Castles · Scottish Lowlands
Auckland Castle
Auckland Castle — castle in the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Bishop Auckland · 1.1 km
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Auckland Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Records date its origin to 1183. Built in the Gothic Revival style. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Owned by English Heritage. Managed by English Heritage. Part of Auckland Project. Address: DL14 7NR. Wikidata describes it as: "castle in the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England, UK". Coordinates: 54.6664°, -1.6706°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Auckland Castle, also known as Auckland Palace, is a former bishop's palace located in the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England. The castle was a residence of the bishops of Durham from approximately 1183 and was their primary residence between 1832 and 2012, when the castle and its contents were sold to the Auckland Castle Trust (now the Auckland Project). It is now a tourist attraction, but still houses the bishop's offices. The castle is notable for its chapel, described as "one of the finest rooms in North East England" in the Buildings of England series, which was the medieval great hall until it was remodelled by Bishop John Cosin in 1661–1665. The woodwork, which includes the pulpit, stalls, and screen, was commissioned by Cosin and combines Gothic and Baroque forms.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Auckland Castle, also known as Auckland Palace, is a former bishop's palace located in the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England. The castle was a residence of the bishops of Durham from approximately 1183 and was their primary residence between 1832 and 2012, when the castle and its contents were sold to the Auckland Castle Trust (now the Auckland Project). It is now a tourist attraction, but still houses the bishop's offices. The castle is notable for its chapel, described as "one of the finest rooms in North East England" in the Buildings of England series, which was the medieval great hall until it was remodelled by Bishop John Cosin in 1661–1665. The woodwork, which includes the pulpit, stalls, and screen, was commissioned by Cosin and combines Gothic and Baroque forms. The castle also contains twelve paintings depicting Jacob and His Twelve Sons by the Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán; the thirteenth portrait, Benjamin, is a copy, as the original hangs in Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire. Auckland Castle is a grade I listed building.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Auckland Castle occupies an area of flat ground between the River Gaunless and River Wear, south of their confluence. The town of Bishop Auckland abuts the castle to the west, and on the other three sides the land falls away steeply to the rivers. The present chapel survives from his building, where it served as the great hall. After the disestablishment of the Church of England at the end of the First English Civil War in 1646, Auckland Castle was sold to Sir Arthur Haselrig, who demolished much of the medieval building, including the original two-storey chapel, and built a mansion. After the Restoration of the Monarchy, Bishop John Cosin in turn demolished Hazelrigg's mansion and rebuilt…
Description
The castle grounds are entered from Bishop Auckland marketplace through the clock tower, which was built in 1760 by Bishop Trevor in the Gothick style. The range which flanks it to the right incorporates the remains of the south range of the fifteenth century college mentioned above; the north and east ranges behind also survive in part.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 54.6664, -1.6706
- District
- County Durham
- Parish
- Bishop Auckland
- Postcode
- DL14 7NR
- Parliamentary constituency
- Bishop Auckland
- Phone
- +44 1388 743 750
- Established
- 1183
- Nearest railway station
- Bishop Auckland — 1.1 km
- Official site
- www.aucklandproject.org
Sources
- wikidata: Q4819493 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Auckland Castle (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Auckland Castle Crop.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 3Museums · Scottish Lowlands
Faith Museum
Faith Museum — a museum in scotland-lowlands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Chapels · Scottish Lowlands
Chapel of St Peter at Auckland Castle
Chapel of St Peter at Auckland Castle — Grade I listed chapel in County Durham, England, UK.
📷 3Memorials & monuments · Scottish Lowlands
Auckland Castle west mural tower and west walls
Auckland Castle west mural tower and west walls — Grade I listed building-listed memorial in scotland-lowlands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Historic houses · Scottish Lowlands
11, Market Place
11, Market Place — Grade II* listed house in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England, UK.
📷 3Memorials & monuments · Scottish Lowlands
War Memorial in Front of Number 45 Market Place
War Memorial in Front of Number 45 Market Place — Grade II listed building-listed memorial in scotland-lowlands, United Kingdom.
📷 3Galleries · Scottish Lowlands
Mining Art Gallery
Mining Art Gallery — a gallery in scotland-lowlands, United Kingdom.
More places run by English Heritage
Flagship📷 10Museums · London
Kenwood House
Kenwood House — art museum and historic house in Hampstead, London.
📷 5Galleries · London
Apsley House
Apsley House — London townhouse of the Dukes of Wellington.
★ Iconic📷 5Abbeys & priories · London
Denny Abbey
Denny Abbey — church in South Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
📷 5Chapels · London
Duxford Chapel
Duxford Chapel — chapel in Whittlesford, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
Other castles from this era
📷 5Castles · London
Allington Castle
Allington Castle — stone-built moated castle in Allington, England.
📷 5Castles · London
Cheveley Castle
Cheveley Castle — castle in Cheveley, Cambridgeshire, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · London
Guildford Castle
Guildford Castle — castle in Guildford, Surrey, England, UK.
📷 5Castles · London
Hertford Castle
Hertford Castle — Grade I listed castle in East Hertfordshire, England, UK.
More castles in this region
📷 3Castles · Scottish Lowlands
Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle — castle and stately home in Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK; seat of the Duke of Northumberland, England, UK.
★ Iconic📷 4Castles · Scottish Lowlands
Durham Castle
Durham Castle — Grade I listed historic house museum in Durham, England, UK.
📷 3Castles · Scottish Lowlands
Abbot's Tower
Abbot's Tower — castle in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK.
📷 3Castles · Scottish Lowlands
Ailsa Craig Castle
Ailsa Craig Castle — castle in South Ayrshire, Scotland, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Auckland Castle?
- Auckland Castle is in the Scottish Lowlands, United Kingdom (postcode DL14 7NR), in the parish of Bishop Auckland.
- When was Auckland Castle built?
- Built or established in 1183.
- Who runs Auckland Castle?
- Auckland Castle is operated by English Heritage.
- Is Auckland Castle a listed building?
- Auckland Castle is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
- Does Auckland Castle charge admission?
- Auckland Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to Auckland Castle?
- The nearest railway station is Bishop Auckland, about 1.1 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode DL14 7NR.