‘It’s too remote for Gospels, Up North’

Dec 15 2007 by Chloe Griffiths, The Journal

BOSSES at the British Library have defended their decision to stop the Lindisfarne Gospels being returned to their North-East birthplace – claiming they would be unable to protect the ancient manuscript in a “remote location”.

The secretary of the British Library Board yesterday wrote to The Journal following calls from the former Bishop of Durham, the Rt Rev Michael Turnbull, to bring the Gospels home.

The high-profile bishop warned about the danger of a “condescending” outlook that favours London and deems the region cannot be trusted to look after them.

But further controversy broke out yesterday after British Library secretary Andy Stephens said it would be “seriously derelict” in its duty if it allowed its collection of important religious manuscripts to be broken up by allowing the Gospels to return to their birthplace.

He said: “The Lindisfarne Gospels are of fundamental importance to a heritage that reaches far beyond the region in which the manuscript was produced. Visitors and scholars come to the British Library to view and study them as one of an unparalleled collection of devotional manuscripts which form the foundation literature both of Christianity and other great religions.

“The British Library Board would be seriously derelict in its obligation to provide access to these manuscripts for people of all faiths and nationalities, if we allowed this collection to be broken up by removing one of its greatest treasures.”

And he added: “There is no question of the Board divesting its statutory responsibility and it would not be possible to fulfil those responsibilities if the Gospels were permanently at a remote location.”

He also hit back at Bishop Turnbull’s claims that the Library’s decision to give Durham Cathedral a copy of the manuscript in 2003 was a “publicity stunt”.

Bishop Turnbull made the damning criticism because it was later discovered hundreds of the copies were being marketed for sale.

But yesterday Mr Stephen defended the Library’s actions – saying it was part of its efforts to “safeguard this important cultural treasure and for providing access to it generally and for the people of the North-East”. He said the manuscript – a gift to the Cathedral and to the Community Heritage Centre on Lindisfarne – had led to a surge in visitors at both sites and spoke of his “disappointment” at the criticism of the Library.

Mr Stephens also stressed that the British Library Board had already agreed to an independent expert review of the conservation condition of the Gospels to examine whether a short-term exhibition loan was a possibility.

His comments came after Bishop Turnbull added his voice to the calls to return the significant 7th and 8th Century documents back to their roots.

:: To read the full letter from Andy Stephens, see The Journal’s letters page on Monday.