Durham ruins which monks used as a 'holiday home' remain escape from the city

FINCHALE PRIORY IS BUILT ON THE SITE OF ST GODRIC'S HERMITAGE AND ITS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF DURHAM CITY CENTRE 00:39, 21 May 2025 Nestled in a crook on the River Wear, the ruins of

an ancient monastery are an echo of a medieval saint who took pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. Finchale Priory began as a hermitage in the early-12th century,

after St Godric settled there and is said to have lived to the age of around 100 years old. The site was built upon in subsequent centuries, become the monastery we see the remnants of today

and was even used as a "holiday home" for monks in the mid-14th century. More than 800 years on from its establishment, Finchale Priory's shattered towers and pane-free

windows remain an escape from the city, with the site still seen as a place for spiritual replenishment. That's despite the priory being just over a mile from HMP Frankland, which holds

some of the UK's most notorious prisoners. Dr Michael Carter, a historian for English Heritage, which manages the site, said: "When you come down from Durham, there's the

high security prison but when we turn down the country lane to Finchale, it's two contrasting worlds. "The life of Godric, who settled there in the 12th century, was a life of

solitude and austerity. It's not imprisonment, but there's something that resonates with us today." Originally from Norfolk, Godric is understood to have been a travelling

pedlar who was a sailor and merchant, before undertaking pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. He is understood to have visited Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands, before

establishing his hermitage at Finchale, like those of Saints Cuthbert and Aidan in Northumberland. He is thought to have lived on the site by the River Wear for around 60 years, and though

he was "tough on himself", Dr Carter says that the saint was kind and generous to others, even using his fire to warm animals that lived in the forest. KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE

LATEST LOCAL NEWS FROM COUNTY DURHAM WITH OUR FREE NEWSLETTER He added: "I think it's one of those places that despite it being a ruin for 500 years, you can get an idea of what

attracted Godric, this extraordinary 12th century holy man, to the site. And the monks later on too, the austerities of the Monastic regime were relaxed. "All of those things have left

an imprint on the building. It touches and excites your mind when you're there and you feel replenished." English Heritage has installed interpretation panels to help people better

understand the site, in time for St Godric's Feast Day today (Wednesday, May 21). It comes after a way marker for the Camino de Santiago was installed at the site in October last year,

marking a 22-mile stretch of the Camino network (called the Camino Inglés), relating to the pilgrimage ending in Spain. Dr Carter continued: "You can find a lot of history about the

site and I think a lot of it connects with physical and spiritual renewal. I do really think at Finchale there's a spirit of Godric and I hope after people go they'll be inspired

to find out more about him." Finchale Priory is open from 10am - 5pm from April to October and 10am - 4pm from October to March. The site is free to visit, though the car park on the

site costs £4 for stays of up to two hours. Article continues below For more information or to plan a trip to Finchale Priory, visit the English Heritage website. JOIN OUR COUNTY DURHAM

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