Auckland Palace

Over het museum

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.

Hoogtepunten

• 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)

Vaste collectie

• 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.

Opgericht

1183

Beheerder

The Auckland Project

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

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.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

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.

Kinderen & gezin

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.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

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.

Service & horeca

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museumwinkel

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.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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