More than 55,000 visitors to Lindisfarne Gospels on its return to North East

More than 55,000 visits were made to see the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition during its return to the North East, where it was created 1,300 years ago.

The 11-week show at the Laing Art Gallery garnered three times the usual amount of visitors - and nearly a quarter of those (23%) had come to the gallery for the first time.

The exhibition, which ran from 17 September to 3 December 2022, celebrated the medieval manuscript and featured a new work by Turner-Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller, who acted as an artistic advisor for the show.

This was the first time the book, which had been loaned by the British Library, has been on display in Newcastle since the millennium.

Alongside the exhibition, local schools were invited to take part in a programme aiming to give students a greater understanding of the Lindisfarne Gospels manuscript; covering Anglo Saxons, art and heritage, and local history.

A year-long series of cultural events inspired by the Lindisfarne Gospels in towns and cities across the region is now drawing to a close.

It got underway in January 2022 and most events took place during the run of the Laing exhibition including the Illuminated Sheep, a visual arts trail which lit up Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside.

Events drawing inspiration from different aspects of the ancient manuscript have been taking place from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Bishop Auckland.

Julie Milne, chief curator of art galleries, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, said: “The response to the exhibition has been fantastic and it has been wonderful to have the Laing buzzing with visitors and activity.

"I’m particularly proud of the community programme we delivered in partnership with Newcastle Library and Ruth Ewan and the schools’ programme for children and young people.

"It was always an ambition of the programme that we give as many people of all ages and backgrounds as possible the opportunity to interact with this rare, precious artefact, which is such an important part of our region’s history and heritage.

"We’re very grateful for the support from the British Library to host the Lindisfarne Gospels and to all our funders and partners – it was wonderful to exhibit it in the North East where it was created 1,300 years ago.”

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