Local mans walk to support World Heritage

Friday 24 Jul 09

A local historian will be embarking on a remarkable journey walking over 300 miles in a bid to raise awareness and gather support for the Wearmouth-Jarrow World Heritage Site Bid.

On 9th August Ged Lynn, 37 of St John’s Terrace Jarrow, will set off from St Peter’s Church, Monkwearmouth for a 25 day journey which will take him from the North East to Guildford in Surrey.

Keen walker Ged will be visiting a number of historical locations along the route while promoting the bid in towns and cities he passes along the way. His route will take him via Darlington, Harrogate, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton and London, finishing in Guildford on the 1st September.

The twin Anglo-Saxon monastery of St Peter’s in Wearmouth, Sunderland and St Paul’s in Jarrow is the UK’s nomination for World Heritage Status in 2010. The churches have huge historical significance and parts of the 7th century buildings still stand on both sites, once the home of Bede, one of the most influential figures in contemporary culture.

“I decided to complete the walk as a way of gathering support for the World Heritage bid from people across the UK”, said Ged, “and to emphasize the history of Bede and his influence on the identity of England. Bede was the first to consider us all as English. The walk is an attempt to trace with my steps what Bede did with his mind and connect everyone on the way to the same idea, that gaining World Heritage status for Wearmouth-Jarrow would be fantastic for the UK today.”

Ged will walk from St Peter’s Monkwearmouth to St Paul’s in Jarrow on Sunday 9th August. Following a service at St Paul’s he will set off on the first leg of his journey to Chester-le-Street accompanied by the Bishop of Jarrow, the Rt Reverend Mark Bryant, Reverend Bill Braviner, Area Dean of Jarrow and Reverend Jenny Lancaster, Team vicar of Jarrow. The walk will end in Guildford Catherdral 25 days later, which houses a carved stone, given as a gift from the monastic buildings in Jarrow in 1931.

Ged’s progress will be updated daily on his facebook page, twitter page and full information about his journey and the Wearmouth-Jarrow World Heritage Site bid can be found on www.wearmouth-jarrow.org.uk.


Ged’s route
Sunday 9th August
8.30am Setting off from St Peter’s Church in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland
10.45am Service at St Paul’s Church, Jarrow
12noon Setting off from St Paul’s Church, Jarrow to Chester-le-Street.
Monday 10th August -Chester-le-Street to Ferryhill
Tuesday 11th August - Ferryhill to Darlington
Wednesday 12th August- Darlington to Northallerton
Thursday 13th August -Northallerton to Ripon
Friday 14th August -Ripon to Harrogate
Saturday 15th August -Harrogate to Leeds
Sunday 16th August -Leeds to Wakefield
Monday 17th August -Wakefield to Barnsley
Tuesday 18th August -Barnsley to Sheffield
Wednesday 19th August- Sheffield to Chesterfield
Thursday 20th August -Chesterfield to Mansfield
Friday 21st August -Mansfield to Nottingham
Saturday 22nd August -Nottingham to Loughborough
Sunday 23rd August -Loughborough to Leicester
Monday 24th August -Leicester to Market Harborough
Tuesday 25th August -Market Harborough to Northampton
Wednesday 26th August -Northampton to Bedford
Thursday 27th August - Bedford to Luton
Friday 28th August -Luton to St Albans
Saturday 29th August -St Albans to Edgware
Sunday 30th August -Edgware to Marble Arch
Monday 31st August -Marble Arch to Kingston-upon-Thames
Tuesday 1st September -Kingston-upon-Thames to Guildford.