The Kingdom of Northumbria

This morning, we will walk through the city of York and explore the medieval city walls. We continue to the Yorkshire Museum to view its superb collection of finds from Roman Anglian and Viking York and from the golden era of medieval York. In the afternoon we will walk to Coppergate and the Jorvik centre, where the 1970s ground breaking excavations uncovered rich evidence for the early city. In the afternoon, we journey to Durham and enjoy a city walk before we head to our next hotel.

In the morning we will drive to explore Hexham Abbey. After our return to Durham, we will visit the Norman magnificence of Durham Cathedral, one of the best-preserved Norman buildings in Europe. Inside the building with its piers and towers are the tombs of St. Cuthbert and St. Bede. In the afternoon we will visit Durham Castle, where the bishop, the Royal warden in the north, held power from the 11th century.

We drive to Jarrow to visit the remains of St. Paul’s Monastery, once Bede’s home monastery and amazingly some of the original buildings remain standing around the later church. In the afternoon we journey to Holy Isle, Lindisfarne, where St. Cuthbert’s community produced masterpieces like the Lindisfarne gospels. This evening, we will have our farewell dinner together.

On our journey back to York, our first stop will be at Escomb Saxon Church. We then drive to Brompton. Here in the churchyard are the famous hogbacks, Anglo-Viking tombstones formed in the shape of an early medieval longhouse or hall being savaged by fierce bears. Around lunchtime we will be back in York, where the tour ends.