ONE MONASTERY IN TWO PLACES

WEARMOUTH AND JARROW IN THEIR LANDSCAPE CONTEXT

WEARMOUTH & JARROW The twin monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow were founded in the seventh century, by Benedict Biscop. Bede described them as ‘one monastery in two places’ and in its day, it was one of the world’s greatest international cultural centres. From its foundation in the seventh century until its destruction by Scandinavian raiders in the ninth century, it operated as a centre of learning, hosting travellers, pilgrims and royalty from across Europe.	The Project 'As One Monastery in Two Places: Wearmouth and Jarrow in their Landscape Context' takes its inspiration from the research and recent publications of Prof. Rosemary Cramp on the excavations at Wearmouth and Jarrow. The project, running for two years from 2009-2011, seeks to examine these early Christian monuments in their landscape setting across time, from their foundation to their place in contemporary society.

THE WHS BID Our project has been developed to support the bid by Wearmouth and Jarrow for World Heritage Status. We will provide information on the archaeology of the sites and their immediate hinterlands and help define the buffer zones for the World Heritage sites at Wearmouth and Jarrow and characterise the archaeological potential of the sites and their wider hinterlands. You can find out more about the bid for World Heritage Status through this link and pledge your support .	LATEST NEWS FROM THE PROJECT In June, July and August, the project has been engaged in undertaking geophysical survey within the immediate environs of Wearmouth and Jarrow. In support of the World Heritage bid, the Project Officer has been undertaking Ground Penetrating Radar Survey at both sites combined with geoprospection using magnetometry and gradiometry. You can see some of the preliminary results here as downloadable images.