The Way of Light: Walking the Northern Saints Trails to Durham

Forty-six miles through the story of Christian Northumbria.A quiet, unhurried trail that starts at a battlefield and finishes at one of the great cathedrals of Europe. Here is what the Way of Light is actually like to walk, and what we have learned from sending people along it.

What the Northern Saints Trails Are

The Northern Saints Trails are six routes through the North East, each built around the region's early Christian story.

They were laid out to connect the places where that story actually happened: Heavenfield, Hexham, Jarrow, Lindisfarne, Durham. The saints these trails are named for were not distant figures. They walked this ground.

You do not need to be religious to enjoy them. Most of our guests are not. People walk them for the history, for the landscape, or simply because they wanted a week of quiet miles in a part of England they had never really looked at.

Good to Know: The trails are waymarked and open to all. Whether you treat the week as a pilgrimage or as a walking holiday is entirely up to you.

Why the Way of Light Is the One to Start With

Of the six, the Way of Light is the one we send most people on, and for good reason.

It runs from Heavenfield to Durham Cathedral, which means it starts on Hadrian's Wall country and finishes at the shrine of St Cuthbert. Two of the most significant places in the region, joined by 46 miles of walking.

It also passes through country most visitors never see. County Durham has a reputation problem with walkers, and it does not deserve it.

As one of our guests, Susan Marsh, put it after walking it in September:

"Beautiful scenery which we hadn't expected with our preconceived ideas of County Durham, an eye-opener."

The Route, Day by Day

Our standard itinerary is six days and five nights, with the first night in Hexham.

Total distance: 46 miles / 74 km. Grade 2 - Moderate.

Day 2: Heavenfield to Juniper

You are transferred out to Heavenfield in the morning, where St Oswald's Church stands alone in a field above the Wall.

This is where Oswald raised a cross before the battle that brought Christianity back to Northumbria. It is also where St Oswald's Way starts, running north to Lindisfarne.

From there you work down through Acomb into Hexham, with its abbey and its long association with St Wilfrid, then on to Juniper.

Day 3: Juniper to Derwentside

The big day for scenery. Through Slaley Forest, following the line of Devil's Water, picking up the Pennine Way as you come down into Blanchland.

You pass Pennypie House on the way, which got its name because the lead miners could buy a pie there for a penny.

Then the climb up onto Buckshott Fell and across to Edmundbyers, where Edmundbyers Cross is one of only three wayside crosses still standing in its original position in County Durham.

Day 4: Derwentside to Lanchester

Farmland to Muggleswick, then alongside Derwent Gorge National Nature Reserve, which is the largest oakwood in northern England.

You join the Lanchester Valley Railway Path and cross Lydgetts Junction, the old Consett steelworks site, marked now by a sculpture of a smelt wagon. It is a striking reminder that this was heavy industry within living memory.

Day 5: Lanchester to Durham

The finish. Railway path, country lanes, the river at Witton Gilbert, past Flass Vale Nature Reserve.

Then Hangman's Hill, and the cathedral appears. It is one of the great arrival views in English walking.

Local Tip: Build in the extra night in Durham. Day 6 is a departure day, and a rushed hour in the cathedral is a waste of the week you have just walked. St Cuthbert's shrine, Bede's tomb and the 12th-century wall paintings of St Oswald deserve a proper morning. An additional night in Durham is £160 room rate.

What the Walking Is Actually Like

Grade 2 means moderate. For us that means you should be exercising regularly, and comfortable with consecutive days of 10 to 12 miles.

There is no scrambling and no serious mountain ground. What there is:

• Forest tracks and moorland edge on day 3
• A good deal of farmland and field paths
• Two long stretches of old railway line, which walk fast and easy
• Enough climbing to notice, particularly onto Buckshott Fell

Four walking days of 10 to 12.4 miles is very manageable for most regular walkers. It is the sort of week where you finish each day tired in a good way rather than wrecked.

Waymarking: The Honest Version

We would rather tell you this now than have you find out on day 3.

