St. Peter's Church

St Peter's, Monkwearmouth was built in AD 674 by Benedict Biscop and is one of the oldest churches in Britain, where Christians have gathered for more than 1300 years. This is a place of worship and prayer, pilgrimage and mission.

The church features an Anglo-Saxon porch and tower, with unique carved stones, including intertwined serpents, the abbot’s chair, the consecration cross, ancient burial stones, early glass fragments and stones reaching back to Roman times. An outline of the excavated Anglo-Saxon monastic building is in place in the grounds.

At St Peter's Church visitors can be transported back to the seventh century to a flourishing centre of culture, community and learning. Learn from the detail of the building and stones about the Anglo-Saxon development of Christian and European culture. Follow in the grounds the plan of excavated buildings and learn how the landscape has changed over the generations. Find inspiration for art, music, calligraphy and prayer and inhabit of place of stillness, wonder and hospitality

Historic Tours

10.30am and 1.30pm Monday -Saturday 

(please pre-book to assist with administration, as a working church St Peter’s may have weddings and funerals)

Educational groups, tour parties and all individuals welcome.

Bede's Bakehouse

Friendly café serving light lunches including sandwiches, jacket potatoes and daily specials.

Opening Hours: Tues-Fri 10.30-2.30; Sat 10.30-3.30; Sun 1.00-3.00

Audio tours:

An audio tour of St. Peter's is available - just click here to listen, and download them if you wish.

An information leaflet about St Peter's Church can be downloaded from the Visit Sunderland website:

 http://www.visitsunderland.com/attraction-type.asp?categoryid=2