Bishop Auckland, England
Bishop Awkward
"Two Castles, One Struggling High Street"
Official Coat of Arms
A shield quartered between the Bishop's mitre and a boarded-up shop window, surmounted by the Auckland Castle Deer House rendered in slightly better condition than the actual town centre. Motto beneath reads 'Fides et Regeneratio' (Faith and, We Promise, Regeneration Any Year Now).
TripAdvisor Review
★★★☆☆ 3/5
"Came for the Auckland Project and Kynren, stayed for the confusion about why the market place has more empty units than a Faragate. The Bishop's Castle and deer park are genuinely stunning, a proper hidden gem, but then you wander five minutes and hit boarded-up shopfronts that make you feel like you've walked onto a Kynren set before anyone's dressed it. Newton Cap Viaduct is a lovely walk though, I'll give it that. Three stars because the castle chapel nearly made me cry and the chip shop nearly did too, for different reasons."— Deirdre Fogbank, Harrogate
Property Listing
Character-filled market town living in the literal shadow of a genuine medieval bishop's palace, offering unbeatable commuter access to Durham and Darlington plus jaw-dropping property prices that reflect the town's 'emerging' high street. Perfect for the buyer who wants castle views, a working railway viaduct, and the thrill of watching a £150million heritage regeneration project unfold from their living room window.
Twinned With
Ferrara — Both are faded episcopal power bases now better known for a spectacular castle than the town that grew up nervously around it.
Supporting Evidence
Auckland Castle was the residence of the Prince Bishops of Durham for nearly 900 years, and the city of Auckland, New Zealand is indeed named after a descendant of one of the Eden family who once lived there.