He persuaded the Bishop of Durham, Ranulf Flambard, who had befriended him, to grant him a place to live as a hermit at Finchale, by the River Wear.

Some of the temporary buildings, erected for the first prior and his monks sent to establish the Priory some twenty years after Godric's death, still exist.

The monastic complex was built in the latter half of the 13th century, with alterations and additions continuing for the following three hundred years.

There are many excellent examples of heavily decorated capitals on the original arcade columns, tracery in the filled-in nave arches of the church, and on the south wall is a double piscina and two carved seats of the sedilia.

[3] After Godric's death, two monks of Durham moved to Finchale, where there was already a church, mill, dam and fish pond.

In this year it was endowed by Bishop Hugh Pudsey and his son Henry in order to support the priory's eight monks and prior.