More information : NZ 40175778. St Peter's Church (NAT)
NZ40215775. Burial Ground (NR) (1)
St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, (NZ45NW107), has an Anglo-Saxon west wall of nave and porch raised in successive periods (650-1110 AD) to become a west tower. It formed part of the monastery or abbey of Wearmouth founded by Benedict Biscop in 674, probably destroyed by the Danes in 794? and 874-5 AD.
The monastic buildings and church were restored in 1074 for Benedictine monks, but in 1083 many of the monks were transferred to Durham and Wearmouth then became a priory cell up to the dissolution of 1536.
Excavations south of the church in 1866, 1959, 1964 and by R Cramp 1966-67 and 1969-71 revealed several Anglo-Saxon/Early Medieval enigmatic structures and foundations of monastic buildings (see plan). The periods shown on the plan are mainly speculative as much of the early stratification had been destroyed by C19th cellars.
The earliest feature appeared to be a cemetery (west of building B on plan) which contained burials earlier or contemporary with the foundation of the monastery in 674 AD. No grave goods were found but the filling of two graves contained Roman pottery. Later burials overlay some of the earlier interments and also extended monastic buildings. In two of these graves were 9th century stycas. More than 300 burials were excavated, mainly of women and infants, indicating that the area had been used as a lay cemetery; no part of which appeared to have been reserved for the monks. (2-5)
A Runic inscribed grave? stone bearing the name Tidfrith was found south of the church in 1834 (Tidfrith was Bishop of Hexham, deposed circa 821 AD). Now in the British Museum Acc 1880.3.13.1 (6-7)
A 'coin of the Constantine period (Trier mint) was discovered about 25 years ago' (circa 1872) during the restoration of St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth. (8)
St Peter's Church, still in use and in good condition, is as described by authority 2. The area surrounding the church has been cleared and landscaped and there is now no trace of excavations, external buildings or the burial ground (save for a few relatively modern gravestones reset in the ground and up against the vicarage wall in the east). See ground photograph taken from south west.
Published Survey (1/1250) correct. (9)
NZ 402578. Monkwearmouth Saxon & Medieval monasteries. Scheduled.(10)
Additional references. (11-12)
Twenty-nine fragments of the Saxon stone sculptures are described and illustrated. These comprise:
Two cross fargments of 8th century date, one now in Sunderland Museum, the other in the British Museum;
Three gravestones, two of late 7th-early 8th century date, the other of 900-49;
Two panels, one of the 9th century, the other of 675-725;
The remainder, mainly architectural fragments, of 7th-9th century date, but most being of the period 675-725;
There are also thirty-five baluster shafts of 675-99. (13)
Excavations produced glass working residues and furnace lining fragments. There was no trace of the furnace itself. The Reverend Bede referred to glass-making at Monkwearmouth. The problem of how the glass was made has not been solved. (14)
The official name ‘The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Monkwearmouth-Jarrow’ twin foundation monastery. St Peter’s was formally founded in 673, but the building began a year later. Eight years after this foundation King Ecgfrid gave land to build a monastery dedicated to St Paul.
The two monasteries perished in the general destruction and raids of 869-70. It was not until 1072 that the monastery was re-founded. (15)
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