Finchale Camino Inglés
County Durham, England
Why this walk is special
Begin at Escomb's remarkable Anglo-Saxon church, travel through Bishop Auckland and Durham, and finish beside the River Wear at Finchale Priory. This North East pilgrimage brings together ancient churches, the story of St Cuthbert and the peaceful place where St Godric lived as a hermit.
Why it matters to pilgrims
St Godric of Finchale made one of the earliest recorded pilgrimages from England to Santiago de Compostela. Walking towards the place associated with him connects a local journey in County Durham with the wider Camino tradition. Durham Cathedral offers an opportunity to pause at St Cuthbert's shrine.
Plan your walk
Route
Escomb Saxon Church, Escomb, County Durham → Finchale Priory, near Durham
Distance
about 22 miles / 35 km
Typical time
2–3 days
Overnight stays
Needed
Walk type
Moderate — point to point, multi-day. No tidal crossing.
Walking overview
Begin at Escomb Saxon Church and continue to Bishop Auckland. The longer middle section takes you through the Wear valley towards Durham. Pause at Durham Cathedral before walking the final section to Finchale Priory. Use the linked route guidance and current local signs for the paths and turns. This Pocket Pilgrim entry covers the published walk from Escomb to Finchale Priory, not the whole wider Finchale Camino network. Escomb Saxon Church and Durham Cathedral are Church of England sites with important early Christian and pilgrimage history; they are not presented here as current Catholic churches. The pilgrimage link is St Godric of Finchale and the wider Camino tradition. Day 2 is long: carry sufficient food and water, and check each venue's current opening arrangements — refreshments are not guaranteed along its full length. Check the current Finchale Priory access and opening arrangements before you travel: parts of the site are uneven and can be muddy, and conservation work can close areas. For a fuller route description, see the Friends of Finchale Camino contact details on the linked page. A Pocket Pilgrim check-in or badge is an app achievement. It is not an official Camino passport stamp and does not, by itself, qualify anyone for a Compostela. The linked route guidance explains how pilgrim passports and stamps are obtained on this route: Finchale Priory's own published information records a Camino Inglés stamp in the neighbouring tea room, and the route's own guidance notes a stamp at Auckland Tower in Bishop Auckland. Arrangements change, so check with the route's own information before you travel — nothing here guarantees a stamp or a Compostela.
This walk is normally completed over two or three days, with a night on the way. Bishop Auckland after Day 1 and Durham after Day 2 are the natural places to stay. These are optional places to investigate rather than booked stays or guaranteed places directly on the route: check how far your choice really sits from the way you walk. This walk needs no tidal-crossing planning.
Hazards: road walking, limited access
Field paths, uneven ground and some roads, with a substantial middle day. Parts of Finchale Priory are uneven and can be muddy, and conservation work can close areas of the site. Follow the published route guidance and current local signs.
Pocket Pilgrim gives this brief overview only, and supplies no turn-by-turn navigation. The detailed directions above are the route publisher's own.
Walk it in one day
The whole route can be walked in one day: Escomb to Finchale Priory, about 22 miles, so it needs an early start, a good level of fitness and enough daylight for the pause at the cathedral. Carry enough food and water for the whole day — opening hours at the places along the way cannot be relied on to fall where you want them. Plan your journey home from the Finchale end before you set out: the priory sits in a bend of the River Wear with no station of its own, and the nearest bus and rail links are in Durham and Chester-le-Street. The check-in is identical either way: check in at Escomb, check out at Finchale Priory, and if you walk it in one day both fall on the same day. The 2,750 points for the 22 miles and the badge are the same whether you walk it in one day or spread it over two or three, and they are awarded once.
Start and finish
Start: Escomb Saxon Church, Escomb, County Durham
Finish: Finchale Priory, near Durham
Approximate distance: 22 miles, one way
No reviewed walking line is shown for this walk. The map marks the points an admin has checked — nothing is drawn on a guess.
Stops along the way
6 approved🍞 Eat and drink
Auckland Palace, Bishop Auckland
Café in the refurbished Tudor kitchen at the heart of Auckland Palace, in Bishop Auckland — the town where Day 1 finishes and Day 2 begins, so it is useful at either end of that turn. Food and drinks. It sits inside the palace grounds, so treat it as a short detour from the walking line rather than a stop on it.
