Durham welcomes Spanish partners

Representatives from Spain have been welcomed to Durham this week. Durham County Council has been working with A Coruña Provincial Council in north west Spain for a number of years now.

The region-to-region partnership aims to promote the English Way, or Camino Ingles, pilgrimage route and Northern Saints Trails.

Highlighting the connections between Durham and the Camino pilgrimage routes, which lead to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, is helping to increase the economic benefits and tourism levels across A Coruña, Durham and the wider north east region.

(L-R) Manuel Miras, President of the association of Councils of the Camino Ingles; Ildefonso De La Campa, manager-director, Xacobeo Company, Xunta de Galicia (Galician Government); Bernardo Fernández, presidential deputy, Deputación de Coruña (ACPC); Sue Snowdon, His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader of Durham County Council; and the Revd Canon Charlie Allen, Canon Chancellor at Durham Cathedral (right).

A Coruña is home to Camino de Santiago, one of the most recognised pilgrimage routes in Europe, which attracts more than 200,000 pilgrims every year.

The English Way or Camino Ingles, opened in 2019 and takes pilgrims from Finchale Priory to Durham Cathedral and onto Escomb Church, south of Bishop Auckland and beyond.

The delegation has attended the unveiling of the Camino way marker at Finchale Priory, which recognises the official start of the Camino Ingles walk in England.

They group also visited Durham Cathedral, The Auckland Project and the Faith Museum, with further plans to walk a section of the Camino way from Gainford before their return to Spain.

During the visit, both councils are set to renew their commitment to working together to further develop tourism opportunities between Durham and A Coruña.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “It’s fantastic to welcome representatives from A Coruña to County Durham and showcase our beautiful landscapes and attractions as well as our shared cultural heritage.

“Durham has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries and our shared work will help to preserve and promote this route for centuries to come.

“This collaboration will also build on our successful Northern Saints Trails to help strengthen our position as a destination to make a pilgrimage to. These serve as a great introduction to what the region has to offer visitors on their own modern-day pilgrimage and cement our reputation as the culture county.”