Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey
In 674 Benedict Biscop, a Northumbrian nobleman, built a monastery known as Monkwearmouth. Egfrith, King of Northumbria gave him fifty hides of land at the mouth of the River Wear. This monastery would be dedicated to Saint Peter and came to be called St. Peter's at Monkwearmouth. Benedict wanted his monastery to be a center of both learning and religion. Benedict used Frankish stonemasons who he brought over to England to construct the monastery. Monkwearmouth was the first (and Jarrow the second) church structures to be built of stone in England. Benedict them brought over glassmakers from Frankia to fit the windows of the church and chapels with fine stained glass. They established a workshop there at Monkwearwolf. Within a year the monastery was completed. In 678 a letter from Pope Agatho exempted the monastery from external control. Benedict got all the furnishings, sacred vessels, decorations and vestments. Some he found locally while others he bought in Francia and Rome. In 682 King Egfrith gave another forty hides of land to Benedict for a second monastery. It was to be at the mouth of the River Trent at Jarrow. The dedication ceremony for Jarrow abbey was held on 23 April 685. Named for Saint Paul when the sister monastery was completed Benedict assigned Ceolfrith to the abbot.  Bede, who was about ten years old at the time, was one of the monks who went with him. King Egfrid, who was at the dedication, died in battle against the Picts less than a month later. The two sister abbeys, only seven miles apart, were thought of as one.