A hunting hall - Auckland Castle, Co Durham A property of The Auckland Project

After a major restoration programme and largescale archaeological investigation, this former palace of the Bishops of Durham has been re-opened to the public. John Goodall reports

- John Goodall

THIS month—following a false start brought about by the pandemic— Auckland Castle opens its doors after an ambitious programme of restoration and research. The work has been overseen by The Auckland Project, a trust established by the financier Jonathan Ruffer after he purchased the castle in 2012. Ever since, The Auckland Project has been pursuing the ambitious aim of using ‘art, faith and heritage’ as a means of driving forward the social and economic regeneration of the town of Bishop Auckland, which the castle adjoins. This, therefore, is only the most recent opening to be celebrated here, following the Spanish Gallery (2021), The Mining Art Gallery (2017) and Kynren (2016), an outdoor show about the history of the town. The Faith Museum is due to open next year.

Until its recent sale, Auckland Castle had served as a seat of the Bishops of Durham— with one brief interlude during the Commonwealth in the 1650s—for more than eight centuries. These prelates not only enjoyed exceptional wealth, but, as figures with ‘palatine’ or princely rights until the early 19th century, a combination of secular and ecclesiastical authority that was unique in England. One happy point of continuity given this long association is that, despite the sale of the castle, the serving Bishop of Durham still maintains his office in the building (although he lives elsewhere).