Auckland Castle
Auckland Castle, also known as Auckland Palace, is a former bishop's palace located in the town of Bishop Auckland in County Durham, England. The castle was a residence of the bishops of Durham from approximately 1183 and was their primary residence between 1832 and 2012, when the castle and its contents were sold to the Auckland Castle Trust (now the Auckland Project). It is now a tourist attraction, but still houses the bishop's offices.
| Auckland Castle | |
|---|---|
Auckland Castle on the left, Chapel of St Peter in the centre | |
| Location | Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 7NR |
| Coordinates | 54.6664°N 1.6702°W |
| 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 |
Location of Auckland Castle in County Durham | |
The castle is notable for its chapel, described as "one of the finest rooms in North East England" in the Buildings of England series, which was the medieval great hall until it was remodelled by Bishop John Cosin in 1661–65. The woodwork, which includes the pulpit, stalls, and screen, was commissioned by Cosin and combines Gothic and Baroque forms. The castle also contains twelve paintings depicting Jacob and His Twelve Sons by the Spanish painter Francisco de Zurbarán; the thirteenth portrait, Benjamin, is a copy, as the original hangs in Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire. Auckland Castle is a grade I listed building.