A BID to give two historic North East churches World Heritage Site status has moved a step closer.
The nomination file which makes the case for the Twin Monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow to be added to the World Heritage Site list has officially passed the first stage of assessment.
The file was formally sent from the UK Government to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). It has since undergone a technical check to confirm that all of the required documentation is present and correct. It will now proceed as one of 45 world-wide nominations to the World Heritage Committee in summer 2012.
The twin monastery consists of St Peter’s Church in Sunderland and St Paul’s Church in Jarrow and the surrounding monastic sites which have been archaeologically excavated.
Created by Benedict Biscop in the 7th century, Wearmouth-Jarrow formed one of the most influential institutions in the western world, contributing to learning, creativity and culture.
The monastery was home to the Venerable Bede, Europe’s greatest scholar of the first millennium AD.
For a number of years organisations from both Sunderland and South Tyneside have been working together in the form of the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership to ensure that the importance of the site is recognised on the world stage.
Rt Rev Mark Bryant, Bishop of Jarrow, chair of the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership, said: “The importance of Wearmouth-Jarrow cannot be underestimated. In its day it was an internationally renowned centre for learning and creativity. It produced remarkable scholars such as The Venerable Bede, whose work is still influential in our lives today.”
The next stage of the assessment will be a visit from representatives of the International Council on Monuments and Sites later this year. The decision on Inscription will be made at the International World Heritage Committee at its annual meeting in 2012.
The UK is allowed to nominate one site each year to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for inscription on the World Heritage List. Wearmouth-Jarrow has been chosen for nomination by the UK in 2011.
The two churches remain active within the Diocese of Durham and their local communities. They continue to be visited by pilgrims and tourists from all over the world as well as providing a source of learning, inspiration and pride for local people.
Other world heritage sites regionally, nationally and internationally include Durham Castle and Cathedral, Stonehenge, the Grand Canyon, the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China and the Sydney Opera House. More information can be found at www.wearmouth-jarrow.org.uk
In its day it was an internationally renowned centre for learning and creativity
