[7] Benedict Biscop founded St Peter's monastery at Monkwearmouth in 674 on land given by King Ecgfrith of Northumbria.

[8] He sought to build a model monastery for England, sharing his knowledge of the experience of the Roman traditions in an area previously more influenced by Celtic Christianity stemming from missionaries of Melrose and Iona.

Benedict, on leaving England for Rome in 686, established Ceolfrith as Abbot in Jarrow and Eosterwine at Monkwearmouth;[14] but before his death he stipulated that the two sites should function as "one monastery in two places".

As abbot, Ceolfrith continued Benedict's work of establishing the monastery as a centre of learning, scholarship, and especially book production.

His companions continued to Rome and presented it to Pope Gregory II, who by return sent his thanks to Ceolfirth's successor, Abbot Hwaetberht.

He and 23 brothers from Evesham Abbey in Worcestershire began to build a new monastery, but its southern and western ranges were still incomplete when they were recalled to Durham Cathedral Priory in 1083.

According to English historian and antiquarian Robert Surtees, William of Malmesbury's statement that Wearmouth and Jarrow were raided by the Scottish king, Malcolm III, is doubtful due to discrepancies in time and place.

Both Monkwearmouth and Jarrow were re-established early in the 14th century, each as a cell of Durham Abbey, occupied by one or two monks under a magister or Master.

[14] Under King Henry VIII Parliament passed the Suppression of Religious Houses Act 1535, and in 1536 Monkwearmouth and Jarrow were dissolved.

[22] The remains of the monastic buildings at Monkwearmouth were incorporated into a private mansion built in the reign of King James I.

The Saxon-Norman nave collapsed and was replaced with a Victorian one, but the Anglo-Saxon chancel survives, with the oldest stained glass window in the world, made from excavated fragments dating from about AD 600.

Other than the chancel of St Paul's church, none of the 7th-century monastery survives above ground, but its layout is marked out with stone slabs.

[26] In the initial bid, the importance of the site was described providing "evidence of the arrival in Britain and development in Europe in the seventh century of ordered, communal monasticism, and the revival of the Roman style of architecture and is an early and formative example of the cloister layout which became standard in Europe north of the Alps during the next millennium and was later transferred to other parts of the world.

"[27] In support of the bid, the grounds of the church were redeveloped marking the original footprint of the abbey, and the chapterhouse received twelve contemporary stained glass windows designed by artists Rachel Welford and Adrian Riley inspired by Bede's treatise 'A Reckoning of Time'.

The windows were fabricated in the National Glass Centre and utlised contemporary glassmkaing techniques thought to be used for the first time in an ecclesiastical setting.