Pictures of Jarrow

About Jarrow

This is the town that is famous for the 1930's "Hunger March" caused by the intense poverty that followed the closing of the Charles Palmer shipyard. The last of the surviving marchers, Cornelius Whalen died in 2003 at the age of 93. His passing drew the era to an end, but the legend of these courageous men lives on.

The town is located a few miles from the mouth of the south-bank of the River Tyne, it is steeped in history with roots established in Saxon times.

Long before the Jarrow March of the last century the town was famed as the seat of learning of the Venerable Bede. It was here, with very little other than the libraries of Wearmouth and Jarrow at his disposal that he made himself one of the most learned men in Western Europe; he is revered as the "father of English history". Without his work, much to do with our early past would have been lost.

St. Paul's, the church where he worshipped is one of the most important Christian shrines, it stands beside the site of the monastery where Bede lived and worked. Most of the church dates from Bede's time and inside there is a Saxon chair which is preserved traditionally as his chair. Bede died in 735. His life and times are celebrated in Bede's World, a stunning new museum on the site of the Anglo-Saxon Monastery of St. Paul and the old medieval monastic ruins.

In addition to the museum, visitors can enjoy visiting the lovely herb garden and an animal farm with several rare breeds. In historic Jarrow Hall visitors will find a cafe, and a gift shop.

Jarrow celebrates its connection with yet another writer, the best selling 20th century author Catherine Cookson, comes from the area. Catherine left at the age of 22, but returned 50 years later. Most of her books are set around the locality, and there is a Catherine Cookson Trail taking visitors around the places associated with her life and her novels.

The location of Jarrow gives access to the many historic towns of Tyneside where you will find evocative memories of its old industries, these rest alongside smart modern shopping malls, new housing and state of the art leisure facilities for people of all ages.

Much Victorian splendour can be discovered around Tyneside, the mouth of the famous river gives way to golden sands and common land, thus Jarrow is an ideal place to explore and to use as a base while you visit one of England's most famous regions where you can be assured of a warm and friendly welcome everywhere you go.