Chester le Street to Durham

Thursday 29th May 2025 - 8 miles / 4 hours

This walk is intimately connected with two northern saints, Cuthbert and Godric.  We start in the town of Chester le Street at St Mary and St Cuthbert's Church, which for over a hundred years was home to the coffin and relics of Cuthbert, which had been removed from their burial site on Lindisfarne after Viking attacks. 

The walk follows the last part of the Way of Learning pilgrimage route through fields and along quiet roads to reach the ruins of Finchale Priory, set in a peaceful valley on the banks of the River Wear.  Here we recall the life of St Godric, the first recorded English pilgrim to visit Santiago de Compostela. From this point onwards, characteristic yellow shell signs of the Camino de Santiago mark the way. 

The walk continues on into Durham through meadows, with the cathedral and castle ahead.  The final part of the walk is through the busy streets of historic Durham city, finishing at the awe-inspiring Durham Cathedral where there is time to linger and enjoy this great building and spend time at the shrine of St Cuthbert.  There is an option to stay for choral evensong at the end of the pilgrimage.

As Cuthbert was known for his love for solitude, preferring the isolation of remote islands to the busyness of monastic life and church leadership, we will practice some solitude on this pilgrimage, walking in silence for some of the way.  We will also consider how the discipline of practising silence and solitude can enhance a walk, and their benefits in the busyness of 'normal life'.

There is an option of staying for choral evensong at the cathedral and a meal to finish.  We return to Chester le Street by public transport.

Cost: £35, not including the price of return transport.  Bring your own lunch or purchase something to eat along the way.

Book here for this pilgrimage