Inner Farne Island Chapel of St Cuthbert

Has been described as a Questionable Fortified Ecclesiastical site

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameInner Farne Island Chapel of St Cuthbert
Alternative Names
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishNorth Sunderland

St Cuthbert's Chapel is a single-cell building and was built in about 1370. It is built on top of an earlier building, as there is C12 and C13 masonry in the lower parts of the north wall. The chapel was restored in the 1840s by Archdeacon Thorp. Outside the west wall of the chapel are the foundations of a small room which may a porch or chapel at the entrance of the church, sometimes known as a galilee and typical of churches dedicated to St Cuthbert.

Gatehouse Comments

Brooke writes "has indications that defensive traits may have been incorporated into its structure" as the external north wall is totally without openings. However, such division from the outer world are fairly common in all monastic sites reflecting the contemplative life and, in addition, here protection from winter storms on this island site would be a more practical consideration. Not really defensible per se but part of the Inner Farne monastic complex with Prior Castell's Tower which is, as a whole, defensible and which was converted into a C16 fort.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNU218359
Latitude55.6170387268066
Longitude-1.65532004833221
Eastings421800
Northings635980
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Brooke, C.J., 2000, Safe Sanctuaries (Edinburgh; John Donald) p. 79-81
  • Pevsner, N., 1992 (revised by Grundy, John et al), Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p. 276-7
  • Knowles, David and Hadcock, R Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longman) p. 65
  • Watt, G., 1951, The Farne Islands p. 29, 30, 40-2
  • Raine, J., 1852, History and Antiquities of North Durham (London) p. 360

Journals

  • Hadcock, R.N., 1939, 'A map of mediaeval Northumberland and Durham' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser4) Vol. 16 p. 148-218 esp 171
  • Hay, Denys, 1938, 'The dissolution of the monasteries in the diocese of Durham' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser4) Vol. 15 p. 73
  • Tate, G., 1850-6, 'on the Farne Islands' History of the Berwickshire Naturalists Club Vol. 3 p. 225-6 online copy

Other