Bede's World attraction in Jarrow saved from closure

Bede's World showcases a range of exhibitions about the life of the Venerable Bede

A tourist attraction about the Venerable Bede that closed due to a cash crisis has been saved.

Bede's World - dedicated to the saint and influential scholar - shut last month with trustees blaming government cuts.

South Tyneside Council, which owns the land and buildings, has found a new operator to oversee the site.

The museum, which employed 27 people, will now be run by charity Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle.

'Long term future'

The Anglo Saxon attraction opened on an 11-acre site in Jarrow in 1993 at a cost of almost £10m.

The attraction had been run by the Bede's World Charitable Trust, with the council providing "substantial grant support".

But trustees revealed in February the complex, which attracted 70,000 visitors a year, was no longer financially viable.

The Venerable Bede is considered the father of English history

Councillor Alan Kerr, deputy leader of the council, said: "We believe we have found a solution to ensure this venue has a long term future for the people of South Tyneside and the wider region."

Bede lived from 672 AD to 735 AD and is considered the father of English history.

He lived in the twin monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow, where he wrote and translated dozens of books on theology, history, nature, astronomy and poetry.

His most famous work remains The Ecclesiastical History of the English People, which was the first work of history to use the AD system of dating.