There are stories all along the riverbanks, and one of the best is the story of Saint Godric, who ended his life near Finchale priory.

According to my Penguin Dictionary of Saints, Godric was born near Kings Lynn in Norfolk in 1065 (though that seems unlikely, since he lived until 1170), made a living as a pedlar and then went to sea where he became a wealthy trader. Reginald of Durham, who knew him, said that his early life was disorderly and his business methods dishonest - perhaps this is why he felt the need to go on several pilgrimages, and ultimately become a hermit.