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Auckland Castle

Summary

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).[1] It is now a tourist attraction, but still houses the bishop's offices.

Auckland Castle
Auckland Castle on the left, Chapel of St Peter in the centre
LocationBishop Auckland,
County Durham
DL14 7NR
Coordinates54°39′59″N 1°40′13″W / 54.6664°N 1.6702°W / 54.6664; -1.6702
Builtc. 1183
Architectural style(s)Gothic; Gothic Revival
OwnerAuckland Castle Trust
Websiteaucklandproject.org/venues/auckland-castle/
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameAuckland Castle
Designated21 April 1952
Reference no.1196444
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameChapel of St Peter at Auckland Castle
Designated21 April 1952
Reference no.1196446
Official nameAuckland Castle Park
Designated7 October 1986
Reference no.1000727
Auckland Castle is located in County Durham
Auckland Castle
Location of Auckland Castle in County Durham

The castle is notable for its chapel, described as "one of the finest rooms in North East England" in the Buildings of England series,[2] which was the medieval great hall until it was remodelled by Bishop John Cosin in 1661–65. The woodwork, which includes the pulpit, stalls, and screen, was commissioned by Cosin and combines Gothic and Baroque forms.[3] 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.

History edit

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.[2] The castle was probably begun by Hugh de Puiset, who was bishop from 1153 to 1195, and completed in the first half of the thirteenth century.[4] The present chapel survives from his building, where it served as the great hall.[2]

A college for a dean and nine canons was established immediately west of the castle's enclosing wall by Bishop Booth in the fifteenth century.[2]

In 1603 after the Union of the Crowns, Tobias Matthew invited Anne of Denmark, Prince Henry, and Princess Elizabeth to stay at Auckland on their journey from Scotland to London.[5] 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 Hazelrigg, who demolished much of the medieval building, including the original two-storey chapel, and built a mansion.[6][7][8] After the Restoration of the Monarchy, Bishop John Cosin in turn demolished Hazelrigg's mansion and rebuilt the castle, converting the banqueting hall into the chapel that stands today.[6][9]

In 1756, Bishop Richard Trevor bought the notable set of paintings, Jacob and his twelve sons, by Francisco de Zurbarán which still hang in the Long Dining Room. It is possible that the seventeenth century paintings were intended for South America. However they never reached their supposed destination, eventually coming into the possession of James Mendez who sold twelve of the thirteen to Bishop Trevor in 1757.[10]

Bishop Trevor was unable to secure the 13th portrait, Benjamin, which was sold separately to the Duke of Ancaster and hangs in Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire. Bishop Trevor commissioned Arthur Pond to produce a copy painting of "Benjamin". The copy, together with the 12 originals, hang in the castle's Long Dining Room, which Bishop Trevor had redesigned especially to take the pictures.[11][12]

 
The Throne Room

Shute Barrington, Bishop of Durham from 1791 to 1826, employed the eminent architect James Wyatt to match the disparate architecture of the palace in the late 18th century, including its Throne Room and Garden Screen. In 1832, when William van Mildert, the last bishop to rule the county palatine of Durham, gave over Durham Castle to found Durham University, Auckland Castle became the sole episcopal seat of the See of Durham.[13]

In 2001 the Church Commissioners voted to sell the paintings, a decision that was revoked in 2011 following a donation of £15 million by investment manager and philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer; new arrangements placed the paintings, along with the castle, under the Auckland Castle Trust, making them available to the public after centuries during which they hung in a private home where they could be seen only by invited guests or by special arrangement with the Bishop's staff.[14][15][16]

2019 re-opening edit

 
The dining room with the paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons by Francisco de Zurbarán

News reports in 2019 clarified the situation, stating that in 2012, Ruffer had purchased the castle and all of the contents, including the artwork, which included the works by Francisco de Zurbarán.[17] The paintings, which had been on tour, were returned to the site in time for the re-opening of the castle to visitors on 2 November 2019 as the Auckland Project,[18] after a multi-million pound restoration project, funded partly by the National Lottery.[19][20][21]

By the time of the opening day, a new 115-foot (35 m) high tower had been erected as a visitor centre; the structure has a lift and a staircase as well as balconies for views of the castle from above. The interior had been fully restored, including the bishops' "palatial" quarters. According to one news item, "each of the 14 restored rooms, recreated from contemporary accounts and personal recollections" features the career of one former bishop.[22] The Faith Museum of world religion and a huge glass greenhouse were under construction on Castle property.[23]

