Northern Saints Trails - Project development underway...
In 2015 Culture Durham, the County Durham Cultural Partnership, commissioned consultants Tourism UK Ltd to produce a feasibility study to explore options in relation to an economic driven project titled ‘Land of the Saints’. Following on from the great success of the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition in 2013, the County Durham Cultural Partnership and the regional North East Cultural Partnership were keen to consider the impact of the region’s saints in a tourism and cultural context to maximise the potential benefits.
In 2016 Visit County Durham convened and chaired the first meeting of The Northern Saints Group, bringing together a number of regional partners to develop the Northern Saints theme as a destination development and marketing initiative to attract visitors. The project aims to drive visitor economy benefits to communities throughout the region. The group is exploring ways to capture, collate and communicate the stories associated with the region’s saints. The project is set within the context of the region’s considerable Christian Heritage, but it will appeal to those of other faiths or those simply looking for their own personal spirituality, escapism and peace and tranquillity. The first phase will see the development of six new, long-distance walking trails based on ancient pilgrimage routes. Some may wish to rise to the challenge of long-distance trails, but many will simply wish to dip in and out of shorter sections of the routes to visit attractions, enjoy landscapes or indulge in afternoon teas or visit a welcoming country pub.
