Bishop Auckland is a town in County Durham which is rich in history relating to railways, coal mining and Prince Bishops. When the Durham Coalfield closed in 1968 Bishop Auckland sank into a long period of decline. It seemed its past would be forgotten. But then, in 2012, the Auckland Project, a regeneration charity founded by Jonathan Ruffer, a Christian entrepreneur brought a dramatic reversal to the fortunes of the town. For a project of this nature to succeed it had to attract visitors to the area. And, in 2016, in an area known as Flatts Farm, the town held its first performance of Kynren, a pageant created by the project’s sister charity, Eleven Arches. This amazing production detailing English and Scottish history since Roman times initially involved a community of 500 and attracted thousands of visitors. It has grown every summer since then and now involves a community of one thousand people and brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to the town. Visitors can learn more about this project and the tourist attractions it has created in the Auckland Tower’s information centre.
The Auckland Tower and Welcome Building in Bishop Auckland
Opened in 2018 the iconic Auckland Tower dominates the pretty Market Place in Bishop Auckland. The tower was designed to replicate a siege engine which medieval invaders would push up against city walls to gain access to a city under siege. This tower is an open timber structure created using larch wood although the grey coating gives it the appearance of steel. Over time this coating will wear away exposing weathered wood underneath. Flights of steps wind their way around a lift shaft giving access to balconies looking over the palace, town and River Wear below. Access to the tower as gained through the galleried welcome building below it. This building resembles an historic market hall with an exposed roof truss and galleries which include a small museum. There is an information desk on the ground floor where tickets can be bought to visit the various components of the Auckland Project which features the Mining Art Museum one of two art galleries that are part of the project.
The Mining Art Gallery in Bishop Auckland
The nucleus of the Mining Art Gallery is a private collection put together by Gillian Wales and Robert McManners, both from mining families. This collection, now known as the Gemini Collection of Mining Art is a unique collection of works of art created by miners who worked in the Great Northern Coalfield. It includes works from little known artists to celebrated artists such as Tom McGuinness. During the 1920s miners were encouraged to make art and to join local community groups set up for this purpose. A far stretch from the dark, dusty tunnels where they worked. But, in those days, working in the mine was the only work available and undertaken by people with many talents. And they were the only people who could convey the reality of working in the mines. The gallery occupies a Grade II listed building. Dating back to around 1860 it was built in the Gothic Revival style for a bank, possibly the National Provincial Bank. This unique gallery is worth a visit and complements the other art gallery, the Spanish Gallery is the other art gallery founded by the Auckland Project.
The Spanish Gallery in Bishop Auckland
The Spanish Gallery occupies an interesting building created through the linking of two historic buildings in Market Place, the old Backhouse Bank and the former Barrington School. Founder of the Auckland Project, Jonathan Ruffer is passionate about the religious art of the Spanish Golden Age and has lent the gallery some paintings from his own collection. Also exhibited in this gallery are works of art that had been hung in Auckland Palace for over two hundred years. The aim of this gallery is to immerse its visitors in the world of sixteenth and seventeenth Spanish art produced by the masters of that golden period including El Greco, Velázquez, Murillo and Zurbarán. The hope is that this gallery will become a centre of excellence for the study of this era of Spanish art. A magnificent centre-piece of the Auckland Project is the Auckland Palace.
Auckland Palace in Bishop Auckland
Auckland Palace has also been known as Auckland Castle but the name was officially changed in September 2024 to reflect its historical significance as the palatial residence of the Prince Bishops of Durham. It is believed the first building on this site was a hunting lodge, part of a medieval deer park. During the twelfth century the bishop of Durham took up residence here in what is described as a manor house. The Prince Bishop was a secular and ecclesiastical role with powers second only to those of the king - the right to raise an army, mint his own coins, and levy taxes. In return he had to protect the northern border of England and remain loyal to the King of England. Subsequent bishops extended and fortified the property until it resembled a castle and became known as Auckland Castle. It was badly damaged during the Civil War. When the prince bishops took up residence again their alterations meant the building had more the appearance of a palace and there are references to Auckland Palace. When the last Prince Bishop died in 1836 his secular powers were given back to the king. During the reign of the Prince Bishops many additions were made to the palace these included the grand gates through which the palace grounds are entered from the Market Place.
The main entrance to Auckland Palace with a gated archway and two pedestrian entrances was built in 1760 for Prince Bishop Trevor. There is a lodge on the south side of the entrance and a clock tower (Grade 1 listed) above the archway. A wide drive with a wide grassy verge on either side goes past the battlemented walls of the Kitchen Garden on one side and the retaining wall of the Palace on the other. Restoration of the palace began in 2012 and it was finally fully open to the public in 2019.
