Lindisfarne was the site of one of the most important early centres of Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England. Originally a few monks had a simple wooden church. When the former bishop St. Cuthbert was dug up in 698 AD (11 years after his death) and found undecayed, the site became a shrine. Unfortunately the site was easy prey for Viking raiders and it wasn’t until the 12th century that monks re-established Lindisfarne Priory on the island. The monks of Lindisfarne later produced the colourful Lindisfarne Gospels which are amongst the most famous religious texts in the world.