EUROPE’S oldest surviving book has returned to the North-East.

The St Cuthbert Gospel, created in the region in the 7th century, was secured for the nation in 2012 following a £9m fundraising campaign.

It is now shown at the British Library in London and Durham University’s Palace Green Library, where it will remain until Sunday, January 4, as the centrepiece of the Bound to Last exhibition which explores the history of book binding.

A Latin manuscript of John’s Gospel formerly known as the Stonyhurst Gospel, it was buried with St Cuthbert on Lindisfarne in 698AD and found in his coffin in Durham Cathedral in 1104.

Sheila Hingley, Durham University’s head of heritage collections, said: “Bound to Last focuses on the variety, complexity and beauty of their bindings and has given us the opportunity to display treasured examples from our collections, as well as those of lenders.”

The exhibition is open from noon to 5pm on Mondays and 10am to 5pm on other days. Entry costs £4.50 for adults, £3.50 for concessions, £15 for families and is free for under fives, carers and Durham University campus card holders.

Tickets include entry to the Books for Boys: Heroism, Adventure and Empire at the Dawn of the First World War exhibition, which runs until Sunday, January 11.

For more information, call 0191-334-2932 or visit dur.ac.uk/palace.green