Initially, there appears to have been ten monks at Finchale monastery, but a grant made in 1278 specified that there should be an additional five members to assist in entertaining pilgrims and the poor who were flocking to the shrine of Godric. The monastery grew prosperous on the endowments made by pilgrims, and in the early thirteenth century, a programme of expansion started with the construction of a new church and associated cloisters built around the existing chapel of St John.

By the early fouteenth century, the recurrent conflicts between the Scots and English meant a decline in pilgrims visiting Godric's shrine and consequently a substantial fall in the revenue of the priory. Records indicate that this had a considerable impact on the monastic community with the number of monks resident at Finchale dropping to as few as five. The priory buildings also suffered and began to fall into a poor state of repair.

Yet, by the end of the fourteenth century, the office of the prior at Finchale was one of the most highly prized positions open to the Durham monks. In the early 15th century, the prior's house which lay to the east of the cloister was renovated and extended. A new entrance hall was added and a kitchen built at the west end, adjoining it to the cloister. As part of this phase of modification a new building was also built to the east of the prior's house; this has been interpreted as a brewhouse.

The prior's house appears to have become the focus of communal life in the later medieval period rather than the older buildings around the cloister, although the dormitory was re-roofed in 1490-91. The prior's inventories also record a number of other buildings including a west and a south gate, a gate chapel, a byre, a granary, a smithy, a henhouse, a piggery, farm and a slaughterhouse. In addition, there was also an orchard, mill and mill-damn across the river. The existing farmhouse and barn at the Finchale Abbey Farm are believed to be medieval in origin and form two of these buildings; the other structures are assumed to lie within the priory precinct.

After the dissolution in 1538, some of the buildings remained in use but most fell into ruins. Much of the stonework was undoubtedly removed to provide building material for farms and dwellings in the area, including the expansion of Abbey Farm. The site was transferred to the Office of Works in January 1916.

The site is Scheduled Ancient Monument and is protected by law. (10)

A Benedictine monastery and associated outbuildings of various dates between 1196 and 1538, situated in a bend of the River Wear. It was built on the site of the hermitage of St Godric, (1115-1170). Goderic was a former well-travelled seafarer who became a charasmatic hermit. The development of the standing fabric of the buildings is complex, with phases of construction identified from the late 12th century, the early 13th century, later 13th century, 14th century, 15th Century and some post-dissolution work. Fragments of 14th century wall painting remain on some of the piers on the south side of the nave. During the 14th century when the resident community of Monks declined i nnumbers, Finchale was used as a "holiday" retreat or hostel for monks from Durham. After the dissolution much of the complex fell into ruins, with some possible selective "landscaping" through demolition in the 18th century to create what was thought at the time to be a more aesthetic appearance. The barn at the priory complex (situated to the west of the main priory buildings) was probably built in the 17th century (timbers from the barn have felling dates in the 1670s-80s) but incorporates timbers that were from earlier structures, using timbers felled in the 15th century. The "Priory Farmhouse" situated to the north of the main priory has a roof structure which is composed of timbers felled in a single operation in 1369, it is not clear what function the building originally served in Medieval times. The site is in the care of English Heritage.