Anglo-Saxons on the North East Coast

I have spent a very interesting couple of days listening to a variety of talks about the Anglo-Saxons on the North East Coast.  Saturday was spent at the Museum listening to presentations on Monasteries, cemeteries, manuscripts and parishes.  The archaeologist Steve Sherlock showed some images of very beautiful glass beads among the many interesting finds in excavations in the Loftus area.  I am always fascinated to see ancient glass beads in museums so seeing them documented as part of the finds of an archaeological dig was really interesting too. They looked just like contemporary beads - there was even an example of millefiore among the images he showed.  Today was a visit first to St Oswald's Church at Lythe.  Amongst the fabulous Anglo-Saxon carvings in the Church at Lythe is this lovely bird.  The group then went on to the visit the area around the headland where Whitby Abbey stands.  Sarah Jennings and Tony Wilmott of English Heritage talked about the excavations that have taken place over the last few years and about the finding and the impact this has had on the understanding of the Abbey and settlement around it.