Picture this: it’s sometime around AD 640, and the Northumbrian monastery at Lindisfarne founded by Anglo-Saxon King Oswald is already on the rise to fame. Eventually, it would become the place where the Lindisfarne Gospels were made, where thousands miracle-seeking pilgrims would come to seek salvation, and where the Vikings would launch their first major attack on the British Isles, making it one of the most famous historic locations in England.
But just 26 miles up the coast, something else is happening. Oswald has a sister named Aebbe, and she too has gone and founded a monastery. Now separated by a border, but once part of the same kingdom, the monasteries at Lindisfarne and Coldingham are two halves of the same story.
Like her brother, Aebbe was instrumental to the early spread of Christianity along the Northumbrian coast, and beyond. But unlike her brother Oswald, Aebbe’s story has been left by the wayside, and the true location of her monastery has never been determined. We have to ask ourselves, why?
Although historical records are few and far between, those that do survive tell us that Aebbe’s story is a compelling one; exiled as a child, she went on to become an abbess, saint and political influencer.
They tell us that her monastery was located just a few days north of Lindisfarne, near St Abb’s Head at Coldingham. They say it was surrounded by a deep trench and high palisade, and was home to both monks and nuns – many of whom were the younger offspring of the Anglo-Saxon aristocracy.
They also tell us that the monastery burnt down soon after Aebbe died. Abandoned for a short while, it is also said that it was soon rebuilt and continued to thrive until AD 870 when it was destroyed once and for all by a devastating Viking attack – just like Oswald’s Lindisfarne.
This historic site is a vital piece of Scotland’s heritage, and we still have many questions about the events that took place here. When exactly did it burn down? Is it true that it was rebuilt? Was the new monastery in the same location as the original? What sorts of things did the monks and nuns do to keep themselves alive? And most of all, where exactly was the monastery, and did it look anything like the one at Lindisfarne?
Over the years, a few small glimpses – of burials, and of sculpture – have shown up, but firm evidence of the monastery has never been found at the suggested location. Armed with a new set of clues, this excavation is an attempt to locate it, and investigate the wider history of the site upon which we think it sits.
The story of Northumbria, of the Anglo-Saxons, of the Scottish borders, and of early medieval Christianity is only roughly told. Finding Aebbe’s monastery will be a monumental addition to our understanding – there is still so much to learn – and to prove with archaeological evidence – about this story.
We’re ready to throw ourselves into this investigation and raise new evidence of Aebbe’s monastery for everyone to enjoy. By being part of this journey, you can play a role in exploring Aebbe’s side of the story, and in establishing her monastery as an important landmark of early Medieval history – just like Lindisfarne.