Other attractions already operating at or near the Castle include the Mining Art Gallery (in a nearby former bank building)[22] showing work mainly by self-taught or night school-educated miners; this attraction opened in 2017 (thanks to support provided to the Castle Trust by Bishop Auckland and Shildon AAP and Durham County Council);[24] an open-air theatre, Kynren, depicting "An Epic Tale of England" with a cast of 1,000; and the Bishop Trevor Gallery at the Castle; the latter started displaying the National Gallery's Masterpiece touring exhibit in October 2019.[25]

Bek's chapel edit

In February 2020, it was announced that the ruins of Bek's chapel had been found at the castle by archeologists. It had long been known that the chapel which would have been one of the largest in Europe, was located on the castle grounds, but its location was unknown. The chapel was built by the warrior-bishop Anthony Bek in roughly 1300 at a cost of £148.[26] There was a special exhibition at Auckland Castle from 4 March 2020 to 6 September 2020 to display items found in the ruins.[27]

Description edit

 
The clock tower

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.[2][28] 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.[2]

The Castle is surrounded by a deer park of 800 acres (3.2 km2) of parkland. It retains many of the medieval elements, including the fish ponds and woodland paths, providing an important record of how the medieval bishops lived, entertained and hunted there.[29]

Culture edit

The castle was used as the backdrop for Lewis Carroll's story "A Legend of Scotland" in the 19th century.[30] In 2006, Auckland Castle was the setting for two episodes of BBC's Antiques Roadshow.[31] In 2013, a 15th-century bed once owned by Henry VII was put on display at the castle.[32]

