Church

St Peter’s Church, Monkwearmouth

St Peters Way, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland SR6 0DY

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St Peter’s Church, Monkwearmouth

A one-day pilgrim route connects this site to its counterpart in Jarrow

Highlights

  • Early Saxon monastery
  • Community of St Benedict Biscop and other saints

St Peter’s Church sits on a large green next to the University of Sunderland, surrounded by busy roads but with just enough open space to set it apart. Merely looking at the neatly carved pillars on either side of the porch is enough to tell you this building was designed to impress. St Benedict Biscop, its founder, brought European building techniques to the north of England, along with the first manufacturers of stained glass. In the 7th century, this building would have made jaws drop.

The porch and base of the tower are all that survive from the original church. The top of the tower is a later Saxon structure, while the rest of the building is mostly a Victorian restoration. Monkwearmouth’s monastery was set up in 674 by St Benedict Biscop. It proved so successful that King Egfrith asked him to set up a second community in Jarrow eight years later. They functioned as a ‘twin monastery’ – two branches of the same community.

Though eclipsed by achievements at Jarrow (where the Venerable Bede was probably based), Monkwearmouth has several important saints of its own. It was the first building of its kind in northern England, which tells a story in itself. Just 10 years previously, Northumbrians had worshipped in the Celtic tradition, using simple wooden churches. Monkwearmouth aimed to show them that Roman tradition was the future, a culturally superior form of Christianity.

As well as being a patron of arts and architecture, St Benedict Biscop was a notable scholar in his own right, helping train Bede and his fellow monks. He visited Rome five times, bringing back relics and books to fire the imagination of his scholars. St Benedict delegated his authority to junior abbots because he was away so often. Two of these are revered as saints, St Eosterwine (died 686) and St Sigfrid (died 688), who were buried at St Peter’s Church. St Benedict died in 689 and was venerated here for a time before being translated to Thorney Abbey.

The Bede’s Way Footpath links the monastic churches of Monkwearmouth and Jarrow. An annual pilgrimage is held in late June, organised by the two churches. The National Glass Centre is a few steps from the church, a location inspired by the innovative glass workshop of St Benedict Biscop. This museum and visitor centre has displays, artworks, and exhibitions on the history of glassmaking.

Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth (on the south bank of the River Wear) are collectively called Wearmouth – a suburb of Sunderland.

St Peter’s Church, St Peters Way, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland SR6 0DY

www.parishofmonkwearmouth.co.uk

W3W: vague.souk.joins

GPS: 54.9132N 1.3749W

Sunderland railway station 1.2km

St Peters Metro station 700m

Directions: St Peter’s Church is next to the University of Sunderland, set in a large green where the A183 and A1018 meet. The church is open weekdays 10:30am–4:30pm.

The National Glass Centre is 200m due east of the church (the opposite end from the tower), on Liberty Way, Sunderland SR6 0GL. Website: www.nationalglasscentre.com. The centre is open daily 10am–5pm, free to enter.

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Key facts

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Britain’s Pilgrim Places

This listing is an extract from Britain’s Pilgrim Places, written by Nick Mayhew-Smith and Guy Hayward and featuring hundreds of similar spiritually charged sites and landscapes from across Britain.

Proceeds from sale of the book directly support the British Pilgrimage Trust, a non-profit UK charity. Thank you.

Location

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Church

St Peter’s Church, Monkwearmouth

St Peters Way, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland SR6 0DY

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