Future events
Friends of the World of Bede Autumn lectures 2025
4th Oct – Sue Shaw, ‘Celebrating and supporting Northumberland Archives: the work of the Northumberland Archives Trust.’
18th October – Dr Helen Gittos, ‘Christianity before Conversion: the women who led the way’ (jointly with Durham world Heritage Site.) Please note: This lecture will take place at St John’s College Learning Resource Centre, 17 South Bailey, Durham City.
1st November – Reverend Ian Colson – ‘Saints, stones and stories – interpreting Northumbrian Christianity for museum visitors in the 21st century’.
15th November – Dr Andrew Woods, ‘Money and power: interpreting the Anglo-Saxon coinage from the royal settlement at Rendlesham’.
All lectures take place at 11 a.m. at the Bede Museum, Church Bank, Jarrow NE34 3DY except for the joint lecture on 18th October which will be held at St John’s College Learning Resource Centre, 17 South Bailey, Durham City.
Admission to the lectures is free but for those wishing to visit the museum and grounds the entry charge applies (waived for existing members or those joining the Friends on the day).
There is ample car parking at the museum, which can also be reached by bus or metro from Newcastle or South Shields (no. 27 bus stops at St Paul’s near the museum entrance, Bede metro station is a 10 minute walk away).
Past events
JARROW 950: THE MONASTIC REVIVAL IN NORTHUMBRIA. Autumn lectures 2024
This year we celebrate the 950th anniversary of the return of monks to Jarrow after a gap of some two centuries. Inspired by devotion to Bede a small group of West-Country monks journeyed north in 1074 and reoccupied the place where he had lived and died. Thus began a movement that would rapidly transform not only Jarrow itself but many other sacred sites in the North and would lead to the foundation of one of medieval England’s greatest monasteries, Durham Cathedral-Priory.
12 October: Dr Neil McGuigan (University of St Andrews) Aldwin‘s Mission and the End of the Old North: Church and Politics North of the Tyne in the later Eleventh Century
26 October: Professor Janet Burton (University of Wales, Trinity St David) ‘Voluntary Poverty and Rejection of the World’: the Monastic Context of Aldwin’s Refoundation of Jarrow
9 November: Dr Eric Cambridge (University of Durham, Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies) The Architecture of the Monastic Revival in Northumbria
All lectures are held on Saturdays at the Bede Museum, Church Bank, Jarrow NE32 3DY and begin at 11.00 am. Admission to the lectures is free but the Museum entry charge applies (waived for existing members or those joining the Friends on the day). Light refreshments will be provided. There is ample car parking at the Museum, which can also be reached easily by bus or Metro from Newcastle or South Shields (no. 27 bus stops at St Paul’s monastery near the Museum entrance; Bede Metro station is a 10-minute walk away). (Please note: there may be a change in room for the 9th Nov lecture to an alternative room in Jarrow Hall with step-free access. More information nearer to 9th Nov.)
News of a book launch from our friends The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne (www.newcastle-antiquaries.org.uk).: the new book will be published on 28 October 2024
The Rocks at the Edge of the Empire and describes the influence of the landscape and rocks of the northern landscape on the Romans and their frontier.
Through stories about 50 remarkable places, this book explores how the rocks of the frontier shaped its history. It is intended for all those curious about the landscape who want to understand its natural origins and the way that connects to its archaeology. It uses full colour photographs and expert but accessible descriptions to explain how the landscape the Romans first encountered came to be, how rocks determined their decisions about their defences and how the Romans exploited and traded the resources the natural environment offered. Using the latest scientific evidence, the book looks at the region’s ancient history through a professional geologist’s eyes, a perspective which inevitably raises questions about several long held archaeological interpretations.
The book is priced at £12, and proceeds from the book are going to The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne (www.newcastle-antiquaries.org.uk). To order copies from the publisher, please follow the following link: http://www.northern-heritage.co.uk.
The 2024 Annual General Meeting of The Friends of the World of Bede took place at The Bede Museum, Jarrow Hall, on Saturday 21st September from 10.30 – 11 a.m.
The AGM was followed by a very enjoyable and informative study day at The Bede Museum:
‘The sword in Anglo-Saxon England – new perspectives’.
We enjoyed talks from Philip Shaw, University of Durham; Edoardo Albert and Paul Gething, and Eric Cambridge, University of Durham), followed by the presentation of a meticulously researched replica sword commissioned by The Friends of the World of Bede for display at the Bede Museum from September 2024. After a break for lunch there were activities demonstrating the making and use of swords.
Autumn Lectures 2023 BEDE 1350 – A CELEBRATION:
This year the Friends’ Autumn Lectures celebrate the 1350th anniversary of the birth of Northumbria’s most famous son, St Bede the Venerable. Perhaps best known today for his historical writings, Bede’s prolific output reveals the astonishingly wide range of his interests as well as the profound originality of his thought. A team of distinguished specialist scholars will explore the latest research on aspects of the varied intellectual achievements of this remarkable scholar.
