Of course, not all of Northumbria’s saints were men! Female members of the ruling families endowed monasteries and churches and many became nuns and leaders of monastic houses.
Ebba, the sister of King Oswald, founded a double monastery of monks and nuns at Coldingham, a few miles north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. St Abbs Head, a beautiful stretch of Berwickshire coastline that is now a national nature reserve, is named after her. The village of Beadnell also has associations with Ebba.
The Feast of Saint Ebba was celebrated with a weekend of activities, exhibitions and themed guided walks at Beadnell and Coldingham.