Auckland Palace is considered to be one of the best-preserved prince bishops’ palaces in Europe. Inside the palace visitors can admire art exhibitions in the Bishop Trevor Gallery, overlooking the River Wear, marvel at the splendid Throne Room and worship in St Peter’s Chapel. This chapel was created in 1665 from the remains of the medieval great hall (damaged during the Civil War) to replace the original chapel that once stood outside the palace. The site of the original chapel is now occupied by the Faith Museum which opened in 2024.
Faith Museum in Auckland Palace, Bishop Auckland
The Faith Museum is the only one of its kind in the United Kingdom. It looks at the many ways faith has shaped lives through various mediums including artefacts, art and personal testimonies. It is housed in an extension to the palace that replicates a medieval barn but crosses at the apex of the roof suggest a religious connotation. This museum is accessed along a tunnel – the start of a spiritual journey through British history and one that will make you think. There is an upper floor of galleries for temporary exhibitions. Outside this museum is a paved area planted with trees for quiet contemplation, the Faith Garden. This is just one of several gardens around the palace.
Gardens of Auckland Palace in Bishop Auckland
The Paradise Garden is accessed through the courtyard outside the Bishop’s Kitchen Café. Fruit trees grow espalier on the high wall that enclose it with colourful flower beds beneath them. In the centre, encircled by a path strewn with benches, is a large water feature in the shape of a cross and surrounded by a barley field. Both the elevated North Terrace Garden and the Wilderness Garden overlook the Deer Park behind the palace. This park (free to explore) offers a variety of tree shaded walks which lead to the historic Deer House and the eighteenth-century Trevor Bridge, a stone bridge over the Gaunless River.
A battlement wall surrounds the seventeenth century Walled Garden across the drive from the palace itself. Here ancient varieties of common vegetables such as carrots and potatoes are grown as well as fruit and vegetables to supply the Bishop’s Kitchen café in the palace. Terraces of beautiful flowers bloom above the kitchen gardens. A unique feature of this garden is a contemporary ridge and furrow glasshouse, specifically designed for this garden. Walking back through the Market Place visitors will pass two tempting options to stop for something to eat. El Castillo specialises in Spanish-style tapas with a Northern twist. But for those who relish a side of nostalgia the Fifteas Vintage Tea Room offers a step back in time with their fifties themed interior and delicious home-made food. More history awaits visitors at the far end of the Market Place in the shape of St Anne’s Church and the neighbouring Town Hall.
The Town Hall in Bishop Auckland
When Bishop Auckland Town Hall opened 1862 it was occupied by a covered market, council chamber, reading room, assembly room and shops. Its French-style mansard pavilions made it a prominent feature of the town. In 1894 it became the centre of local government when the Urban District Council was established. When the council was abolished in 1974 the building was abandoned and subsequently listed for demolition in the 1980s. But a local campaign was its salvation and the start of its restoration. Today this imposing building flourishes as a multi-cultural community centre and home to a theatre, a cinema, art gallery, public library and contemporary café. The theatre is called the Eden Theatre, named for the original theatre that was situated on Newgate Street but demolished in 1972. A statue of Stan Laurel, who has connections with Bishop Auckland, has been erected on this site. Take a stroll along the historic North Bondgate on to Bridge Street and down this hill to the town’s two historic bridges, Newton Cap Viaduct and Skirlaw Bridge.
The Bridges of Bishop Auckland
The walk to the bridges is dotted with information boards relating the strong connections this town has had with mining and the railway. The eleven-arched Newton Cap Viaduct is an excellent example of Victorian engineering. It was built in 1857 to carry the Bishop Auckland to Durham City railway across the River Wear. When this railway closed in 1968 the viaduct was no longer needed. Plans to demolish it met with strong local opposition and in 1972 it re-opened as a footpath. Twenty-three years later it was strengthened and converted to take the A689 across the river and relieve traffic on the other, single land bridge. Skirlaw Bridge, also known as the Newton Cap Bridge lies in the shadow of the elevated viaduct.
Skirlaw Bridge is one of the oldest bridges spanning the River Wear. It was built by Prince Bishop Skirlaw at the end of the fourteenth century, seemingly to connect Bishop Auckland to a ‘new settlement’ that no longer exists. But, many years later it was to form a section of the A689. In 1900 footpaths were added on cantilevered girders but these were removed in 2002 and replaced by a single footpath. A public footpath accessed from the town side of this bridge goes down a shingle beach between the two bridges.
The Auckland Project has done a great job regenerating Bishop Auckland and showcasing the fascinating history of the town. The project has also recognised the need to accommodate those visitors. It offers accommodation in the Park Head Hotel just outside the town and several self-catering options within the grounds of Auckland Palace and nearby.
For details of admission charges and holiday accommodation click here.
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Bishop Auckland.
Valery Collins is the Experienced Traveller.
An excellent raconteur, Valery has been writing about her experiences on the road since she started travelling 30 years ago. After publishing four books she turned to online travel writing.