Delve into a rich and storied past
MANY visit the Farne Islands to get close to seabirds and seals in a wildlife experience like no other.
However, it’s not just the natural environment that makes the clutch of islands off the Northumberland Coast so special.
Inner Farne, which reopened to visitors for the first time since July 2022 this week, also has a rich history – which the National Trust hopes will become a bigger part of the visitor experience.
There are a handful of buildings on Inner Farne, including Farne Lighthouse, Prior Castell’s Tower, and St Cuthbert’s Chapel. And the latter especially is a reminder of the revered saint, who is thought to have come to the island as a hermit in the 7th century AD.
Nick Lewis, collections officer with the National Trust for the Northumberland Coast, said St Cuthbert’s Chapel is a reminder of how special Inner Farne is culturally.
He said: “We don’t have any of St Cuthbert’s original buildings visible anymore – I’d love to find one but it’s unlikely.
“What we do have is the visual reminder of St Cuthbert’s presence on the island and he’s an incredibly important saint in the North of England.”
The chapel stands across a courtyard from the Prior Castell Tower, a medieval Grade-I listed Pele Tower.
Nick said: “That’s built on the site of the high Middle Ages monastery that was here, succeeding the building that St Cuthbert had established.
“There was a building called the hospitium where people could stay, this was a really important pilgrimage site through the Middle Ages.”
The chapel standing today dates back to the 17th century, though it hasn’t always been a religious building. It was used as a lighthouse keeper’s cottage for some time, before being restored as a chapel in the 1840s.
One of the main additions was a stunning stained-glass window, designed by Gateshead-born William Wales. When the island opened again to tourists on Tuesday, the shutters were removed from the window for the first time since October 2022, with a surprise in store for the staff.
Nick continued: “A community of snails have moved in since the shutter was last down, they’ve had plenty of time to crawl up and get themselves snug. They’re not doing any harm, so they’re still there and that tells you straight away we’re in a natural environment and these buildings have to work within that.”
The buildings also have to work within trying weather conditions more than most National Trust sites, with Nick adding: “This is in a really exposed and extreme environment and it’s not a particularly good one to keep historic collections inside. There are a lot of things that could go wrong with it, so we have to do a lot of consolidation work.”
For Nick, the buildings are just as spectacular as any of the wildlife viewing on the island. “When you walk through the door you get a little gasp, and that’s nothing to do with seals, or puffins, or terns, or anything like that,” he said. “You just get that different experience, that different kind of wow factor, and it’s a super special building, this place.”