Glass footprint marks historic site

Thursday 03 Sep 09

Recycled glass is being used to capture the historic ‘foundation footprint’ of a site of world importance for future generations.

Paving and cobalt blue glass chippings are being laid where the walls of St Peter’s Anglo-Saxon monastery settlement in Sunderland used to be.

Northumbrian Water, which has already completed a £650,000 sewer chamber improvement in the corner of St Peter’s church yard, is now finishing off with its contribution to the bid to earn the monastery site world-wide recognition.

The twin monastery sites of St Peter’s, together with St Paul’s in Jarrow – home to the Venerable Bede, Europe’s greatest 8th century scholar - will be nominated for World Heritage Site Status by the UK Government next year.

The sewer scheme at St Peter’s was the final piece to complete Northumbrian Water’s £8million, six-year environmental clean-up of the River Wear and Sunderland with the improvement of 24 sewer overflows.

David Groark, Northumbrian Water’s Project Manager, said: “We are delighted to be able to leave a visible lasting legacy on the site following our work there. We hope the unique limestone and glass ‘footprint’ will enhance, and raise awareness of, the bid while creating an impression of the buildings that use to be there.”

Some 220 metres of paving and glass will be laid down by Northumbrian Water’s contractor Lumsden and Carroll.

Glass is of huge historic and current importance to Sunderland. It is believed that St Peter’s was the first building in Europe to use glass and cobalt blue was one of the predominant colours. Today Sunderland is home to the nearby National Glass Centre.