Auckland Palace
Former residence of the Prince Bishops of Durham in Bishop Auckland, with restored state rooms, Zurbarán paintings, gardens and the Faith Museum.
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Om museet
Auckland Palace, known until recently as Auckland Castle, stands above the River Wear in Bishop Auckland and was for almost 1,000 years the country residence of the Prince Bishops of Durham. The bishops were given exceptional powers by the Norman kings and the Church and governed large parts of North East England, and the palace was a symbol of their faith and authority. It has been described as one of the best-preserved bishops' palaces in Europe.
The building grew over the centuries. The Throne Room was designed by the architect James Wyatt in a Georgian Gothic style, and St Peter's Chapel is one of the largest private chapels in Europe. In the Long Dining Room hang Francisco de Zurbarán's paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons, which have been at the palace since 1756. A medieval chapel on the site was blown up with gunpowder after the English Civil Wars, and its outline is echoed in the modern Faith Garden.
The palace is now cared for by The Auckland Project, a regeneration charity. It reopened in 2019 after major conservation work, with original wall colours, furniture and textiles recreated. In October 2023 the Faith Museum opened in the Grade I listed Scotland Wing and a new extension, telling the story of faith in Britain over 6,000 years. The palace stands in about ten acres of historic gardens, next to the Deer Park and close to the Spanish Gallery and the Mining Art Gallery.
Højdepunkter
- State rooms of the Prince Bishops, including the Throne Room by James Wyatt
- Zurbarán's Jacob and his Twelve Sons in the Long Dining Room
- St Peter's Chapel, one of Europe's largest private chapels
- Faith Museum on 6,000 years of faith in Britain
- Ten acres of historic gardens and the Deer Park
- Auckland Tower with views over the town (free)
Permanente udstillinger
- Faith Museum – A museum in the palace's Scotland Wing on how faith has shaped lives and communities in Britain over 6,000 years, with more than 250 objects from lenders across England, Scotland and Wales.
- Jacob and his Twelve Sons – Francisco de Zurbarán's series of large paintings has hung in the Long Dining Room since 1756; some of the paintings are currently being conserved.
- State rooms and private apartments – Restored rooms including the Throne Room, the Bishop's Study and the private apartments show the public and family life of the Bishops of Durham up to the present day.
- Grundlagt
- 1183
- Ejer
- The Auckland Project
Entrépriser & rabatter
| Voksne | 20 £ |
|---|---|
| Børn og unge | 5 £gratis til og med 4 år · Child ticket for ages 5 to 15 (palace, Faith Museum and gardens); children under 5 enter free. |
| Personer med handicap | –ledsager gratis · A free ticket is available for a personal assistant or essential carer. |
| Grupper (fra 10 pers.) | –Discounts apply to pre-booked groups of 10 or more, and each coach or minibus gets one free driver ticket. |
| Familier | –No family day ticket for the palace, Faith Museum and gardens; family options exist only as annual passes or the Discovery Day Pass. |
| Discovery Day Pass, adult (palace, Faith Museum, gardens, Spanish Gallery, Mining Art Gallery) | 26 £Do-it-all-in-a-day ticket. |
| Discovery Day Pass, child | 10 £ |
| Discovery Day Pass, family | 62 £Family composition not stated on the booking page. |
| Annual Pass, adult | 40 £Covers the palace, gardens, Faith Museum, Spanish Gallery, Mining Art Gallery and Binchester Roman Fort. |
| Annual Pass, child | 15 £ |
| Annual Pass, family (one adult) | 50 £One adult and up to four children aged 5 to 15. |
| Annual Pass, family (two adults) | 85 £Two adults and up to four children aged 5 to 15. |
The palace, the gardens and the Faith Museum are visited with one day ticket at £20 for adults (age 16 and over) and £5 for children aged 5 to 15. Auckland Tower and the Deer Park are free. Free tickets are available for Art Fund National Art Pass holders and carers, and Historic Houses members enter the palace, gardens and Faith Museum free. Residents of DL4, DL5 and DL13 to DL17 postcodes can claim a local Annual Pass at 20% less, in person at Auckland Tower. Visitors who show a valid bus or train ticket dated for their visit get a discounted Annual Pass.
Tilgængelighed
- Kørestolsvenlig
- Elevator
- Handicaptoilet
- Handicapparkering
- Servicehunde tilladt
- Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
- Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
- Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
- Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger
Auckland Palace, the Faith Museum, the Mining Art Gallery, the Spanish Gallery and Auckland Tower are wheelchair accessible, and there are lifts in the palace and the tower. The Walled Garden is not accessible for visitors with mobility impairments, and the Deer Park has uneven ground. Accessible toilets are provided in each venue. A hearing loop is available at the welcome desk in the Spanish Gallery, the Mining Art Gallery and Auckland Tower. Verified assistance dogs are accepted. A small number of manual wheelchairs can be borrowed by arrangement. The accessible car park is North Bondgate, about 650 metres from the palace. A free ticket is available for a personal assistant or essential carer, shown with proof of ID.
Børn og familie
| Entré for børn | gratis til og med 4 år |
|---|
Family tickets cover one or two adults with up to four children aged 4 to 15. The Paradise Garden has a cross-shaped water feature where children are encouraged to race ducks, and the Bowling Green is a place for picnics.
Transport & parkering
Med offentlig transport
Bishop Auckland railway station · 15 min. til fods
Bishop Auckland railway station is about a 15 minute walk from Market Place, with hourly trains from Darlington taking about 25 minutes. Go North East runs The Castles Express bus from Newcastle to Bishop Auckland, and there are regular regional bus services.
I bil
Betalingsparkering
North Bondgate car park costs £1 for up to two hours and £4 for a full day, charged 24 hours a day including bank holidays, and has electric vehicle charging points. Free coach parking is available on site but must be booked in advance by email, and coaches drop off in Market Place.
- Handicapparkering
The sat nav postcode for the car park is DL14 7PG. The Auckland Project is about 12 miles south of Durham, 13 miles north of Darlington and 30 miles south of Newcastle.
Planlæg ruteService & spisesteder
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museumsbutik
Bishop's Kitchen is a café in the restored Tudor kitchen of the palace, with a courtyard garden, and is open from 10:00 to 16:00. El Castillo is a tapas restaurant, and the Park Head Hotel has a restaurant. The Palace Shop sells gifts. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in the outdoor spaces.
Arrangementer & udlejning
Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette.
Planlæg dit besøg
| Tilbud til skoler | ja |
|---|---|
| Godt at vide | Free services are held in St Peter's Chapel every Wednesday. Groups of 10 or more can book through the group visits team, and school and educational visits are offered. |