Notable structures edit

Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

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  • GPX (all coordinates)
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  • GPX (secondary coordinates)
Image Name Listed Co-ordinates Notes Ref(s)
  Auckland Castle Grade I 54°39′59″N 1°40′13″W / 54.6664°N 1.6702°W / 54.6664; -1.6702 (Auckland Castle) Probably begun in the 12th century and completed in the 13th century. [33]
  West Mural Tower and West Walls Grade I 54°39′59″N 1°40′21″W / 54.6663°N 1.6725°W / 54.6663; -1.6725 (West Mural Tower and West Walls) First wall built 14th century. [34]
  Entrance Gateway Grade I 54°39′57″N 1°40′16″W / 54.6657°N 1.6712°W / 54.6657; -1.6712 (Gatehouse) Built by Thomas Robinson in 1760 for bishop Trevor. [35]
  Chapel of St Peter Grade I 54°40′01″N 1°40′12″W / 54.6669°N 1.6699°W / 54.6669; -1.6699 (Chapel of St Peter) Built as great hall around 1190, completed 1249 and converted to chapel 1661–65. [36]
  Screen Wall Grade I 54°39′58″N 1°40′11″W / 54.6662°N 1.6698°W / 54.6662; -1.6698 (Screen wall) Built by James Wyatt around 1795 for bishop Barrington. [37]
  Deer Shelter Grade I 54°40′07″N 1°40′00″W / 54.6686°N 1.6666°W / 54.6686; -1.6666 (Deer Shelter) Built around 1760. [38]
  Castle Lodge Grade I 54°39′56″N 1°40′16″W / 54.6656°N 1.6710°W / 54.6656; -1.6710 (Castle Lodge) Built 17th century. [39]
  11 Market Place Grade II* 54°39′56″N 1°40′17″W / 54.6655°N 1.6715°W / 54.6655; -1.6715 (11 Market Place) Built early 18th century; formerly known as 18 Castle Square. [40]
  15 and 16 Market Place Grade II 54°39′57″N 1°40′18″W / 54.6658°N 1.6716°W / 54.6658; -1.6716 (Park gate-houses) 18th century park gatehouses. [41]
  17 and 18 Market Place Grade II 54°39′57″N 1°40′18″W / 54.6658°N 1.6718°W / 54.6658; -1.6718 (17-18 Market Place) Built early 18th century. [42]
  12 Market Place Grade II 54°39′56″N 1°40′17″W / 54.6656°N 1.6713°W / 54.6656; -1.6713 (12 Market Place) Built early 18th century, previously known as 19 Castle Square. [43]
2 and 3 Castle Square Grade II 54°39′58″N 1°40′17″W / 54.6662°N 1.6715°W / 54.6662; -1.6715 (2 and 3 Castle Square) Medieval use unknown; later Prebends' College, then carriage houses. [44]
  Westcott Lodge Grade II 54°39′58″N 1°40′17″W / 54.6660°N 1.6713°W / 54.6660; -1.6713 (Westcott Lodge) Built early-18th century. [45]
Six pillars;[46] Grade II 54°39′58″N 1°40′20″W / 54.6662°N 1.6723°W / 54.6662; -1.6723 (Six Pillars) Possibly 17th century hayshed. [47]
Garden and Drive Walls Grade II 54°39′57″N 1°40′12″W / 54.6658°N 1.6701°W / 54.6658; -1.6701 (Garden and Drive Walls) Built 18th and 19th century, railings added 19th century. [48]
  Jock's Bridge Grade II 54°40′16″N 1°40′10″W / 54.6710°N 1.6694°W / 54.6710; -1.6694 (Jock's Bridge) Built 1819, forms park boundary wall. [49]
  Trevor's Bridge Grade II 54°40′14″N 1°40′04″W / 54.6706°N 1.6679°W / 54.6706; -1.6679 (Trevor's Bridge) Built 1757. [50]
  Ice House Grade II 54°40′15″N 1°40′02″W / 54.6707°N 1.6672°W / 54.6707; -1.6672 (Ice House) Probably built late-18th century. [51]
  Footbridge over Coundon Burn Grade II 54°40′18″N 1°40′01″W / 54.6717°N 1.6670°W / 54.6717; -1.6670 (Footbridge over Coundon Burn) Built mid-18th century. [52]
Footbridge over Coundon Burn Grade II 54°40′20″N 1°39′50″W / 54.6721°N 1.6639°W / 54.6721; -1.6639 (Footbridge over Coundon Burn) Built 1827. [53]
Footbridge over Coundon Burn Grade II 54°40′17″N 1°39′41″W / 54.6714°N 1.6614°W / 54.6714; -1.6614 (Footbridge over Coundon Burn) Built 18th century. [54]
  Well Head Grade II 54°40′21″N 1°39′32″W / 54.6724°N 1.6588°W / 54.6724; -1.6588 (Well head) 2m high pyramid, part of 18th century water supply to the castle. [55][56]
Cistern Grade II 54°40′22″N 1°39′24″W / 54.6727°N 1.6567°W / 54.6727; -1.6567 (Cistern) Part of 18th century water supply to the castle. [57][58]
Milestone on Castle Drive Grade II 54°40′26″N 1°39′23″W / 54.6740°N 1.6565°W / 54.6740; -1.6565 (Milestone on Castle Drive) 18th century. [59]
  Park Gates and Screen Wall Grade II 54°40′27″N 1°38′38″W / 54.6741°N 1.6439°W / 54.6741; -1.6439 (Park Gates and Screen Wall) Built late 18th century. [60]
Lodge Farmhouse Grade II 54°40′37″N 1°39′49″W / 54.6770°N 1.6635°W / 54.6770; -1.6635 (Lodge Farmhouse) Built 1779 for bishopEgerton. [61]
Stables and Barn of Lodge Farmhouse Grade II 54°40′37″N 1°39′50″W / 54.6770°N 1.6638°W / 54.6770; -1.6638 (Stables and Barn of Lodge Farmhouse) Built 1779. [62]
Stables and Barn of Lodge Farmhouse Grade II 54°40′37″N 1°39′48″W / 54.6769°N 1.6632°W / 54.6769; -1.6632 (Stables and Barn of Lodge Farmhouse) Built 1779. [63]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Durham Castle". Britain Express. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Roberts, Martin; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Williamson, Elizabeth (2021). County Durham. The Buildings of England (3rd ed.). New Haven and London: Yale University Press. pp. 129–140. ISBN 9780300225044.
  3. ^ "CHAPEL OF ST PETER AT AUCKLAND CASTLE, Bishop Auckland - 1196446". Historic England. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  4. ^ Historic England. "Auckland Castle (Grade I) (1196444)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  5. ^ John Nichols, Progresses of James the First, vol. 4 (London, 1828), p. 1056.
  6. ^ a b Lightfoot, Joseph Barber (1892), Leaders in the Northern Church: Sermons Preached in the Diocese of Durham, Macmillan, p. 140
  7. ^ Dodds, Glen Lyndon (1996). Historic Sites of County Durham. Albion. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-9525122-5-7.
  8. ^ Whellan, p.279
  9. ^ Fordyce, p.548
  10. ^ "After 370 Years, Jacob and His Twelve Sons Arrive at Israel Museum". Haaretz. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  11. ^ Jenkins, Simon (7 October 2005). "London should keep its hands off the treasures of the north". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 August 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  12. ^ "Bid to keep castle paintings in N-E". The Northern Echo. 14 May 2001. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 21 August 2007.
