St Paul's Church
Church Bank, Jarrow, NE32 3DZ:
Summer opening Hours Monday to Saturday 10.30am - 3.30pm
Sunday's 2pm - 4pm
To arrange group visits please ring 0191 4896670
St Paul's is the historic church of the Parish of Jarrow and Simonside the site of worship over many centuries.
The church frequently hosts baptism and marriage services and is a major site of pilgrimage for those following the Venerable Bede and the Northern Saints.
Visitors are welcome to explore the building - see the opening times above. We welcome many individuals and groups throughout the year, whether as visitors, tourists or pilgrims. We can offer a short history of the site, and the opportunity for quiet reflection and prayer. Come along to one of our regular services (see the calendar page) and share with us in refreshments and chat afterwards.
The Chancel of St Paul's - the original monastery chapel of AD681
The chancel is a direct survival from the 7th century in which Bede worshipped when it was a free-standing chapel of the monastery.
Inside the church, cemented into the wall of the tower, is the original stone slab which records in a Latin inscription the dedication of the church on 23 April AD 685, which is the oldest church dedication stone in England.
The inscription reads:
DEDICATIO BASILICAE
SCI PAUL VIIII KL MAI
ANNO XV EFRIDI REG
CEOLFRIDI ABB EIUSDEM
Q ECCLES DO AVCTORE
CONDITORIS ANNO IIII
This translates as:
The dedication of the basilica
of St. Paul on the 9th day before the Kalends of May
in the 15th year of King Ecgfrith
and in the fourth year of Abbot Ceolfrith founder,
by God's guidance, of the same church.
Behind the church you can see remains of the Benedictine monastery of the Middle Ages which was re-founded on the site of Bede's monastery. Remains of buildings, from the days of Bede, were found in excavations and their positions have been marked out on the ground.
Some Key Facts about St Paul's:
THE PRAYER OF THE VENERABLE BEDE
(one of our most famous past residents)
I pray you, good Jesus,
that as you have given me the grace
to drink in with joy the Word that gives knowledge of you,
so in your goodness you will grant me
to come at length to yourself,
the source of all wisdom,
to stand before your face forever.
Amen.
We are a small congregation meeting on Sundays at 11* and we are open for visitors, pilgrims and school groups from mid-February to mid-December every year.
Our winter opening hours are: Monday to Saturday 11am to 3 pm and 2-3.30 pm on Sundays
You can find a quiet corner, light a candle, say a prayer, join in with the services, explore this fascinating building and find out more about local saint the Venerable Bede, we even have a gift shop with a range of Christian gifts and books + gifts for children, Mothering Sunday, Easter, Christmas and so on.
Throughout the year we are involved in different community events including The Jarrow Festival, Carols by Candlelight, Choral Concerts and The Jarrow Lecture (Bedetide).
For more information have a look at our calender or visit the parsh webisite here:
https://parishofjarrowandsimonside.info/
Discover more about the Northern Saints Pilgrim Routes here:
https://www.facebook.com/VisitStPaulsJarrow/
Or follow Livestream Services on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParishOfJarrowAndSimonside/
Our volunteers are waiting to say hello!