About the Museum
Our museum tells the story of Bede and his time, from the beginnings of the Anglo-Saxon period through his life, death and extraordinary legacy. Widely regarded as the ‘father of English history’, Bede was an author, scholar, linguist and translator who also composed works on astronomical timekeeping and the motions of the sun, Earth and Moon.
An English monk at the twin monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow, his most famous work is The Ecclesiastical History of the English People. One of the most important original references on Anglo-Saxon history, this work also played a key role in the development of an English national identity.
Home to Europe’s largest collection of coloured glass from the 7th and 8th centuries alongside unique stonework, artefacts, and the Abbadia Reliquary gifted to Jarrow Hall as part of our twinning with the Museum of the Abbey in Tuscany. The museum also hosts a full-sized reproduction of Codex Amiatinus; the oldest complete Latin Bible in existence. While one copy was passed on through time, the other two have been lost to history and our exhibition tells this incredible story. Codex Amiatinus and the coloured glass were featured as part of the Great Exhibition of the North’s A History of the North in 100 Objects.
Our Collection
There are currently over 12,000 accessioned objects within the museum collection, including:
- The largest European collection of 7th & 8th Century coloured window glass
- A full sized Facsimili of the Codex Amiatinus, one of the earliest Latin bibles, produced here at Wearmouth-Jarrow by order of Ceolfrith, on long-term loan from the Friends of the World of Bede
- Painted Anglo-Saxon plaster
- Magnificent Anglo-Saxon stonework
- Archival material relating to the excavations of the Jarrow Monastery and Jarrow Slake
The museum was originally set up to care for and display internationally significant material from the excavation site of Jarrow Monastery, which was founded by Benedict Biscop in 681 AD as one half of the Wearmouth-Jarrow twin monastery. The site of St Paul’s Church was excavated extensively between 1963 and 1978 by Dame Professor Rosemary Cramp and her colleagues at Durham University.
Jarrow Hall also cares for a small social history collection relating to both Jarrow Hall House, our Grade II listed Georgian House, as well as some local Jarrow history. The Georgian House was built around 1785 by local coal mine and shipbuilding industrialist Simon Temple.
The museum is currently building an archive of material related to the (re)constructed structures on site, and experimental archaeology.
Find out more about our collections by searching our online collections catalogue below to get some idea of the types of collections we hold.
Archaeology
Social History
Exhibitions & Events
Experimental Archaeology
Donations
We’re always interested in hearing from people who have stories and artefacts from the past that they would like to share with us. However, there are particular rules and regulations we must follow regarding donations made by members of the public.
Contact us via email or letter before bringing any items to the museum.
You must first describe in writing what it is you would like to donate to the museum, how you came to own the object(s) and provide a photograph of the item(s) where possible.
A member of the collections team will be in touch soon after to tell you whether this is an item we can accept, whether we need further information, if we cannot accept your offer, or to arrange a time and date to bring your item in.
Please note our Collections Development policy will inform any decisions made by the museum.
We do not accept any hazardous objects or substances.
