Skip To Main Content

  • Accommodation
    • Don't Miss
      • City Breaks
      • Spa Breaks
      • Dog Friendly
      • Stunning Stays
    • Hotels
    • B&B and Guest Houses
    • Inns & Pubs
    • Self Catering & Holiday Cottages
      • Self Catering Agencies
    • Caravan, Camping & Glamping
    • Hostels
    • Accessible Accommodation
  • Things to Do
    • Don't Miss
      • Beamish Museum
      • Bowlees Visitor Centre
      • Crook Hall Gardens
      • Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Centre
      • Durham Castle Tours
      • Durham Cathedral
      • Durham University Botanic Garden
      • Durham University Oriental Museum
      • Hamsterley Forest
      • Hardwick Park
      • High Force
      • Kynren- An epic Tale of England
      • Locomotion
      • Palace Green Library
      • Raby Castle
      • The Auckland Project
      • The Bowes Museum
      • Ushaw: Historic House, Chapels and Gardens
      • Wharton Park
    • Attractions
      • Castles & Historic Houses
      • Cathedral & Churches
      • Hands on History
      • Gardens & Parks
      • Family Fun
      • Museums & Galleries
      • Waterfalls & Reservoirs
    • Activities
      • Adventure Activities
      • Cycling
      • Family Fun Activities
      • Festival & Events Organisers
      • Fishing
      • Golf
      • Horse Riding
      • Spas
      • Walking
    • Entertainment
      • Cinema
      • Theatre
    • Shopping
      • Antiques
      • Arts & Crafts
      • Farm Shops & Markets
      • Garden Centres
      • Independent Shops & Boutiques
      • Shopping Centres
      • Regional Delivery Service
    • Sightseeing, Tours & Guides
      • Attraction Tours
      • Tour Guides
      • Scenic Tours
      • Cycling Tours
      • Walking Tours
      • Durham City Guide - Churches, Chapels and Cafes
    • Weddings
      • Historic Wedding Venues
      • Hotel Wedding Venues
      • Wedding Fairs & Events
      • Stag & Hen Party Ideas
      • Wedding Packages
  • What's On
    • 2023 Unmissable Events
    • Family Events
      • Halloween
      • October Half Term Events
      • Bonfire Night
      • Free Events
      • Festive Fun
    • Cinema, Theatre & Music Events
      • Cinema Venues
      • Theatre Venues
    • Sports
    • Dark Skies Events
    • Food & Drink
    • Exhibitions
  • Food & Drink
    • Don't Miss
      • Cafe Bowes at The Bowes Museum
      • Collage Restaurant and Grill
      • Eating Out at Ushaw
      • Headlam Hall Restaurant
      • Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill
      • Ozone at Seaham Hall
      • The Dining Room
      • The Rose and Crown
      • Undercroft Restaurant
    • Restaurants
    • Tearooms & Coffee Shops
    • Pubs & Bars
    • Local Produce
      • Farmers Markets
      • Farm Shops
    • Afternoon Tea in Durham
    • Inspire Me
      • Food Itineraries
      • Foodie Events
      • Tasty Tours
      • Tasty Places to Stay
  • Inspire Me
    • Don't Miss
      • Auckland Castle
      • Beamish Museum
      • Dalton Park
      • Durham Cathedral
      • Hamsterley Forest
      • High Force
      • Killhope
      • Kynren – an epic tale of England
      • North Pennines AONB
    • Short Break Ideas
      • Dark Skies
      • Dog Friendly Durham
      • Romantic Getaways
      • Spa Breaks
      • Golf Breaks
      • Weddings
      • Year of the Coast
      • City Break
    • Seasonal
      • Spring Breaks
      • Summer Breaks
      • Autumn Breaks
      • Winter Breaks
    • Budget-Friendly Days Out in Durham
    • Taste Durham
    • Discover Durham's Great Outdoors
    • Delve Into Our Heritage
    • Durham's Unmissable Highlights
    • Itineraries
    • Durham Videos
  • Explore Durham
    • Durham City
    • Durham Dales
    • Vale of Durham
    • Durham Coast
    • Durham Towns
      • Barnard Castle
      • Bishop Auckland
      • Chester-le-Street
      • Seaham
      • Stanhope
    • North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark
    • North East England
  • Visitor Information
    • Information Points
    • Maps of Durham
    • Getting to Durham
    • Getting Around Durham
      • Car Hire
      • Taxis
      • Electric Car Charging Points
    • Accessibility
    • Publications
    • Durham Apps
    • Discover Durham Digitally

