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All the United Kingdom England Holy Island of Lindisfarne Holy Island Boat Sheds

Holy Island Boat Sheds

These upturned herring boats make nifty storage sheds for fishing goods.

Holy Island of Lindisfarne, England

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Gavin
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The more intact boat sheds.   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
An older boat shed.   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
A boat shed.   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Holy Island.   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
  Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
Lindisfarne Boats and Castle   springer / Atlas Obscura User
Holy Island.   Gavin / Atlas Obscura User
  iammoosie / Atlas Obscura User
Boat shed and Lindisfarne Castle.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The sight of an upside-down boat is usually a cause for alarm, as it typically signals a seafaring adventure gone terribly wrong. But on this English island, the upturned vessels are actually a sign of recycling ingenuity. 

Fishing is a key part of life on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne (commonly known as the Holy Island). In the past, when old herring boats became too battered and worn to safely sail the seas, the fishermen had a clever way of putting the unusable vessels to work. Rather than hauling the boats to a junkyard, they flipped them over to transform them into storage sheds.

People on the Holy Island have been keeping their fishing equipment in the topsy-turvy boats for more than a century. The tradition was actually common throughout coastal Northern England, but the island is one of the few places to boast such an impressive cluster of these architectural oddities.

The sheds are covered with a layer of tar, which keeps them largely waterproof though still subject to decay. The ones dotting the shore around the harbor look pretty worse for the wear and stand in contrast to the more intact examples up near the castle.

But even the sheds near the castle weren’t completely saved from destruction. Arsonists set a couple ablaze back in 2005, though they have since been repaired.

Related Tags

Islands Boats Fishing Architectural Oddities Recycling Architecture

Know Before You Go

The boat sheds are located at the harbor, and there are three near the castle.

Access to the island is dependent on the tides and the causeway (low tide only). Check the website for safe crossing times. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Gavin

Edited By

rbenn250, springer, linkogecko, iammoosie

  • rbenn250
  • springer
  • linkogecko
  • iammoosie

Published

July 20, 2018

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Sources
  • https://www.secrets-of-shed-building.com/lindisfarne-boat-sheds.html
  • https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/05/27/the-holy-island-of-lindisfarnes-traditional-sheds-made-of-upturned-fishing-boats/
  • https://mymodernmet.com/lindisfarne-boat-sheds/
Holy Island Boat Sheds
2 St Cuthberts Square
Holy Island of Lindisfarne, England
United Kingdom
55.670179, -1.79546
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Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Holy Island of Lindisfarne

Holy Island of Lindisfarne

England

Places 3

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Photo of Holy Island of Lindisfarne

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