History

The twin monasteries of Wearmouth-Jarrow were founded in the 7th century, by Benedict Biscop. Bede described them as 'one monastery in two places' and in it’s day it was one of the world's greatest international cultural centres. Monasteries were the cities and universities of their day, and they provided education and hospitality for travellers ranging from royalty to pilgrims. Wearmouth-Jarrow was exceptional because of its size, its great wealth and its extensive library.
Benedict Biscop was a cosmopolitan traveller who visited Rome 6 times, and was inspired to found his own monastery, bringing craftspeople, teachers and treasures from across Europe to create Wearmouth-Jarrow.

The monastery had one of the best libraries in the world at the time - which gave Bede, Wearmouth-Jarrow’s greatest scholar, access to ideas from all over the world. Nearly 14 centuries later Bede’s influence as a writer, historian, mathematician and teacher still endures.

What remains of importance today:

• 7th century building fabric - including St Peter’s west wall and porch and St Paul’s chancel and dedication stone
• Archaeological deposits - including 7th century stone carvings and coloured window glass
• Manuscripts - including the Codex Amiatinus, the oldest surviving one-volume Latin Bible in the world

Bede’s legacy includes:

• He was the first person to write a history of the English people, two centuries before there was a united England
• He was the first English person to use the term 'English'
• He developed the calculation for Easter that we still use today
• He popularised the BC/AD dating system
• He explained how the tides are 'dragged' around the surface of the Earth by the moon, the first author to make this connection.