Don't Miss

  • Autumn breaks in Durham

    Autumn Breaks

  • Dark Skies Events Killhope

    Dark Skies

  • A couple walking around Durham Cathedral

    Historical Durham

  • What on the Durham Coast

    Year of the Coast 2023

  • Corporate
  • Groups & Travel Trade
  • Durham Place Of Light
  • Meet in Durham
  • Northern Saints
A German Flag
Menu
  • Top Attractions

  • Places To Stay

  • Things to Do

    Things to Do in Durham

  • Planning Your Trip

    Planning Your Trip

  • Inspire Me

Site Search Icon
My Account icon

Login to your account

Welcome to the Itinerary Planner. Use this tool to build your own journey or choose from an exciting range of specially selected tours.

To build your own Itinerary, click Add to Excursion to add an item to your Itinerary basket.

List All My Saved Itineraries

  • Logo
  • Print Logo
Close Navigation

Follow Us...

  • Facebook

    Thumbnail for Facebook

  • Twitter

    Thumbnail for Twitter

  • YouTube

    YouTube Icon

  • Pintrest

    Pinterest

  • Instagram

    Instagram

  • Blog

    This is Durham Blog

You are here > Home > Things to Do > The Way of Love

The Way of Love

Visit Website

Add The Way of Love to your Itinerary

Heugh Lighthouse
  • Heugh Lighthouse
  • Trimcomalee Hartlepool
  • Heugh Battery The Headlands Hartlepool
  • Walking in Durham
  • The Headland
  • Open Treasure: Conservation in Action: Durham Cathedral

About

The Way of Love follows the influence of three of the most important female figures in the establishment of Christianity in England - St Hilda, St Helena and St Mary Magdalene - whilst mixing maritime and mining heritage, nationally-important nature reserves and the North East’s iconic denes.

The countryside The Way of Love links up between Hartlepool and Durham now seems gentle, sleepy and seldom walked. It was not always thus.

Step back in time to Anglo-Saxon and Norman England and this region was front-page news: some of the ground-breaking goings-on in the Christianisation of England happened hereabouts. One of the most famous of the country’s dual-sex monasteries was set up at Hartlepool, with the second abbess, St Hilda, going on to head up one of the Anglo-Saxon world’s premier religious centres at Whitby. Brutal monarch King Canute turned up to take a pilgrimage along this route from Trimdon in 1020, while a stone cross depicting Christianity’s original ambassador St Helena, and numbering among Britain’s most important Romanesque sculptures, was built into a church at Kelloe.

In the 18th and 19th centuries this area resounded to the sounds of some of the planet’s biggest industries.

Hartlepool was a very busy port and the villages en route to Durham had some of the defining coalmines in the Great Northern Coalfield, which became the powerhouse for the North East’s greatest-ever period of economic growth. Post industrial landscaping has had interesting affects on nature hereabouts, with coal railway tracks re-purposed as walkways and cycleways, and spoil heaps transformed into rolling hills, helping to create some rich species diversity across a number of nature reserves.

The scenery here, as kissed by sea as it is hugged by inland rivers and streams, has perhaps avoided the attention other parts of the North East get today because its most outstanding parts remain so hidden. The steep wooded valleys known as denes, one of the region’s most distinctive topographical features, evade the gaze of the most eagle-eyed traveller until the last moment.

Descend into their tranquil, time-lost depths and you are sure to fall head over heels for The Way of Love.

The Northern Saints Passport allows visitors to collect stamps at attractions and places to eat and drink along the six Northern Saints routes. Look out for venues that showcase the passport icon on the Northern Saints Trails website. View the current participating venues, with new locations added regularly.

The Northern Saints Trails Visitor Guide is a 55-page full colour guide that includes route descriptions and maps of the six Northern Saints Trails.

Details of how to purchase the Northern Saints Passport and the Northern Saints Trails Visitor Guide can be found on the website - http://northernsaints.com/

For full route descriptions download the documents below.

Book Tickets

Video

  • Way of Love

TripAdvisor

Downloads

The_Way_of_Love_1582117487.gpx
10 Kb

The_Way_of_Love_1582117487.gpx

The_Way_of_Love_Leaflet_1037229578.pdf
2 Mb

The_Way_of_Love_Leaflet_1037229578.pdf

The_Way_of_Love_Route_Description_Durham_Hartlepool_709417069.pdf
3.9 Mb

The_Way_of_Love_Route_Description_Durham_Hartlepool_709417069.pdf

The_Way_of_Love_Route_Description_Hartlepool_Durham_290890039.pdf
3.9 Mb

The_Way_of_Love_Route_Description_Hartlepool_Durham_290890039.pdf

Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader

Access Information

Opening Times

2023 (1 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2023)

Map & Directions

Map Link

View Map

Highlights...

