Auckland Castle facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Auckland Castle
Auckland Castle on the left, Chapel of St Peter in the centre
Location	Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 7NR
Built	c. 1183
Architectural style(s)	Gothic; Gothic Revival
Owner	Auckland Castle Trust
Website	aucklandproject.org/venues/auckland-castle/

Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Auckland Castle
Designated	21 April 1952
Reference no.	1196444


Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Chapel of St Peter at Auckland Castle
Designated	21 April 1952
Reference no.	1196446


National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
Official name: Auckland Castle Park
Designated	7 October 1986
Reference no.	1000727

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Auckland Castle, also known as Auckland Palace, is a grand old castle in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England. For many centuries, it was the main home for the Bishops of Durham. From around 1183 until 2012, it served as their official residence.

In 2012, the castle and its amazing collections were sold to the Auckland Castle Trust. This trust is now called the Auckland Project. Today, Auckland Castle is a popular place for visitors to explore. Even though it's a tourist spot, the bishop's offices are still located there.

One of the most special parts of the castle is its chapel. People say it's one of the most beautiful rooms in North East England. This chapel used to be the castle's great hall in medieval times. Bishop John Cosin changed it into a chapel between 1661 and 1665. The chapel has incredible wooden carvings, including the pulpit and seating areas.

The castle is also home to twelve famous paintings. These artworks show Jacob and His Twelve Sons and were painted by the Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán. There's a thirteenth painting, Benjamin, but it's a copy. The original Benjamin painting is at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire. Auckland Castle is a very important historic building, listed as Grade I.

The Castle's Story
What the Castle Looks Like
Castle in Culture
Important Buildings at the Castle
Images for kids
See also

The Castle's Story

Auckland Castle sits on flat land between two rivers, the River Gaunless and the River Wear. The town of Bishop Auckland is right next to the castle on one side. On the other sides, the land slopes down steeply to the rivers.

The castle probably started being built around 1183 by Hugh de Puiset, who was the bishop at that time. It was finished in the early 1200s. The chapel we see today was originally the castle's great hall from Bishop Puiset's time.

In the 1400s, Bishop Lawrence Booth added a college for priests right next to the castle walls.

Royal Visitors and Big Changes

In 1603, after Scotland and England joined under one king, Bishop Tobias Matthew invited some important guests to stay. These included Anne of Denmark, who was the Queen, and her children, Prince Henry and Princess Elizabeth. They stayed at Auckland Castle on their way from Scotland to London.

During the First English Civil War in the 1640s, the Church of England was changed. Auckland Castle was sold to a man named Sir Arthur Haselrig. He tore down a lot of the old medieval castle, including the original chapel. Then, he built a large house in its place.

But after the king returned to power in 1660, Bishop John Cosin took over. He pulled down Haselrigg's new house. Bishop Cosin then rebuilt the castle and turned the old banqueting hall into the beautiful chapel we see today.

The Famous Paintings

In 1756, Bishop Richard Trevor bought the amazing set of paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán. These paintings, showing Jacob and his twelve sons, are still displayed in the castle's Long Dining Room. It's thought that these 17th-century paintings were originally meant for South America. However, they never made it there. Instead, they ended up with a man named James Mendez, who sold twelve of the thirteen paintings to Bishop Trevor in 1757.

Bishop Trevor couldn't get the 13th painting, Benjamin. It was sold separately to the Duke of Ancaster and is now at Grimsthorpe Castle. So, Bishop Trevor asked an artist named Arthur Pond to make a copy of Benjamin. This copy, along with the 12 original paintings, hangs in the castle's Long Dining Room. Bishop Trevor even redesigned the room especially to fit these large artworks.

The Throne Room

Later, Bishop Shute Barrington, who was bishop from 1791 to 1826, hired a famous architect named James Wyatt. Wyatt helped to make the different parts of the palace look more connected. He worked on rooms like the Throne Room and the Garden Screen.

In 1832, the last bishop who ruled the area like a prince, William van Mildert, gave Durham Castle to start Durham University. After this, Auckland Castle became the only official home for the Bishop of Durham.

In 2001, there was a plan to sell the Zurbarán paintings. But in 2011, a generous person named Jonathan Ruffer donated £15 million. This donation stopped the sale. New plans were made to put the paintings and the castle under the care of the Auckland Castle Trust. This meant the public could finally see these amazing artworks. Before, they were in a private home and only special guests could view them.

