Tickets to see the famous Lindisfarne Gospels on its visit north go on sale from this Sunday and are expected to be in huge demand.
The eagerly-awaited arrival 'home' of the Gospels will see the beautifully illustrated manuscript go on show at Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle in the autumn - and, as priority booking opens, it seems many people can't wait to book to see what's described as one of the world's greatest treasures.
There was much excitement over the announcement of the ticket release - which will be at 10am this March 20, the 'feast day of St Cuthbert' - with comments on the gallery's Facebook page including "They're coming home, the Gospels are coming home! ... these amazing illuminatd manuscripts are North East cultural treasure" and "I remember seeing these at Durham. Fantastic experience." Others described the book as "magnificent" and "beautiful".
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The Gospels, which will be on loan here from British Library between September 17 and December 3, was last on show at Durham University in 2013 when it attracted almost 100,000 visitors. It also has been previously displayed twice at Laing - the last time 22 years ago - where this time it will be accompanied by an exhibition exploring what the Anglo Saxon manuscript means in today's world.
A highlight of the exhibition is to be a new work by Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller, who also will be acting as an artistic advisor for the show. The Facebook comments in response to the ticket news also ignited the familiar row over where the Gospels should reside, with suggestions such as "They were created here, they should remain here."
The Lindisfarne Gospels, said to be the most spectacular surviving manuscript from Anglo-Saxon England, was written just a few miles away on Holy Island in the early 8th Century and is now in the care of the British Museum. Tickets which will have a 30-minute admission time and remain valid for 90 minutes. here
In a post the Newcastle gallery explained: "The reason we have to charge for exhibitions like the Lindisfarne Gospels is because it costs a significant amount of momey to put prestigious objects like these on display safely and securely, and including costs for designing and producing the exhibitions.
"The ticket price for our exhibitions reflects this and any profits once the costs of the exhibiton are covered are used to support the running costs of the gallery so we can keep it open and access to the permanent displays free for visitors." Tickets will be released for sale online at Laing Art Gallery.
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