Deer in forest Castle Eden Dene National Nature Reserve, PeterleeCastle Eden Dene is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is home to an extraordinary variety of birds, more than 450 species of plants, and some of our favourite mammals, such as roe deer and fox.

The Courtyard and Keep of Durham Castle,Durham Castle, Durham CityDurham Castle is part of the Durham City World Heritage Site. Entrance by guided tour only. Opening can vary - All enquiries re guided tours should be directed Palace Green Library. Telephone 0191 334 2932 or castle.tours@durham.ac.uk.

view of Durham Cathedral from River WearDurham Cathedral, Durham CityThought by many to be the finest example of Norman church architecture in England, with the tombs of St Cuthbert and The Venerable Bede. Please check opening times before travelling.

St Helen Auckland Parish ChurchSt Helen Auckland Parish Church, Bishop AucklandThe 12thC church of St Helen. Daily Mass times: Sunday and Wednesday, Thursday 10:00, Monday 19:00, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday 09:30.

Durham Heritage CoastDurham Heritage Coast, SeahamExperience the colourful and dramatic landscape of Durham’s Heritage Coast with its beaches, rugged cliffs and magnificent flora and fauna.

Image of an information board showing Durham Cathedral and text describing the World Heritage Site at Palace Green Library.World Heritage Site Visitor Centre at Palace Green Library, Durham CityProviding a perfect introduction to the Durham World Heritage Site for all ages, the visitor centre is the gateway to discovering what it is that makes Durham so significant, and what there is to see and do around the peninsula.

Old Durham GardensOld Durham Gardens, Durham CityOld Durham Gardens can be found less than a mile east of Durham City Centre. The gardens can be reached through a number of walks, including a very pleasant route through Pelaw Woods and provide a charming public space for everyone to enjoy.

A gold cross pendant with arms inlaid with precious stones.Durham Cathedral Museum, Durham CityExplore 2000 years of the North East’s history, culture and faith at Durham Cathedral Museum. Step into the octagonal Great Kitchen and get up close to iconic symbols of Durham, including the Sanctuary Ring and St Cuthbert’s Pectoral Cross.

Image of Palace Green Library's exterior on a sunny day. Historic Libraries & Archives at Palace Green Library, Durham CityOver almost two centuries since Durham University was founded, our library and archive collections have been growing and evolving with new books, manuscripts and archives being added every year. 

Cassop Vale Nature Reserve, Old CassopCassop Vale showcases diverse wildlife, open water, lowland grassland and areas of woodland. It lies between the villages of Bowburn and Cassop, 7 km south-east of the centre of Durham. A great way to stay close to nature throughout it pleasant walks.

A gold cross pendant with arms inlaid with precious stones.Durham Cathedral Museum, Durham CityExplore 2000 years of the North East’s history, culture and faith at Durham Cathedral Museum. Step into the octagonal Great Kitchen and get up close to iconic symbols of Durham, including the Sanctuary Ring and St Cuthbert’s Pectoral Cross.

What's Nearby

  1. Girl looking through a magnifying glass into a bug pot

    RSPB Saltholme

    RSPB Saltholme is the perfect place if you’re new to birdwatching or want to get out in…

    6.78 miles away
  2. Horden Colliery Heritage Centre

    Horden Colliery Heritage Centre

    Heritage Centre with themed rooms. Mining Museum going back 100 years with 350 archives,…

    7.51 miles away
  3. The Gardens, Wynyard

    The Gardens, Wynyard

    The Gardens at Wynyard Hall are fast becoming one of the North’s leading visitor…

    8.06 miles away
  1. Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre

    Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre

    Wheatley Hill Heritage Centre is small building of architectural beauty situated in…

    9.98 miles away
  2. st edmunds sedgefield

    St Edmund's Church

    St Edmund's Church is over 750 years old with a 30m high Norman Tower visible for miles,…

    11.08 miles away
  3. Durham Heritage Coast

    Durham Heritage Coast

    Experience the colourful and dramatic landscape of Durham’s Heritage Coast with its…

    11.29 miles away
  4. East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre

    East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre

    The East Durham Heritage and Lifeboat Centre displays the historic lifeboat The George…

    11.47 miles away
  5. A building and the sea at Seaham Harbour Marina

    Seaham Harbour Marina

    The multi award-winning Seaham Marina is County Durham's one and only marina. The marina…

    11.47 miles away
  6. Exterior view of The EDAN Gallery

    The EDAN Gallery

    The EDAN Gallery is the only dedicated art gallery in East Durham. 

