This 75 mile walk, mainly following St Cuthberts Way links Melrose Abbey and the holy island of Lindisfarne. The two sites that bookend Cuthberts religious life. We begin in the Scottish Borders;

heading through dramatic scenery to Northumberland National Park, completing Cuthberts story and our walk on Englands Northeast coast.

PROGRAMME 5 DARK AGES IN NORTHUMBRIA Introduction. On this 4 day walk we head through the spectacular landscape bridging Scotland and England. We step into Northumberland and the mysterious heart of the Dark Ages, to a time when the huge Kingdom of Northumbria was being torn apart, by internal strife and wars with rival kingdoms. In the middle of this turmoil, a small group of radical Irish monks persuaded the largest kingdom of pagans in the country to put down their swords and become Christians. The charismatic figure at the centre of this mission, who later became a saint, wasnt Irish but a Briton named Cuthbert.

.Walking Through History

Day 1.

Begins at Melrose Abbey and follows St Cuthberts Way, through the Eildon Hills and along the River Tweed to St Boswells, uncovering the early religious life of St Cuthbert and the Celtic monks who came to this area. Its also possible to take a detour to Bemersyde Hill for a spectacular view over Cuthberts early stomping ground.

Melrose to St Boswells, via The Eildon Hills and The River Tweed Distance: 8.5 miles Distance with the detour to Bemersyde Hill: 11.5 miles

Day 2.

Were off to Ancrum and Kirk Yetholm to find out more about how the early Christian evangelists drummed up support from the native pagans of this land.

St Boswells to Kirk Yetholm, via Maxton and Ancrum Distance: 24 miles

Day 3.

Takes us to one of the most important Anglo-Saxon sites on St Cuthberts Way, before heading to Bamburgh, the royal seat of the kings of Northumbria, and the house of 7th century power.

Kirk Yetholm to Bamburgh, via Yeavering and St Cuthberts Cave Distance: 27 miles

Day 4.

The final days hike takes us to the Holy Island, avoiding treacherous seas on the Pilgrims Path to Cuthberts spiritual headquarters and the island of his final years, Lindisfarne.

Bamburgh to Lindisfarne Distance: 16 miles

St. Cuthberts Way is clearly signed and way marked with the St Cuthberts Cross symbol, but you will

still need to take a map. Please use OS Explorer Maps 338, OL16, 340 (1:25k) or OS Landranger 73, 74, 75 (1:50k). All distances approx.

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Day 1 Places of Interest

Melrose to St Boswells via: the Eildon Hills and the River Tweed Distance: 8.5 miles Distance with detour to Bemersyde Hill: 11.5 miles

Melrose Abbey Melrose Abbey now in Scotland, was at the time of Cuthberts birth in 635 AD part of the old kingdom of Northumbria. This area has one of the most turbulent histories in the country. Back then it was a region of violence and bloodshed. The Abbey that stands today was completed in the 12th century, but its back in the 7th century that we find Cuthberts Melrose Abbey. Cuthbert came here, and became a monk in around 650 AD. Previously, hes thought to have been a shepherd, a soldier and an aristocrat. He joined Celtic monks, with their roots in Ireland, who were here to convert the locals to Christianity. Cuthbert wanted to help in the fight against paganism. His weapons were solitary prayer, curing the sick and feeding the hungry. But that was all he needed to capture the soul of Northumbria. The present Abbey is two miles upstream of the Melrose Abbey that St. Cuthbert first joined in his youth. Cuthbert went on to became the prior of Melrose Abbey, where he gained notoriety, spending time amongst the people, carrying out missionary journeys, preaching and performing miracles.

The walk takes us to the Scottish Borders and the village of Melrose, where we begin this historic hike at the Medieval Melrose Abbey. Sadly today, nothing remains of the Melrose Abbey that Cuthbert knew, and there is also no public access to its site, which lies east of the current Melrose Abbey. But

if youd like to stroll around these ruins, an admission fee is payable. For further details check out: http://tickets.historic-scotland.gov.uk/webstore/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=TKTS&C=WSBORDERS#melrose

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priorhttp://tickets.historic-scotland.gov.uk/webstore/shop/ViewItems.aspx?CG=TKTS&C=WSBORDERS#melrose

.Walking Through History

Old Melrose The geography of the area gives a clue as to why the monks originally chose this place. The word mailros means a bare peninsula. And if you look at an OS Map you can see that the river Tweed virtually surrounds Old Melrose. It was this seclusion and the rivers protection, that made it the perfect spot for an outpost of Christianity, set apart from a pagan land and the brutal feuding of rival kingdoms. After the dangers of a days preaching in the wilds, this was a safe haven the monks could retreat to.

