Saint Bede’s School

This view is of St. Bede’s Roman Catholic School. In those days as church’s were built in there relevant parish’s schools were often attached to the church. This view of St. Bede’s School built in Monkton terrace/St. John’s terrace around 1870/1 was an addition to the original school which was built around 1868/7 and initially accommodated only senior girl pupils.

Picture taken Around 1965

At this particular time Jarrow was experiencing an influx of Irish immigrants many of whom would have left their native land to find work in Jarrow. Which is not surprising when you consider Palmer Shipbuilders employed more than 80% of Jarrow’s population and had become recognised World Wide as the leading shipbuilders of their time.

An increase in the population also saw the need for more schools. The above photo is of St. Bede’s School built around 1870/1. Built as an addition to the original senior girls school, built around 1868/7 situated in Chapel Road, the addition of a new school would meet the needs of the growing Roman Catholic Community and would accommodate the Juniors and Infants.

St Bede, St Johns Terrace: Present Day 2010

The above picture show what it looks like now many years later. While St. Bede’s Church remains, gone is the old school building to be replaced with trees and shrubs. St Bede’s School was re-sited to Staple Road some five minutes walk from this location and would have been a bright new modern airy building. I say would have been because that bright new modern airy building no longer exists in this the twenty first century.

St Bede’s along with St peters and other parts of Staple Road have been demolished. St Bede’s because a past survey showed the school had serious subsidence, and St. Peters to make way for the new Tyne Tunnel Approach Road, which thankfully will take much of the heavy traffic away from inner and residential parts of Jarrow. Hopefully making the air we breath a lot more user friendly and smell free.