From Lindisfarne to Durham with Gareth Davies-Jones

Singer-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones has set off on his 141 mile journey from Lindisfarne to Durham along St Oswald's Way and The Way of Light Northern Saints Trail. Gareth is hoping to arrive at Durham Cathedral on Midsummer's Eve (June 19). The singer and songwriter hopes his journey will inspire a new collection of songs, set to be written and recorded later this year.

Along the way, he will perform intimate acoustic concerts at unique venues, featuring songs from his career, especially those linked to the North East. Notable performances include 'Lindisfarne,' which tells the story of Eadfrith and the Lindisfarne Gospels, and 'Heavenfield,' inspired by St Oswald's Church on Hadrian's Wall.

The route Gareth will be taking follows the Way of Light which provides a larger-than-life low-down on Christianity’s illustrious history in the North East. It starts at the site of a battle victory for the pious future king and Saint Oswald and proceeds via historic Hexham and its abbey. The route encompasses one of the most wondrous testimonies to Catholic faith ever built in Northern England, one-time seminary Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, and the iconic Durham Cathedral.

Before Gareth set off, we sat down with the song writer to discuss the inspiration behind his journey and the challenges the songwriter will face along the way:

Q. Could you tell us about the inspiration behind the walk and when you first had the idea?

A.  It all started back in 2019 when David Pott, a Pilgrimage consultant for the diocese of Durham got in touch with me about the new Northern Saints Trails and asked if there might be anything I could do to interpret them through songwriting. We’d worked together before in 2017 on a concert in Spennymoor which featured a song I’d written about the life of painter Norman Cornish.

 I think after that he had an idea that there may be a way for me to use my music to tell the story of the trails and encourage others to engage with them. To begin with I put a proposal together around walking the trails and using the journey and experience as the inspiration for a new album. Sadly, the pandemic put paid to anything happening at that stage.

However fast forward to 2025 and I’ve resurrected the idea and here I am walking with my guitar from Lindisfarne to Durham via St Oswald’s Way and The Way of Light. The two trails meet at Heavenfield on Hadrian’s Wall and it seemed a great mix of coastal and inland scenery, history and culture to journey through. 

 

Q. Is there a standout point or location you are looking forward to visiting?

A. I think I’m particularly looking forward to covering the section between Hexham and Edmundbyers. I’ve lived in Wylam for many years and know the countryside around the Derwent and Tyne Valley really well. However, to see how they join up together and learn more about the industrial and spiritual heritage of both as I travel through will be really fascinating. Lead mining, coal mining, the significance of Blanchland Abbey and Hexham Abbey in the development of Christianity in Britain, and the characters associated with it like St Wilfred, St Oswald and St Bede. 

Q. Your route covers over 100 miles, how has the training been and what challenges are you anticipating on the route?

A. The full route from Lindisfarne to Durham is 141 miles the way I’m walking, so it’s a fair distance. I’ve been preparing over the past couple of months by getting in some training walks around my local area in the Tyne Valley starting off with a few miles and now, just before I set off, I’m up to 15-20 miles distance.

 I’m much more of a cyclist than a walker, so it has been a bit of a challenge getting used to the different kind of wear on my feet and knees! A brilliant bonus with the training has been discovering lots of local trails that I’ve never been on before. In terms of the route itself I’m sure the terrain will be a bit of a challenge as I’m also carrying a guitar to help capture ideas as I go. But there’ll be plenty of stops to take in the views and reflect on the stories and people that I meet along the way. If you’re out on the trail and see a fella with a guitar on his back do stop and say hello! 
 

Q. Also, you are performing gigs at different locations as you reach certain parts of the route, are you hoping to write new music during your journey?

A. Over the course of the journey, I’m doing eight concerts in total all at stop over points at the end of the day’s walking. I’m going to need the stamina to stand and sing to audiences after quite a few miles on the trail each day but it’s a key part of the journey for me. I love the idea of meeting folks along the way and receiving perspectives on pilgrimage both from communities that host folks travelling through and those that journey themselves.

I’ll be capturing ideas for new songs as I go using a small audio recording soundscape, literally the sound of the trails. Also musical ideas that come to me as I walk and sing and play the instrument I’m bringing with me. It might be a bit odd for some other walkers to encounter a singer-songwriter perched on a stone and noodling away on a guitar on some far-flung part of the path, but hopefully it won’t freak anyone out too much and will all contribute to something unique and inspirational at the end of it. I’ll be hoping to spend time writing with all the material I gather later in the year with a new album early in 2026. 

Q. And finally, you are inviting people to walk with you on certain points of the route, could you tell us more about this and how people can take part?

A. First and foremost, folks can come to the concerts to hear a bit more about the project, some of the music that is emerging from the journey and talk together about all things pilgrimage. Most of the walk itself I'm going to be doing alone with a few sections where I’m walking with specific people to help learn more about the route and its history.

For example, I’m walking one section on the coast with one of the brothers from Alnmouth Priory, a lovely opportunity to hear about their work and how they view pilgrimage as a religious order. I am however inviting anyone that would like to join me to walk a section of St Oswald’s Way from Great Whittington to Heavenfield on the afternoon of Saturday 14th June. There’s details about that on my website. Of course, as I meet people on the route, I’ll be happy to go a few miles with them at the time. It's going to be a special journey through some very special places and I’m already looking forward to the new songs it’s going to help inspire. All being well I’m looking forward to doing the walk again next year with some larger concerts this time bringing the material that has been written out of the journey back to where it originated. 

Gareth’s performances are listed on his website, and you can find more details about where and when you can see the singer-songwriter during his journey. You can also discover more on the Way of Light and how you can get out and explore the route.