saxon era settlements: Monkwearmouth, on the northern bank of the river, and Bishopwearmouth and Sunderland to the south. In this …

Continue Reading
England

Lindisfarne: The Most Important Island in Early Medieval Anglo-Saxon Christianity

Lindisfarne, also known as Holy Island, is a stunning tidal island situated just off the northeast coast of England and is a place of fascinating history. For the early medieval kingdom of Northumbria, Lindisfarne was the beating heart of the Anglo-Saxon Christian faith. What is more, the cult of St. Cuthbert drew pilgrims to the island and with-it wealth and …

Continue Reading
The ruins of Lindisfarne Priory rise amidst a field of wildflowers under a clear blue sky. The structure features large archways and tall walls, indicating its historic significance. A bird can be seen flying above the ruins, and a large tree stands to the right.England

Northumbria: A coastline of castles, creativity and culture

(A Map of the Kingdom of Northumbria circa 700 AD – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_the_Kingdom_of_Northumbria_around_700_AD.svg) Northumbria was one of the most significant Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to the north of the Humber to ever exist. At its peak the Kingdom of Northumbria stretched from the Irish Sea to the North Sea with a northern border on the Firth of Forth and its southern border at …

Continue Reading
Irton CrossEngland

Symbols of Anglo-Saxon Culture in Cumbria’s Coastal Towns: The Crosses of Irton, Gosforth and Waberthwaite

The coastal towns and villages of Cumbria, famed for their beauty, have long grasped the attention of historians and archaeologists for a different reason. Throughout the Early Middle Ages both Anglo-Saxons and Vikings would call Cumbria home. The archaeology of their settlements, culture and interaction provides us as historians with a treasure trove of information with which to try and …

Continue Reading
another place statueEngland

Another Place, Crosby Beach, Sefton: A Unique Seaside Experience

“Another Place” is an extraordinary artwork by Sir Antony Gormley that features 100 cast iron figures spread out along three kilometers of the foreshore, stretching almost one kilometer out to sea. This intriguing installation on Crosby Beach, Sefton, is both a contemplative art piece and a striking visual experience. The Installation Each figure in “Another Place” weighs 650 kilograms and …

Continue Reading
St Barnabas Churchyard CrossEngland

The Wirral Peninsula: It’s Anglo-Saxon Past and the Battle of Brunanburh

The Wirral is a fascinating place which boasts stunning coastal views and is home to many quaint and beautiful village towns, but most importantly for this discussion the Wirral is teeming with evidence of its storied medieval past. In the early Middle Ages, the Wirral coastline was sought after, not for its beauty, but for its strategic importance. The Wirral …

Continue Reading