  13. ^ "Van Mildert and the Foundation of Durham University". Durham University. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Church Commissioners vote to keep the Zurbaráns" (Press release). Church of England. 29 September 2005. Retrieved 30 August 2009.
  15. ^ Jonathan Garnier Ruffer bio at Debrett's People of Today Archived 2015-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Francisco Zurbarán paintings saved by £15m donation" (Press release). BBC. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  17. ^ "Zurbarán Paintings". The Auckland Project. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  18. ^ "Auckland Castle MARKET PLACE, BISHOP AUCKLAND, CO DURHAM, DL14 7NR". The Auckland Project. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  19. ^ "Auckland Castle in Durham to open to public after £12.4m restoration". The Guardian. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  20. ^ "Auckland Castle to re-open after multimillion-pound restoration". BBC. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  21. ^ "Eat & shop". The Auckland Project. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  22. ^ a b "Castle opening crowns £150m revival of Bishop Auckland". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  23. ^ "Hothouse towers: Auckland Castle's skyscraping revamp". The Guardian. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  24. ^ "MINING ART GALLERY MOVING AHEAD". The Auckland Project. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  25. ^ "The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour 2019". The National Gallery. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  26. ^ "Bishop Auckland's long lost chapel finally discovered 400 years after it was blown up".
  27. ^ "Ruins of medieval chapel found in Bishop Auckland".
  28. ^ Historic England. "Auckland Castle entrance gateway (Grade I) (1297645)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  29. ^ Hutchinson, p.20
  30. ^ "Castle that held Scots prisoners set for £9m boost". The Scotsman. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  31. ^ "Antiques Roadshow". BBC. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  32. ^ "Henry VII bed to go on display at Auckland Castle". Northern Echo.
  33. ^ "Auckland Castle". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  34. ^ "Auckland Castle West Mural Wall". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  35. ^ "Auckland Castle Gatehouse". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  36. ^ "Auckland Castle Chapel of St Peter". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  37. ^ "Auckland Castle Screen Wall". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  38. ^ "Auckland Castle Deer Shelter". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  39. ^ "Auckland Castle Lodge". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  40. ^ "11 Market Place". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  41. ^ "15-16 Market Place". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  42. ^ "17-18 Market Place". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  43. ^ "12 Market Place". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  44. ^ "Potting shed and garages west of Auckland Castle". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  45. ^ "Westcott Lodge". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  46. ^ www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk
  47. ^ "Six Pillars 3m East of West Wall". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  48. ^ "Garden and Drive Walls". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  49. ^ "Jock's Bridge". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  50. ^ "Drive bridge over River Gaunless". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  51. ^ "Ice House to the South of Coundon Burn". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  52. ^ "Footbridge over Coundon Burn". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  53. ^ "Footbridge over Coundon Burn". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  54. ^ "Footbridge over Coundon Burn". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  55. ^ "Well head at nz 2213 5389 in high park". Keys to the Past. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  56. ^ "Well head at nz 2213 5389 in high park". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  57. ^ "Cistern at nz 2221 5390". Keys to the Past. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  58. ^ "Cistern at nz 2221 5390". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  59. ^ "Milestone on Castle Drive". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  60. ^ "Park Gates and Screen Wall". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
  61. ^ "Lodge Farmhouse". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  62. ^ "Stables and Barn of Lodge Farmhouse". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  63. ^ "Stables and Barn of Lodge Farmhouse". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2009.

Bibliography edit

  • Fordyce, William (1857). The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham. A. Fullarton and Co. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  • Whellan, William (1856). History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham. William Whellan and Co. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  • Hutchinson, Tom (2005). The History of Bishop Auckland. Seaham: The People's History. ISBN 1-902527-59-3.

Further reading edit

  • Raine, James (1852). A brief historical account of the episcopal castle, or palace, of Auckland. George Andrews.

External links edit

 
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