| « Previous | Home | Next » | inner farne 07 November, 2006 |
 photo: david lindley the earliest recorded inhabitants of inner farne were probably hermits from the early celtic christian church such as were also to be found in scotland and ireland - the first named individuals being st. aidan and then st. cuthbert (he of the pecked head mentioned in an earlier post). st cuthbert left the islands to become the bishop of lindisfarne but returned after two years, preferring the solitude and peace of inner farne; he eventually died on the island in 687ad. interestingly st. cuthbert introduced special laws in 676ad to protect the eider ducks and other nesting seabirds on the islands; these are thought to be the earliest bird protection laws in the world. today the only residents of the island are bird wardens from the national trust, who live in a pele tower (built in around 1500ad) for part of the year - i cant help thinking that it can only be a job for someone who likes their own company: once the daily visitors are gone, it must be a very lonely place (and ferociously cold in the winter). | |
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Posted by davidlindley Archived under: england, most commented |
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