We will start our day at the British Library Treasures exhibition. Among some of the oldest manuscripts and valuable historical documents is the Lindisfarne Gospels, the most precious treasure of the early Anglo-Saxon Christian period which we are planning to see. The décor of the book combines Celtic and Anglo-Saxon motives and as evident by its name it comes from the monastery at Lindisfarne. We will continue our tour to the British Museum located in a short walking distance. The British Museum is arguably the largest Museum of Antiquities in the World. Our chief interest is pinned to small but very fascinating collections of Anglo-Saxon antiquities, inclusive of the finds from Sutton Hoo, some Christian Celtic relics like bells and stuff of the venerated Celtic missionaries; the treasures of the Early Christian period from the Roman times. The frescoes from the house church found at Lullingstone villa and the mosaics which are believed to be one of the earliest representations of Christ in Roman Empire. 

St. Edward the Martyr was an English King who reigned from 975 to 978. In 978 he was assassinated at Corfe. Shortly after his death people started to venerate him as a martyr and a saint, even before the formal process of canonization. In the Orthodox Church, St. Edward is venerated as a passion-bearer, i.e. as someone who accepts death out of love for Christ and is unwilling to shed blood of the fellow Christians in defense of his own life. In the twentieth century, the relics of St. Edward came into possession of the Orthodox church and his shrine was maintained by the Orthodox community ever since. In the afternoon we will travel to the university town of Oxford. After some general sightseeing we will venerate the relics of Oxford's patroness St. Frideswide (+735) in Christ Church Cathedral. St. Frideswide was a Saxon princess who escaped marriage by enclosing herself in cell, from which a convent eventually grew.

In the morning we will travel to visit the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St. Alban. According to tradition, this monumental Church was erected over earlier humble structures that were built on the site where St. Alban was beheaded. St. Alban suffered during the Roman persecution in the third century A.D. and was England's first saint. Venerable Bede testifies that the place of his martyrdom was a shrine of great importance, which drew multitudes to be healed and consoled. Most of the relics of St. Alban were lost during the Reformation with the exception of a few pieces that survived on the Continent where they had been sent as a gift. In recent times a relic of St. Alban has been returned to the Cathedral and we will have an opportunity to venerate it in honor of one of England's patron saints. From St. Alban's we will continue to Waltham Abbey which history can be traced back to the reign of King Canute. During his reign the miracle working cross was brought to the site. King Harold II, who fell in the battle of Hastings defending his kingdom and, as time has shown, the Orthodox continuity of the Anglo-Saxon Church, built a church here in 1050. He is believed to be buried behind the high Altar of that church after his heroic death at Hastings. Our last stop    of the day will be at St. Andrew's in Greensted. The Church of St. Andrew is one of the world's oldest wooden structures still standing, and the oldest wooden church in existence. For nearly 1200 years it has been a place of Christian worship. The original foundation most likely dates to the mid-seventh century and is associated with the missionary work of St. Cedd. According to tradition, the body of St. Edmund the Martyr was brought here before being transferred to the town of Bury St. Edmunds.

We will start our day at one of the oldest identified Christian sites in whole England, the Lullingstone Villa. Luxurious Roman Villa, at some point was turned into a Christian place of worship, and on its premises Domus Ecclesia, or the church was constructed. The precious ancient frescoes were moved to the British Museum, but the premises of the church and the archeological site remains in situ. From here we will continue to Canterbury, Episcopal see of the English Church. We will begin our exploration with the historical Church of St. Martin. It is believed that St. Augustine, the sixth-century Latin (Roman) missionary to Britain, worshiped in this church along with his Continental helpers. The church already existed prior to his coming and there is a speculation that this building, more precisely the surviving Roman part of it, was originally a Christian place of worship or part of the funerary Christian chapel. For this reason, it was turned into church for the sake of Frankish Christian Queen Bertha, who married pagan King Ethelbert of Kent on the condition that she was allowed to continue the practice of her Christian Faith. Not too far from St. Martin's Church, but already outside the city walls, St. Augustine established a monastery soon after his arrival in 597. From the onset it was intended to be the burial place for the Bishops of Canterbury and converted kings of Kent. The site was expanded and rebuilt several times. Most of its Anglo-Saxon foundations are now covered by the later Norman structure. However, some of the remains of a very early Saxon church of St. Pancras are still present to this day. The foundation of the Cathedral in Canterbury is also associated with the name of St. Augustine. It was an important bishopric from the very beginning and was expanded and enlarged on several occasions prior to the Norman invasion. Following the Norman conquest, a new church was erected that was expanded and beautified during the later centuries. Canterbury Cathedral was the see of several saintly bishops. Among the most famous are St. Theodore (+~690), St Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury (+ 988), and St. Alphege, the Martyr (+ 1012) 

