The Arts Society Sarisbury Green
Special Interest Day 6th November 2026
10am -12.45pm
Two lectures given by Mark Cottle entitled -
‘When England had scarcely begun’:
Sutton Hoo and the Lindisfarne Gospels
Mark writes:
Sutton Hoo and the Lindisfarne Gospels provide remarkable insights into the England of the 7th century. Early in the century, a great ship was dragged ashore from the river Deben in Suffolk. It became the burial place of a powerful Anglo-Saxon warlord, buried with a mound of treasures from all over the known world. Fine weaponry, gold coins and exquisitely crafted metalwork reflected levels of sophistication which were a revelation.
At the end of the 7th century, after its conversion to Christianity, the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria enjoyed a brief golden age – a result of which was the Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the most impressive works of art of the whole medieval period. With reference to the Staffordshire Hoard, the day will focus on the cultural achievements of an early ‘Dark Age’ century.
For further details and to book see Cliff Bannister at our monthly meetings.