St Cuthbert’s Cave, Holburn / Kyloe Hills

‍The 62-mile St Cuthbert’s Way starting at Melrose in Scotland, winds its way past this remote cave on the final leg of the route to Lindisfarne

Highlights

• Hiding place of St Cuthbert’s relics

This cave is a huge slab of overhanging sandstone, propped up by a rather delicate-looking stone pillar in the middle. It is a natural landscape feature, but looks so wrought it is bound to attract legend. One incident involves the relics of St Cuthbert, the 7th-century bishop of Lindisfarne.

St Cuthbert’s holy body was probably hidden here in the 870s when the monks of Lindisfarne fled the island in the face of Viking raids. They wandered the hills of Northumbria for seven years, nomads concerned only for the safety of their beloved saint’s relics. They eventually came to a halt at Chester-le-Street in 883.

The cave would certainly be suitable for sheltering a group of monks. It is a long and striking feature on the hillside, presumably hidden behind tall trees at the time. It attracts an astonishing amount of carved graffiti, some dating back centuries, though nothing relating to St Cuthbert’s short stay here.

John Blair, in his book The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society, reckons the story of St Cuthbert’s desperate band of followers roaming the hills to be a myth. Instead, he believes they simply moved between their monastery’s extensive estates, initially Norham 13 miles to the north. That doesn’t rule out an overnight stop at this cave, however. It would certainly make sense as a convenient bolt hole from Lindisfarne, which is only 6 miles away.

Directions

Footpath starts at: Holburn Grange, between Holburn and North Hazelrigg NE66 5SB

W3W: mended.jets.decanter

GPS: 55.6108N 1.9078W

The nearest village is Belford. Drive west from there on the B6349 for 4¼ miles to a crossroads, and turn right along the unsigned minor road. This crossroads is 250 yards after the road curves in a U-shape round some barns. Continue along here for just over 3 miles to a turning on the right, with a National Trust sign for St Cuthbert’s Cave. Park at the end and follow the signed footpath. After you eventually enter a pinewood, keep following the main track and you will see the huge cave on your left uphill, with a path to it, after 150m. The walk from the car park to the cave is just over 1km, but feels further as it is gently uphill.