Access or booking: Check current opening arrangements with Auckland Project before you travel.
Durham Cathedral, Durham
Café and restaurant inside Durham Cathedral, reached through the cathedral itself — its own information places it just off the west side of the Cloister. Food, cakes and hot and cold drinks. Day 2 finishes and Day 3 begins at the cathedral, so this is the natural pause at the midway point. No venue pin is stored anywhere in Pocket Pilgrim: check the cathedral's own information for how to reach it.
Access or booking: Inside the cathedral, so it is reached during cathedral opening. Check current opening arrangements with Durham Cathedral before you travel.
Finchale Abbey, beside Finchale Priory, County Durham
Farm shop and café beside Finchale Priory, at the end of the walk — food and drinks. It shares the priory's immediate setting, next to the touring park, rather than sitting on the walking line itself. Check the entrance and current arrangements yourself; Pocket Pilgrim stores no pin for it.
Access or booking: Check current opening arrangements with Finchale Abbey before you travel. The car park beside the priory is managed by the neighbouring park and a charge applies.
🛏️ Accommodation
Bishop Auckland, County Durham
Hotel in Bishop Auckland, the town where Day 1 finishes and Day 2 begins — an optional place to investigate for the night after Day 1. It offers a range of rooms including family rooms. It sits in Bishop Auckland rather than on the walking line, so check its exact position and the distance from the way you actually walk before booking.
Access or booking: Optional place to investigate, not a booked stay: check current availability, access and the distance from your own route directly with the hotel.
Old Elvet, Durham city centre
Boutique hotel in Durham city centre, in the restored Old Shire Hall on Old Elvet and a short walk from the cathedral — an optional place to investigate for the night after Day 2. Check the distance from the way you actually walk before booking.
Access or booking: Optional place to investigate, not a booked stay: check current availability and the distance from your own route directly with the hotel.
Finchale Abbey, beside Finchale Priory, County Durham
ADULTS ONLY touring park beside Finchale Priory, at the end of the walk — an optional place to investigate for the night after finishing. It is an adults-only park, so it is not suitable accommodation for a family or for a pilgrim aged 13 to 17, and Pocket Pilgrim does not suggest it for them. Check current arrangements, pitch availability and booking directly before travelling.
Access or booking: ADULTS ONLY. Optional place to investigate, not a booked stay: check current arrangements and pitch availability directly with the park.
Check current opening times and book accommodation directly with the provider. Availability and prices change, Pocket Pilgrim does not hold a room for anyone, and a suggestion is not a guarantee that a place is open or that it sits exactly on the trail.
This walk is normally completed over two or three days, with a night on the way. Bishop Auckland after Day 1 and Durham after Day 2 are the natural places to stay. These are optional places to investigate rather than booked stays or guaranteed places directly on the route: check how far your choice really sits from the way you walk. This walk needs no tidal-crossing planning.
Sign in to check in at the start or finish of this walk.
Points and badge progress
2750 points for completing this walk, awarded once
Awarded once, when a location-verified finish check-in completes the walk — after a location-verified start.
Finchale Camino Inglés badge
Earned on a location-verified start and finish. The badge is held once, however many times you walk it.
Check in at this walk's approved start point, then at its approved finish point. A checked-in finish that was not possible can be sent to an admin for review, and it counts once they approve it.
History and route sources
Pocket Pilgrim links to these sources. Their wording, maps, photographs and files are not copied here.
Details checked 28 Sept 2026. Pocket Pilgrim is not endorsed by the route organiser or by any venue, and this walk's badge is Pocket Pilgrim's own artwork.
This is a multi-day walk with a substantial middle section, field paths, uneven ground and some roads. Check current route guidance, weather, daylight, access and venue opening arrangements before setting out. Carry sufficient food and water. Pocket Pilgrim cannot confirm the route you took or assess walking conditions.
Walking information
Pocket Pilgrim's walking instructions give a basic overview. They are not a navigation or safety guide. Before setting out, read the linked detailed directions and check current local conditions. Follow signs, access restrictions and local advice on the ground.