Flower festival transforms St Peter's Church as Sunderland's oldest building turns 1350

There aren’t many buildings still standing in the North East which can lay claim to being 1350-years-old, but 2023 marks the anniversary of work beginning on St Peter’s Church in 673 AD – with the original west wall and lower section of the tower still standing tall today.

Not many buildings in western Europe survive from the 7th century, and very few from Anglo-Saxon Northumbria – but St Peter’s is still going strong.

To mark the building’s 1350th anniversary, there’s a series of celebrations, with the latest seeing the church adorned with an abundance of floral displays.

The handiwork of Sunderland Floral Arts Club and Herrington Flower Club, each display honours chapters in Sunderland’s history, from glassmaking and seagulls to University of Sunderland, music and as a seat of learning.

Pam Jameson, programme secretary with Sunderland Floral Arts Club, said: “There are so many things that have happened in Sunderland in the 1350 years of the church’s being, from glassmaking, shipbuilding and mining to the university. Our displays all celebrate the heritage of the church and different ways of learning.

"It’s a beautiful church that really brings people together.”

Olive Simpson, who is a member of both floral clubs, said: “It’s amazing how many people from Sunderland haven’t visited the church, and we hope this will encourage more people to come along.”

Part of Monkwearmouth’s abbey, St Peter’s was founded by Sunderland’s patron saint Benedict Biscop, who also later founded the sister site, St Paul’s in Jarrow, in 685.

Built on land granted by King Ecgfrith of Northumbria, it’s a world-renowned site and was a major seat of learning. Its global importance to Christianity was established by the Venerable Bede, who entered the monastery soon after it was built.

The monastery at St Peter’s is thought to have had the first coloured glass windows in England, an astonishing wonder at that time, fragments of which still exist today.

Over the years, the original sections of the building have been added to, including the Chapter House, now Bede’s Bakehouse cafe, which was opened in 1973 by the Duke of Edinburgh to mark the 1300th anniversary.

Over the years, it’s survived the Dark Ages, Viking Invasions, two World Wars and an arson attack in the 1980s – and it’s still going strong as a justifiable source of pride in the city.

The floral displays are on show now until Sunday, July 2 and all are welcome to view them.

Other events planned for the anniversary include a pensioners free of charge garden party with afternoon tea in July, Songs of Praise with The Salvation Army in August, Sunderland Rock Choir performing in September and a Monkwearmouth Lecture with Professor of Medieval Manuscript Studies, Michelle Brown on September 30.

:: St Peter’s hosts services every Wednesday and Sunday at 11am as well as Celtic prayer on Wednesday evenings. Bede’s Bakehouse is open Monday to Fridays from 10.30am to 2pm.

::Sunderland Floral Art Club meets on the third Tuesday of the month at St Cecilia’s Church, Ryhope Road. All are welcome.