In the morning we will travel to the Chapel of St. Peter-on-the-Wall, which is one of the oldest Christian churches in England still in use. The chapel dates to 654 A.D. and is believed to have been built by St. Cedd out of the remains of an abandoned Roman fort. During the Medieval Era, it fell into obscurity and most likely has maintained its original appearance.  We will start our day with a visit to the Orthodox Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, established by Archimandrite Sophronius Saharov, the spiritual child and successor of St. Silouan the Athonite. From the monastery we will continue to the historical center of Colchester, the first known Roman city in all of England and the birth place of Holy Equal to the Apostle Empress Helen. Some ruins of the 4th century church were excavated within the city premises, and we plan to see these precious remains along with some other important historical places in town. 

We will start our day with a visit to a small historical church dedicated to St. Michael and All the Saints in Copford Green, Essex. It was founded in 1130 and some elements remain unchanged from that time, but the paintings inside are of the most interest to us. The composition of the Raising of the Daughter of Jairus's, although restored, gives a good idea of the work of the twelfth-century iconographers. The depiction of Christ in Majesty, although more distorted than the other composition, gives strong association with Byzantine Art. From Copford Green, we will transfer to Sutton Hoo to see one of the most important archeological sites in all of England. The sixth century Anglo-Saxon burial mounds found here have been under excavation since the 1930's. A modern museum has been recently built adjacent to the site and houses some of the archeological discoveries, including a full-size reconstruction of the burial chamber that was formed from a ship and buried with its noble owner. The town of what is now known as Bury St Edmunds was an important Anglo-Saxon center of power. From the historical records we know of a monastery founded here in 633. It will be here, that the relics of St. Edmund, the King of East Anglia who was murdered by the Danes in 855, will be brought in some 50 years later. Great number of miracles associated with the relics lead the monastery to become a popular shrine. The holy site became so popular that in the 10th century the place became known as Bury St Edmunds, and a town grew around the monastery. From here we will travel North-East, to Walsingham for dinner and overnight. 

This Sunday we will start with the Liturgy at the Orthodox Church in Walsingham, home of the most important Medieval Marian Shrine in all of England. The history of the site begins with a vision that a devout woman saw in year 1061. Our Lady appeared to a Saxon noblewoman directing her to build a replica of Her house. That shrine will become a priory and an important place of pilgrimage till the dissolution of the abbey during the English Reformation in 1538. At the end of 19th century the tradition of the pilgrimage was renewed and was growing more popular through the 20th century. After Liturgy we will have a lengthy transfer south to the important historical city of York. On the way we will make a brief stop at the site of the former Crowley Abbey. During the dissolution of the monasteries all the monastic buildings were swept away, apart for the nave of the great church that still contains many historical treasures. Of greatest interest to us is a skull of St Theodore the Martyr, a Saxon abbot who died in 870. He was murdered by the Vikings at the high altar of his abbey church during the services along with the deacon, acolytes, and few other monks. The skull of St. Theodore is miraculously preserved, and still bears the sword wound above the left eye socket.  Time permitting, we will stop at Beverley to venerate the saintly Bishop John. St. John, an Angle Bishop who occupied, at different times, the sees of Hexham and York. He was granted the gift of wonderworking and many miracles have been attributed to him during his lifetime and after his death. Some years before his repose, St. John retired to Beverly's monastic foundation which he established. He stayed there until his death. His relics are entombed in the Minster of Beverly, although they were moved and reburied during the numerous reconstructions that Minster underwent during its history. 

