Bishop Auckland: The growth of a historic market town

By Clare Howard, Jayne Rimmer, Jules Brown

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Nestled within the rolling hills and tree-filled landscape of Weardale, Bishop Auckland is an attractive market town with a rich collection of buildings dating from many centuries and an archaeological legacy spanning two millennia.

This is a place shaped by the power of the bishops of Durham, who held their main residence at the splendid Auckland Castle, and by the fluctuating prospects of commerce and industry – all very much celebrated in the unique character of its buildings and open spaces.

This book brings together recent research into the town’s archaeology, history and architecture. It tells the story of the establishment of the bishops’ palace strategically placed upon a hilltop plateau, and of the market place and settlement which grew alongside it to become a thriving industrial town.

It is a celebration of the Heritage Action Zone and other recent achievements in conservation and regeneration within the town.

Bishop Auckland

Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.

People examining artefacts in plastics bags on a table This aerial photograph, taken from the south-east in 2018, shows Auckland Castle and this historic market place perched on the high plateau above the rivers. The town hall in the market place with the Church of St Anne directly next to it Modern buildings next to traditional buildings with Auckland Castle entrance beyond. There is also a tractor pulling a trailer of hay bales along the road in the foreground. The former Yorkshire Penny Bank with its distinctive corner turret is located in the centre of the image, its neighbour to the right is the former Market Tavern, while on the far right the brick buildings were rebuilt as the White Lion Hotel. A narrow street of individual shops with bunting hung across between the buildings. Some shops have flowering hanging baskets. The former Barrington School is on the left and the former Backhouse & Co Bank on the right is now the Spanish Gallery. People walking down the middle of the road in a busy shopping street A multi-arched bridge spanning a river

Additional Information

  • Series: Informed Conservation
  • Publication Status: Completed
  • Pages: 128
  • ISBN: 9781802078381 (Paperback)

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Also of interest

Heritage Action Zones: Breathing New Life Into Old Places
Informed Conservation Series
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