Finchale Priory

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Finchale Priory on the banks of the River Wear

Finchale Priory was a 13th century Benedictine priory, the remains are sited by the River Wear, four miles from Durham.

There are some remains of the early 12th century stone chapel of St John the Baptist, the site of Godric of Finchale's burial, built some time around the end of Godric's life. Some of the temporary buildings, erected for the first prior and his monks sent to establish the Priory some twenty years after Godrics death, still exist, the monastic complex was built in the latter half of the 13th century with alterations and additions continuing for the following three hundred years. The church was later reduced in size and excepting the prior's house, the monastic buildings were virtually abandoned — the small groups of monks that came from Durham for a three week 'rest' used the prior's house as living quarters, and the monks' dormitory only for sleeping.

The site, managed by English Heritage, has examples of heavily decorated capitals on the original arcade columns, tracery in the filled-in nave arches of the church, and on the south wall is a double piscina and two carved seats of the sedilia.