York was founded by the Romans in 71 AD with the name Eboracum, the capital for Britania Inferior. It is here that the Roman legions proclaimed Constantine the Great as Emperor. After the arrival of the Angles, the settlement was renamed Eoferwic and renamed again as Jorvik after the Viking occupation in 866. The current name of the city appears around year 1000 A.D. York played an important role throughout Anglo-Saxon history, headed by several saintly bishops and kings. Overnight in York.

In the morning we will travel to the Whitby Abbey. Some magnificent ruins mark the spot of the abbey that once played a significant role in the history of the Anglo-Saxon Church. Whitby Abbey was founded by the Anglo-Saxon King Oswiu in 657. The monastery was home to two monastic communities – male and female and was headed by Abbess Hilda. While she was still Abbess, a famous council took place at Whitby where churchmen discussed the dates of Pascha, as well as differences in rituals observed in Celtic and Roman tradition. As a result of this council, the Anglo-Saxon Church universally adopted Roman Paschal and Roman liturgical practice. In 867 the Abbey was sacked by the Vikings and was renewed only under the Norman rule when it was rededicated to St. Peter and St. Hilda, the first abbess of the Monastery. On our way back to York we will proceed to the Vale of Pickering, famous for its historical churches and abbeys. It is here that St. Cedd founded a monastery in mid-seventh century, known as Lastingham Abbey. From here he continued his mission to the pagan Saxons. Nothing remains from that period at Lastingham, but under the church there is a Norman crypt of the 11the century, the oldest Norman crypt to be found anywhere. Time permitting: we will stop to explore other churches in the area. We try to stop at St Gregory Minster, Kirkdale. It was rebuilt in 1054 after it was destroyed by marauding Vikings. The original structures date to 654 and it is likely that the reconstructed church retains much of the austerity and simplicity of the original building. All Saints Church in near-by Appleton-le-Street contains much of its original structure and fine Anglo-Saxon towers. Luckily it escaped major renovation in subsequent centuries and presents an interesting site to visit.  

We will start our day by visiting the Ripon Cathedral. Founded as a monastery by monks of the Irish tradition in the 660s, it was rearranged as a Benedictine monastery by St Wilfrid in 672. The church was one of the earliest stone buildings in the Kingdom of Northumbria. The crypt of the stone church from this period still survives. From Ripon we will continue to a little village of Escomb. Its Saxon church was constructed around 670 and thus was a place of worship for over 13 centuries. Some of the stone came from the ruined Roman fort that was situated in the vicinity. Roman inscriptions in stone can be seen even today. The church still has a consecration cross with typical inscription of the Celtic Church art. From Escomb we will travel to the city of Durham. It was founded by a group of monks from Lindisfarne in 995 AD, who chose this place to settle with the body of St. Cuthebert, their beloved Abbot and Bishop. St. Cuthebert is one of the most important saints of the Anglo-Saxon Church. He became a monk as a young man and was known through his life for his charity, kindness and monastic austerity. He was elected Bishop of Lindisfrane Abbey and toward the end of his life, he retired to his cell where he led hermetical life until he reposed there soon thereafter. His gift of miracles gained him fame as “Wonderworker of Britain” His relics were saved by the monks and carried with the community after Lindisfarne was sacked by Vikings in 875. The monks traveled extensively trying to find a safe haven to reestablish their community and bury the relics of their beloved abbot. Eventually, they settled at the place that later became the city of Durham. Durham is famous for its Norman cathedral and castle, but for us it is interesting for the possibility of venerating the relics of St. Cuthebert. Some of the precious articles associated with his earthly life are on display in the Cathedral's museum. Another important saint, St. Bede (+735), famous Church author and first English historian, is buried at the Cathedral in Durham. We will end our day by visiting St. Peter's church in Wearmouth. The Wearmouth-Jarrow Abbey, was a twin-foundation, where the first Anglo-Saxon historian Venerable Bede was a monk for most of his life. The Monastery of St. Peter at Monkwearmouth was founded in 674 by Benedict Biscop. Its more Roman foundation was established in this land that was heavily influenced by the Celtic Christian tradition. About ten years later, Benedict founded another monastery, that of St. Paul at Jarrow, where young Bede would be a monk. These monasteries were very closely associated with each other, and from an early point they were considered inseparable twin-foundation. The monasteries were attacked by Vikings more than once, and finally they were completely destroyed and abandoned in 860. Not until after the Norman Conquest did life return to these Saxon ruins.