    11.5 miles away
  7. Hardwick Park at sunset

    Hardwick Park

    This VisitEngland accredited attraction is an 18th Century parkland featuring beautiful…

    11.94 miles away
  8. Down at the Farm overhead site image

    Down at the Farm

    Outdoor Farm park located in between Durham and Sunderland. Lots of outdoor play areas,…

    15.32 miles away
  9. Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre

    Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre

    Rainton Meadows was created by the restoration of the Rye Hill Opencast coal mine in 1996…

    15.75 miles away
  10. Old Durham Gardens

    Old Durham Gardens

    Old Durham Gardens can be found less than a mile east of Durham City Centre. The gardens…

    15.83 miles away
  11. DLI Collection Research and Study Centre

    DLI Collection at Sevenhills

    The Durham Light Infantry Collection has moved to Sevenhills at Spennymoor. The dedicated…

    15.86 miles away
  12. St Giles Church Durham City

    St Giles Church

    St. Giles’ has been a place for people to meet and worship for over 900 years.…

    16.35 miles away
  13. Feed the llamas at Adventure Valley

    Adventure Valley

    Discover a world of family adventures at Adventure Valley, the North East’s biggest…

    16.42 miles away
Previous Next
More

Search What's Nearby

Product Type
Proximity
Within miles
  • Enewsletter Sign Up

  • Win

  • Save

  • Contact Us

this is our blog

  • The Faith Museum Opening October 2023

    External view of The Faith Museum, Bishop Auckland

    Save the date! The Auckland Project's Faith Museum opens this October. 

  • The A - Z of Summer Holiday Ideas and Days Out in Durham

    The Bowes Museum

    Check out our A-Z guide of things to do this summer in Durham.

  • A 'Wheeliefab' getaway in Durham

    Woman and man in wheelchair smiling at each other at Beamish Museum's 1900s Town.

    Join David and Penny from 'Wheeliefab Times' as they enjoy an action-packed fully-accessible staycation in Durham.  

  • Discover Durham's Proud Mining Heritage

    the streets of durham city filled with people during the annual Durham Miners Gala

    The Durham Miners' Gala returns this July to Durham City but did you know as well as "The Big Meeting" there's lots of ways across the county to celebrate our proud mining heritage.   

  • Five things not to miss at Durham’s World Heritage Day

    Durham World Heritage Day 2023 logo

    Top things not to miss at this year's Durham World Heritage Day celebrations.

  • Loading..Loading..
    • Print Page
    • Email Page
    Home Accommodation
    • Hotels,
    • B&B and Guest Houses,
    • Inns & Pubs,
    • Self Catering & Holiday Cottages,
    • Caravan, Camping & Glamping,
    • Dog Friendly,
    • Hostels,
    Things to Do
    • Attractions,
    • Activities,
    • Shopping,
    • Sightseeing, Tours & Guides,
    What's On
    • 2023 Unmissable Events,
    • Family Events,
    • Cinema, Theatre & Music Events,
    • Dark Skies Events,
    Food & Drink
    • Restaurants,
    • Tearooms & Coffee Shops,
    • Pubs & Bars,
    • Local Produce,
    • Tasty Places to Stay,
    • Foodie Events,
    • Food Itineraries,
    • Special Offers,
    Inspire Me
    • Short Break Ideas,
    • Taste Durham,
    • Discover Durham's Great Outdoors,
    • Delve Into Our Heritage,
    • Durham's Unmissable Highlights,
    • Itineraries,
    Explore Durham
    • Durham City,
    • Durham Dales,
    • Vale of Durham,
    • Durham Coast,
    • Durham Towns,
    • North East England,
    Visitor Information
    • Information Points,
    • Maps of Durham,
    • Getting to Durham,
    • Getting Around Durham,
    • Accessibility,
    • Publications,
    Submit Event
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • Site Map
    • Submit Event
    • Terms & Conditions

    © Copyright Visit County Durham. All Rights Reserved

    Registered Office: Visit County Durham, 2nd Floor, County Hall, Dryburn Road, Durham, DH1 5UL

    • North East England logo

    Ratings & Reviews

    Powered By

    tripadvisor

    • Durham County Council