ABOUT
Historic Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland’s origins lie in the Roman town that grew up around the fort at Binchester. When the Bishops of Durham founded Auckland Castle the medieval town grew up around the Market Place. With the coming of the railways the town expanded along Newgate Street to the Railway Station and further south to what is now the retail hub at Tindale Crescent and St Helen’s Auckland.
This is a prosperous place with a fascinating history which is evident in the architecture. Find out more about this Historic England Heritage Action Zone, follow a Heritage Trail and remember to look up. If you have a head for heights climb the Auckland Tower for a bird’s eye view of the town and watch work in progress
With contemporary galleries in Fore Bondgate, a free exhibitions programme at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, the Mining Art Gallery and the classical art of The Spanish Gallery there is something to appeal to all tastes. The town has a growing creative community with plans for a new artists’ hub in the Market Place and sculpture to celebrate the mining heritage and historical link with the Prince Bishops of Durham. Look out for the sculpture of silent movie actor Stan Laurel, a one-time resident of the town, who also features in a huge wall mural by local graffiti artist.
2025 marks the bicentenary of the Stockton & Darlington railway, the birthplace of the modern railway. The coming of the railways opened up large scale coal mining and the landscape was quickly covered in collieries. This legacy is remembered in the Railway Museum, the Mining Art Gallery and the People’s Museum Railway Heritage trail. Plans are now in hand to develop the Weardale railway heritage line and walking and cycling routes on the old railway lines.