Some sections of the Way of Light are not well waymarked. On the quieter paths the vegetation can grow over the signs by late summer, and there are junctions where you will want more than a hopeful guess.

Susan Marsh again, walking it in September:

"As warned, not always an easy route to follow, particularly as the vegetation had overgrown some of the lesser walked paths. The way-signs were sparse and we were often glad to see them."

So we recommend a GPS for this trail, and we mean it.

• If you own a GPS, we will send you the GPX file for the route free of charge.
• If you do not, you can hire one from us for £60. It arrives set up with your route already on it, OS mapping installed, and instructions. Switch it on in the morning and follow the line.

You still get the OS maps (307, 308 and OL 43) and full route notes either way. The GPS is belt and braces, and on this particular trail it is the difference between a relaxed day and a frustrating one.

If you would rather learn to use your own device properly before you go, our sister company GPS Training runs one-day courses around the country.

Which Direction Should You Walk It?

We offer the Way of Light both ways, and they are genuinely different holidays.

Most people choose Heavenfield to Durham, because walking towards the cathedral gives the week a shape and an ending.

The case for the other direction is that it sets you up perfectly to carry on. Combine the Way of Light with St Oswald's Way and you have a 142-mile route between Durham and Lindisfarne, the two most important pilgrimage sites in the region. That is a serious fortnight, and a wonderful one.

The Northern Saints Passport

Your holiday includes the Northern Saints Visitor Guide and the Northern Saints Passport, which you can have stamped along the way.

One honest note from a guest: finding the stamping points is not always obvious. Susan Marsh managed four stamps and was disappointed not to get more. We now flag the stamping locations in the holiday information pack.

When to Walk It

All our holidays run between 1 April and 30 September.

• April and May. Long light, dry underfoot more often than not, and the Slaley Forest section at its best before the vegetation gets going.
• June and July. Longest days, fullest accommodation. Book early.
• September. Our own favourite. Quieter, softer light, and the oakwoods along Derwent Gorge starting to turn. The trade-off is overgrown paths on the lesser-walked sections.

What Is Included

• 5 nights bed and breakfast, en-suite, based on 2 people sharing
• Luggage transfers between every accommodation
• Transfer to Heavenfield at the start, plus the Juniper transfer and return
• OS maps 307, 308 and OL 43
• Northern Saints Visitor Guide and Passport
• Full holiday information pack, posted to you as well as emailed
• Emergency telephone support throughout

Solo walker supplement is £462 (this includes the single room supplement) and needs to be booked by phone. Single room supplement on its own is £350. GPS hire £60.

Good to Know: Your money is held in a dedicated Trust Account until your holiday is complete. We have been arranging walking holidays from Rothbury since 2000, and a large share of our bookings come from returning guests.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fit do I need to be for the Way of Light?

Grade 2, so you should be exercising regularly and comfortable walking 10 to 12 miles on consecutive days. There is no technical ground, but four walking days back to back does add up. If you are unsure, ring us on 01669 621044 and we will talk it through honestly.

Do I need to be religious to walk a Northern Saints Trail?

Not at all. The trails are rooted in the region's Christian heritage, but most of our guests walk them for the history, the landscape and the quiet. You will get plenty from it either way.

Can I bring my dog?

Unfortunately this is not a dog-friendly holiday. Several of the accommodations along the route cannot take dogs.

How do I get to the start?

Hexham has a railway station a short walk from the town centre, and we strongly recommend arriving by train because there is no long-stay parking in Hexham. Your first night is in Hexham and you are transferred out to Heavenfield the following morning.

What happens to my luggage each day?

It is collected after breakfast and delivered to your next accommodation before you arrive. You walk with a day sack only. Instructions are in your holiday pack.

Can I add a rest day or extra nights?

Yes. Extra nights in Hexham are £155 room rate, Durham £160, and a mid-week additional night £140. Plenty of people add a night at the end in Durham, and we would encourage it.

Six days, 46 miles, and an ending most trails would envy.

Book the Way of Light from £908

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Prices and itinerary correct at September 2026 and based on two people sharing. Holidays run 1 April to 30 September and are subject to accommodation availability.