There very little left of the Jarrow Monastery at the present day. But a parish church at the site continue the legacy of the important Anglo-Saxon monastic foundation. During the excavation on the site some  fragments of the oldest known stained glass windows which dates to the early seventh century were found. In a newer church a new window was re-assemble as if to continue with a lineage of the ancient site. Our next stop will be at the Hexham abbey, a Christian site since the end of the seventh century. The Queen of Northumbria, Etheldreda, gifted lands to St Wilfrid, Bishop of York c.674 AD. Most of the monastery was built of the Roman stones and despite of turbulent history, the original (?) Saxon crypt still remains. Another historical curiosity is a frith stool, dated from 7th/8th century that was used as cathedra or throne. In the year of 875 Halfdan Ragnarsson the Dane ravaged the whole of Tyneside, and Hexham Church was plundered and burnt to the ground. In mid-eleventh century, a treasurer of Durham rebuild the church as Hexham, and later on the church was rearranged in the Norman style. Our last stop of the day will be at Vindolanda. Vindolanda was one of the major fort and subsequent settlement along the Hadrian' Wall. Due to the soil in the area, many of the artifacts left behind by the army and the residence were found in a very good state of preservation. Among historical relics found amidst the ruins of the fort, there were many letters that reflect on everyday life and activity of the town on the Roman frontier and even a pair of boxer gloves. For us of greatest importance are some of the earliest Christian articles that were found in the civil context of the settlement, along with the remains of a monastic cell constructed from the spoils of the Roman fort. 

Our today’s journey will be closely associated with one of the most illustrious ancient English Saints - with St. Cuthbert. We will start our day with a visit at sandy cave, where monks, escaping the marauding bands of the Norsemen were hiding, and safeguarding the relics of their beloved patron St Cuthbert. Early in the afternoon we will reach one the holiest places in all of the British Isles, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. The community was founded on the island by an Irish born monk, St. Aidan, about 635 on the request of the Northumrbian King Oswald, who wanted to have a Christian mission nearby for the sake of enlightening his subjects. Irish Monks settled at Lindisfarne and headed a successful mission to North of England and Mercia. Lindisfarne rose in importance to become the center of spiritual life and learning. In the early seventh century, the famous illumined manuscripts were produced here. They are of incredible quality and artistry. The Miracle-worker St. Cuthbert was a monk here, and later the Abbot and Bishop of Lindisfarne. In 793, peaceful monastic life was interrupted by Viking incursion. In fact, that shocking attack on the monastery is considered to be the beginning of the Viking Age. Though the monastery remained at Lindisfarne for another half a century, life was never the same. Due to the constant threat of Viking raids, the monks had to leave the Holy Island in 860. The monastery was renewed under the Normans and later extended. Monastic life here came to a halt during the dissolution of the monasteries under King Henry VIII. We will visit the Holy Island and explore the ruins of the monastic foundation.

 Breakfast. Check out from the hotel. Departure back home