Reopening and New Attractions

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

In 2012, Jonathan Ruffer bought the castle and everything inside, including the famous Zurbarán paintings. These paintings had been traveling for exhibitions, but they returned to the castle for its grand reopening.

Auckland Castle reopened to visitors on November 2, 2019, as part of the Auckland Project. This was after a huge restoration project that cost millions of pounds, partly funded by the National Lottery.

When it reopened, a new 35-meter-high tower was ready as a visitor center. This tower has a lift and stairs, plus balconies with great views of the castle from above. The inside of the castle was fully restored, including the bishop's fancy living areas. Each of the 14 restored rooms tells the story of a past bishop.

Since then, even more has been added. The Faith Museum, which explores world religions, and a huge glass greenhouse were built on the castle grounds.

Other exciting places to visit at or near the castle include:

The Mining Art Gallery: This gallery, which opened in 2017, shows art made by miners who taught themselves or went to night school.
Kynren: This is an amazing outdoor show that tells "An Epic Tale of England" with a cast of 1,000 people.
The Bishop Trevor Gallery: This gallery at the castle has displayed famous artworks from the National Gallery.

In October 2023, the Faith Museum officially opened to the public. It was designed by Niall McLaughlin Architects. This museum covers 6,000 years of British religious history, from ancient times to the year 2000. It is located in the Scotland Wing of the castle and a new stone building.

In May 2024, the castle's 17th-century walled gardens reopened. They now feature a new glasshouse and a special faith garden. The Great Garden is planned to open in 2025.

Discovering Bek's Chapel

In February 2020, archaeologists working at the castle made an exciting discovery. They found the foundations of Bek's chapel! People had known that this chapel, which would have been one of the largest in Europe, was somewhere on the castle grounds. But its exact location was a mystery. The warrior-bishop Antony Bek built this chapel around 1300. An exhibition at Auckland Castle from March 4 to September 6, 2020, showed items found during these excavations.

What the Castle Looks Like

The clock tower

You enter the castle grounds from Bishop Auckland marketplace through a clock tower. Bishop Trevor built this tower in 1760 in a style that looked like old Gothic buildings. The buildings to the right of the tower are parts of the old 15th-century college. Inside the gates, the Faith Museum is to the north. To the south, you'll find the walled gardens and a glasshouse. A decorative wall built for Bishop Shute Barrington in 1795 separates the gardens from the main castle.

The main castle buildings form two sides of a courtyard. To the north is the large chapel. This was originally the great hall of Bishop Pudsey's palace, built around 1190. It was changed into a chapel by Bishop Cosin in the 1660s. The western side of the castle held the bishop's fancy state rooms, with offices and service areas below (where the café is now). These rooms were mostly designed by Wyatt around 1795 for Bishop Barrington. They include a Throne Room, because the Prince-Bishop of Durham used to have powers almost like a king.

The Long Dining Room is where the famous Zurbarán paintings hang. Other rooms have exhibits about the castle's history and the Bishop Trevor art gallery. Behind this area is the Scotland Wing, which is now part of the Faith Museum.

The castle is surrounded by a huge deer park that covers 800 acres. This park still has many features from medieval times, like fish ponds and woodland paths. It shows how the medieval bishops lived, entertained, and hunted.

Castle in Culture

In the 1800s, the castle was used as the setting for Lewis Carroll's story "A Legend of Scotland." In 2006, Auckland Castle was featured in two episodes of the BBC show Antiques Roadshow. In 2013, a 15th-century bed that once belonged to King Henry VII was put on display at the castle.

Important Buildings at the Castle

Auckland Castle and its grounds have many important buildings. Seven of these are listed by Historic England at Grade I, which is the highest level of protection for historic buildings. Many others are listed at Grade II* and Grade II.

Auckland Castle: The main castle building itself is Grade I listed. It was likely started in the 12th century.
Chapel of St Peter: This beautiful chapel is also Grade I listed. It was originally the great hall and was converted into a chapel in the 1660s.
Entrance Gateway: The main gate you enter through is Grade I listed. It was built in 1760.
Screen Wall: This wall, built around 1795, is Grade I listed.
Deer Shelter: A building in the park, built around 1760, is Grade I listed.
Castle Lodge: This 17th-century building is also Grade I listed.
West Mural Tower and West Walls: Parts of the castle's original defenses, built in the 14th century, are Grade I listed.