The Camino Caminos in the UK The Finchale Camino The Camino de Santiago from Finchale Priory to Compostela The walk from Finchale Priory to Durham Cathedral, Auckland Palace and the Anglo-Saxon church at Escomb is now officially recognised as part of the Camino Inglés – the English Way. Information about the 2026 Annual Pilgrimage on 21 Marchcan be found at the bottom of this page. The recognised route is circa 23 miles / 37 km from Finchale Priory to Escomb. Pilgrims and walkers who choose to take on this section of the route, will be eligible to receive official Camino stamps in the Camino pilgrim passport, which is also valid in Spain (The distance walked counts towards the 100km required to have officially walked the Camino to Santiago de Compostela). Finchale Priory: image courtesy of English Heritage The walk starts from the spectacular ruins of Finchale Priory, where the 12th-century hermit Godric lived for 50 years (Godric was famous for making one of the earliest recorded pilgrimages from England to Santiago in Northern Spain. He also went on pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem). Today Finchale Priory comprises huge and imposing ruins which can be visited, it’ll take at least an hour's time and it has a café onsite. In the grounds of the Priory is a Spanish mouteira (Camino route way marker). The mouteira, which marks the official starting point was given as a gift by the Galician Provincial Council. It’s exactly the same way marker as seen on the Camino Inglés in Galicia. Mouteira in the grounds of Finchale Abbey: image courtesy of Mr Keith Taylor Pilgrims wishing to walk their Camino Inglés can get their passport stamped at Finchale Priory and start from the mouteira. Beside the mouteira they will also see a replica Durham Dandy Cart recording the official starting point. Leaving the Priory, the hardest part is the first kilometre, when you must climb a hill. The trail heads along a path past two prisons and across the farmlands to Durham, passing the castle and the site of St Cuthbert's Well and continues on the Weardale Way to Durham Cathedral, where the shrines of the Venerable Bede and St Cuthbert are housed and perhaps you’ll hear the cathedral choir sing evensong. Durham: image courtesy of Visit County Durham From here, the trail is fairly rural, it heads over Prebends Bridge and along the River Wear before leaving the city through Great High Wood, beside the River Wear again, and out to Sunderland Bridge. The trail then continues through Coldstream Wood and the farmlands past Tudhoe Village, Whitworth Hall Country Park, Byers Green, Bishop Auckland Palace to the Saxon church of Escomb. Auckland Palace: image courtesy of Visit County Durham Auckland Palace was for centuries home to the powerful Bishops of Durham. There is a beautiful chapel and close to the palace is the Spanish Gallery which holds the largest collection of 16th and 17th century Spanish artworks outside London, including a set of paintings by the Golden Age Spanish painter, Francisco de Zurbarán: Jacob and his 12 sons. Outside the Spanish Gallery, pilgrims can refill their water bottles in the Finchale Camino Inglés Fountain which was donated by the Lifewaterway Project for use on the Camino Inglés in Spain and in England. Escomb Church: image courtesy of Visit County Durham Of interest is the Saxon church at Escomb which seems to be a bit of a mystery. When was it built? Who built it and why? How has it survived so long? A date of construction can be tentatively put at around AD670, making it an early Saxon church with considerable Celtic influences. Look out for Roman inscriptions, sundials and altar stone. If locked, a key is available for your visit (from 28 Saxon Green - behind the church). The key is available all year round 7 days a week during hours of daylight (9-6 during summer and 9-4 during winter). Overall, along the way there are lovely views, scenic paths, and a number of historic and holy sites so take your time to enjoy and absorb the atmosphere. Take care on the rougher sections of this trail, especially in wetter conditions, as well as along the roads where you will need to be aware of vehicles. The trail can be split into stages (2-3 days if desired) so you can take your time along the route. It is all signposted with yellow arrows by the Friends of Finchale Camino Association and follows the course of a historic route that has been trodden by pilgrims since the Middle Ages, many of whom were on their Camino to Compostela. Pilgrim stamps can be obtained from Finchale Priory, Durham Cathedral, Auckland Tower, Auckland Palace and Escomb church. In addition, cafes, pubs, and other local businesses along the path may offer their own unique stamps as a memento so it’s worth asking if they do have a stamp. The Friends of Finchale Camino Association now have a route mapped out to the Humber Bridge and then through the Lincolnshire Wolds to Lincoln Cathedral, making use of the Viking Way to Rutland Water. From here the path follows the established, if a little neglected, Queen Eleanor Crosses Way through Northamptonshire, the county of spires and squires, to connect with the St Frideswide’s Way at Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford. The St Frideswide’s Way already connects to the St James Way which starts in Reading. Hence, it will provide a continuous camino from Finchale Priory to the docks of the port of Southampton. 2026 Annual Pilgrimage We had beautiful weather on Saturday 21st March when making our annual pilgrimage from Finchale Priory to Durham Cathedral. Over 150 pilgrims walked, some from Chester le Street, and some from the priory. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate both St Cuthbert of Durham and St James of Santiago. It was a fabulous atmosphere where people enjoyed meeting each other and sharing their experiences and prayers along the way. It was so lovely to see so many pilgrims together - some 'old' friends and many new. People came from many different places to join us on our day, Cumbria, Yorkshire, Scotland, London and elsewhere. Many new passports were issued, new friends made, and a great time was had by all. We were met at Prebends Bridge, in Durham City, by the Northumbrian Piper and the St Cuthbert Banner steward. The St James banner, which is much smaller and lighter had journeyed with us from Finchale. They led us to the Cloisters where the Cathedral pilgrim tokens were given to everyone, and we were taken into the Cathedral. The Service in Durham Cathedral was a wonderful climax to the event. Our thanks go to Caroline Boardman who read excellently on behalf of the Friends of the Finchale Camino. We were lucky that it was also the occasion of giving thanks to Bishop Sarah for her recent service to Durham before she goes off to become the Bishop of Ely. Many happy and joyful pilgrims left the Cathedral invigorated, energised and blessed with the pilgrim spirit. References/Other sources of information: British Pilgrimage Trust website Durham Tourist information Durham Cathedral Auckland Palace Finchale Camino GTX File Dowload Asociacion de Concellos do Camino Ingles (Information on the Camino Ingles in the UK) Friends of Finchale Camino Association Facebook Page Manage Cookie Preferences