Finchale Priory (pronounced finkle) was a 13th-century Benedictine priory. Sometimes referred to as Finchale Abbey, the remains are sited by the River Wear. It was founded in 1196 on the site of the hermitage of St Godric, a retired sailor and merchant, who settled here after a life of adventure and travel. The priory was an outpost of Durham Cathedral and functioned as a holiday retreat for the monks of Durham until its suppression in 1538. It is a Grade I listed building and under the care of English Heritage.

According to Coxe, it was home to St Godric, a man that "made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem barefoot; took his mother to Rome" foresaw the murder of Thomas a Becket and even returned as an apparition.

Pictured left is the ruin of Finchale Priory courtesy of Mark Fletcher.