 In his early @-@ 8th @-@ century account of Aldfrith 's reign , Bede states that he " ably restored the shattered fortunes of the kingdom , though within smaller boundaries " . His reign saw the creation of works of Hiberno @-@ Saxon art such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Codex Amiatinus , and is often seen as the start of Northumbria 's golden age . 
