Finchale Camino Ingles

Camino Inglés to Finchale: Finchale Priory (via Durham Cathedral) to Escomb Saxon Church – 2-3 days, 22 miles

‍This route is a recognised English section of the Camino de Santiago, starting at the port city of A Coruna, where medieval pilgrims arrived from England. From the spectacular ruins of Finchale Priory, where the 12th-century hermit Godric lived for 50 years, and from where he made one of the earliest recorded pilgrimages from England to Santiago in Northern Spain. Then walk the Weardale Way to Durham Cathedral, where the shrines of the Venerable Bede and St Cuthbert are housed, and hear the cathedral choir sing evensong. Walk through the Weardale valley alongside Binchester Roman Fort before reaching Bishop Auckland. Auckland Castle houses paintings of Jacob and his twelve sons by the Spanish painter Francisco de Zurburan. You eventually end at the complete Saxon church of Escomb.

Scroll to bottom of page for advice on logistics, and read info boxes on Google Map (below) waypoints for more info.

A route description is available by emailing the Friends of Finchale Camino.

Visit the Association of English Cathedrals for more information.

This route from Escomb to Durham was created by David Pott, who also created the Two Saints Way, and the section from Durham to Finchale is managed by the Friends of Finchale Camino.

Route Outline

• Day 1 – Short walk from Escomb to Bishop Auckland and visiting Auckland Castle, Spanish Art Galley, Mining Art Gallery etc. Currently only the Mining Art Gallery is open to visitors. Castle and Spanish Gallery to open later in 2019.
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• Day 2 – Walk from Bishop Auckland to Durham.
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• Day 3 – Cathedral, Open Treasure Museum, Castle and other Durham places in morning, and afternoon walk to Finchale Priory.
  

Distances (in miles)

• Escomb – 0
• Bishop Auckland – 2.2
• Bellburn Wood – 2.3
• Whitworth – 3.2
• Tudhoe – 2.3
• Sunderland Bridge – 2
• St Oswald’s – 3.6
• Durham Cathedral – 0.8
• Finchale – c. 4 miles

Logistics - Travel

Start: Train to Bishop Auckland station, then taxi to Escomb Church start, or No 86 bus, hourly, from Bishop Auckland. Buses do not run on Sundays. If Escomb church is locked, you can retrieve the key which hangs on the wall at No. 28, Saxon Green, north of the church.

End: Taxi from Finchale Priory (just across the river), or bus 62 from HMP Frankland (a short walk from Finchale Priory, but not on Sundays) to Durham (where there’s a train station).

Stamps

Pilgrim Passport available from Keith Taylor of the Friends of Finchale Camino. Stamps available in Auckland Tower, Durham Cathedral and Finchale Priory. If walking the 75km Camino Inglés from A Coruna to Santiago, and you get all three stamps in County Durham, you can use these officially-recognised stamps towards obtaining your Santiago Compostela certificate, as they prove you have walked 25km in UK, to total the 100km needed.

Accommodation

• ‍‍First night – Bishop Auckland, Binchester, Byers Green, Whitworth.
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• Second night – Durham.
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• *(Sunderland Bridge is possible first night stop if doing 2-day version of route).
  

Terrain

Footpaths, fields and small sections of road. Click for guidance by Ramblers and UK Government on how to walk on roads.

Songs

If you would like to sing/listen to medieval chants dedicated to St Cuthbert and written by St Godric of Finchale. Please contact us via the Contact form to receive scores.

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