30 September – Professor Michelle Brown, ‘Bede, the Codex Amiatinus, and Northumbrian Book Culture’ [NOTE: lecture starts at 3.00 pm]
7 October – Reverend Dr Zachary Guiliano, ‘Bede’s Economy: Exegesis and Commentary in the early middle ages’
14 October – Dr Peter Darby, ‘The Letters of Bede’
4 November – Dr Clare Stancliffe, ‘Bede as an Historian: a new Look at the Question’
11 November – Dr Máirín MacCarron, ‘How did Bede know how old he was? Time Reckoning in the early Middle Ages’
All lectures are held on Saturdays at the Bede Museum, Church Bank, Jarrow NE32 3DY and begin at 11.00 am except for the 30 September lecture which begins at 3.00 pm. Admission to the lectures is free but the Museum entry charge applies (waived for existing Friends or those joining the Friends on the day). Light refreshments will be provided. There is ample car parking at the Museum, which can also be reached easily by bus or Metro from Newcastle or South Shields (no. 27 bus stops at St Paul’s monastery near the Museum entrance; Bede Metro station is a 10-minute walk away).
Autumn lectures 2022:
LIFTING THE CURTAIN ON THE LINDISFARNE GOSPELS
Bede Museum, Jarrow Hall, Jarrow NE32 3DY
Bede Museum, Jarrow Hall, Church Bank,
Jarrow NE32 3DY
The visit of the Lindisfarne Gospels to Newcastle provides a rare opportunity to reassess the significance of this famous Northumbrian manuscript. The Friends of the World of Bede are delighted to celebrate its coming by making the Gospels the focus of their Saturday morning public lectures at the Bede Museum. Four internationally distinguished scholars will explore the context of the Gospels from a wide range of viewpoints: the study of manuscripts, archaeology, history and art-history. The lectures will challenge established conventions and offer exciting new perspectives on one of the great masterpieces of Northumbrian Art.
8 October 2022 – Professor Michelle Brown, ‘Eadfrith, Bede and the making of the Lindisfarne Gospels’
22 October 2022 – change of lecture: Dr Eric Cambridge ‘The Lindisfarne Gospels at the Laing: Objects in context’. (Professor David Petts, ‘The Lindisfarne Gospels: An archaeological perspective’ has been postponed.)
5 November 2022 – Dr Clare Stancliffe, ‘Beyond Bede: Exploring the historical context of the Lindisfarne Gospels’
19 November 2022 – Professor Jane Hawkes, ‘Painting salvation: the art of the Lindisfarne Gospels’
On Saturday, 7 December at 11.00 am. The Bede Museum, Jarrow Hall Richard and Liz Walsh, gave a lecture entitled: The Eighth-Century Scientist. The Venerable Bede wrote very widely on a range of topics that the modern reader would consider “Science”, including medicine, astronomy, metrology, geology and the measurement of time and space. We heard from ‘Yrmenlaf’ (Richard Walsh), a visitor from the eighth century who has read many of Bede’s “scientific” texts, and understood much of them. ‘Yrmenlaf’ was interviewed by Richard’s wife, Liz, and used a number of scientific aids to demonstrate Bede’s teaching on science. This was a fascinating lecture followed by a very interesting discussion.
Saturday, 26 October 2019, 11.00 am at the Bede Museum, Jarrow Hall Lecture by Dr Eric Cambridge ‘Reconsidering St Cuthbert’s Relics’. This lecture challenged the conventional view that St Cuthbert was enshrined with many of the relics that still survive today as early as his original enshrinement in 698. Dr Cambridge looked at the evidence that some of the relics have histories of their own, which suggests a different and more complex story, and considered the implications of documentary records of other relics, now lost, to suggest an alternative context for when these objects might have been assembled together in the saint’s coffin – and what light that might shed on the changing outlook of the community that tended his shrine.
Friends’ visit to excavations at Holy Island and Bamburgh Castle Saturday, 14 September.The first visit of the day was to the early site at Holy Island, which was very enjoyable – many thanks to David Petts and the team. During the afternoon Friends enjoyed visiting the excavation at Bamburgh, where early radiocarbon dates have just been revealed, again very many thanks to the site team.
The Friends of the World of Bede AGM took place at the Bede Museum on 6th July 2019 at 12 noon. The Friends of the World of Bede AGM 2019
On Saturday 18th May, 2019, at the Bede Museum, Jarrow Hall, we took part in a busy programme of events, including a presentation to Dame Rosemary Cramp, an enjoyable talk by Belinda Burke about her book, a talk from Hannah Russ of DigVentures, a talk from Jonathan Adams and music from the Benedict Biscop Gregorian Choir. 18th May event at Bede Museum
On Saturday 9th February, 2019, at the Bede Museum, Jarrow Hall, we enjoyed a very interesting and information talk and demonstration from our Friends Richard and Liz Walsh. Anglo-Saxon vernacular music talk and demonstration 9th February, 2019
There was a Friends visit to the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms Exhibition at The British Library, St Pancras, London, on 29th November, 2018. Visit to the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms exhibition
The Friends visited Holy Island on 14th September 2018, and were shown round the excavation by Dr David Petts. Visit to Holy Island
Friends of the World of Bede 