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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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