Religion in 7th

Century Britain The task of converting was tough. Most Northumbrians were pagan. There had been Christians in the north-east in Roman times, but the Romans had left over 200 years earlier. What followed was a meltdown. The native Britons were overrun by successive waves of Pagan invaders Angles, Saxons and Jutes who took over most of the country, and drove the Christian faith out to the western margins. Northumbria quickly adopted the pagan religion of its new Anglian rulers, which meant the people now worshipped a number of gods. It was a pantheistic faith. They believed the landscape was possessed by spirits, and their sacred places were often hilltops, springs or groves of trees. This was the spiritual world Cuthbert and his fellow monks encountered.

St Cuthbert and the Sea Eagle At over 100 miles, the River Tweed is one of the longest rivers in Britain. Its an expensive waterway. People spend hundreds of pounds a day for the right to fish it, sometimes for trout, but mainly for salmon. Back in the 7th century, the monks would have fished these waters, but Cuthbert is associated with a very particular story - a miracle involving a salmon. Its said that during one of his missionary journeys, Cuthberts young companion asked where they might find their mid-day meal. Famished, Cuthbert assured him to trust in God to provide the food they needed. Just then, as they walked along the river, an eagle swooped down and

From the gates of Melrose Abbey, we join the start of St Cuthberts Way, heading south to begin our pilgrimage through 7th century Northumbria. If youre feeling energetic, a detour towards the end of this days walk offers spectacular views of Old Melrose, the location of Cuthberts abbey.

From Melrose, an invigorating climb takes us over the iconic Eildon Hills whose triple peaks are one of the best loved landmarks in the Scottish Borders. Its a hard climb but when you reach the summit, make sure to pause, catch your breath and take in the spectacular views in all directions. On a clear

day, you can see not only Melrose, the Moorfoot and Lammermuir Hills, but also the mighty Cheviot range - the barrier between Scotland and England. Following St Cuthberts Way we roughly trace the route the monks would have taken from their outpost at Melrose Abbey to their headquarters on the island of Lindisfarne.

After dropping back down to the village of Bowden, nestling in the lee of the Eildons, the route takes us through gentle farmland and woodland to Newtown St Boswells before heading along the tranquil banks of the River Tweed.

.Walking Through History

snatched a salmon from the waters. The young monk was astonished when the eagle dropped the salmon at Cuthberts feet. Cuthbert told him to take a share for them and to leave a fair share for the eagle.

Scotts View Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet was popular throughout the world in the 19th century. Scotts View is said to be his favourite viewpoint and he often stopped here on his way home to Abbotsford House in Melrose. Legend has it that Sir Walter Scott paused at this point so often that his horse would halt here without command. When Scott died, his faithful horse, part of the funeral cortge, stopped here en route to the funeral, allowing his master a last look at the Borders landscape.

Ospreys are present on the Tweed today, so keep your eyes peeled for this majestic bird as you walk along its banks. Glimpses of Dryburgh Abbey may also be spotted as we head down river before reaching St Boswells were Day 1s walk comes to an end.

That is unless you take the detour

Detour In this case we leave St Cuthberts Way after Tweed Horizons, crossing to the north side of the Tweed at Dryburgh Footbridge. We then climb steadily to the statue of William Wallace and onto the grounds of Bemersyde House, the ancestral home of the Haig family. A minor road is then followed up Bemersyde Hill to the spot of Sir Walter Scotts favourite view across the Tweed to the Eildon Hills.

From Scotts View you also get an incredible view of Old Melrose to the west, note its protected location, flanked on virtually all sides by the river. Once youve marveled at the breathtaking views retrace your steps to rejoin St Cuthberts Way and head east into St Boswells.

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Day 2 Places of Interest St Boswells to Kirk Yetholm, via Maxton and Ancrum Distance: 24 miles

King Oswald and a Christian Takeover of Northumbria 7th century Northumbria was ruled by King Oswald who took the