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Trains to Bishop Auckland
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Bishop Auckland is a historic market town in County Durham with a fascinating story to tell
Bishop Auckland offers outstanding hotels to relax and unwind in, restaurants that tantilise the taste buds and so many unique attractions to choose from, you'll be spoilt for choice in this up and coming town.
Population
23,000
Fact about Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland is home to an extensive Spanish art collection
Things to do in Bishop Auckland
The adventure begins with The Auckland Project’s unique collection of heritage attractions, galleries, gardens and parkland surrounding Auckland Castle and the Market Place.
Venture beyond the Market Place to enjoy heritage railway rides and the spectacular live-action outdoor show Kynren, a truly unique experience not available anywhere else in the UK.
Auckland Castle and Gardens
Auckland Castle is one of the best-preserved Bishop’s palaces in the whole of Europe – once home to England’s only Prince Bishops. Nowadays you can make yourself at home in this unique palace. Highlights include St Peter’s Chapel, the Georgian Gothic state rooms and one of the world’s finest sets of paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán. Auckland Castle sits at the heart of 150 acres of parkland and 10 acres of gardens, including the 18th-century Walled Garden.
Auckland Castle and Gardens
The Spanish Gallery
The Spanish Gallery is unique in Britain, telling the story of the Spanish Golden Age. The gallery houses the UK’s largest collection of 16th and 17th Century Spanish artworks outside London, including works by El Greco, Velázquez and Murillo. With exhibitions spread over four floors, you could spend a whole day immersed in the curious world of Spanish art.
The Spanish Gallery
Mining Art Gallery
The intimate and awe-inspiring art collection in The Mining Art Gallery gives a unique insight into the lives and souls of coal miners and their communities, showing how human creativity and spirit can shine even in the darkest places. The Mining Art Gallery provides a permanent home for the renowned Gemini Collection of Mining Art, including works by prominent local artists such as Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish.
Mining Art Gallery
Faith Museum
The Auckland Project’s eagerly anticipated Faith Museum will open in autumn 2023, the first museum to contemplate the impact of faith in Britain. Through works of art preserved for centuries and everyday objects with powerful meanings, the museum will tell the story of how Faith has shaped the history of Britain over thousands of years.
Faith Museum
Weardale Railway
Take a ride on Weardale Railway to enjoy stunning views of Weardale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and explore the historic market towns of Wolsingham and Stanhope.
Weardale Railway
Auckland Castle and Gardens
Auckland Castle is one of the best-preserved Bishop’s palaces in the whole of Europe – once home to England’s only Prince Bishops. Nowadays you can make yourself at home in this unique palace. Highlights include St Peter’s Chapel, the Georgian Gothic state rooms and one of the world’s finest sets of paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán. Auckland Castle sits at the heart of 150 acres of parkland and 10 acres of gardens, including the 18th-century Walled Garden.
Auckland Castle and GardensThe Spanish Gallery
The Spanish Gallery is unique in Britain, telling the story of the Spanish Golden Age. The gallery houses the UK’s largest collection of 16th and 17th Century Spanish artworks outside London, including works by El Greco, Velázquez and Murillo. With exhibitions spread over four floors, you could spend a whole day immersed in the curious world of Spanish art.
The Spanish GalleryMining Art Gallery
The intimate and awe-inspiring art collection in The Mining Art Gallery gives a unique insight into the lives and souls of coal miners and their communities, showing how human creativity and spirit can shine even in the darkest places. The Mining Art Gallery provides a permanent home for the renowned Gemini Collection of Mining Art, including works by prominent local artists such as Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish.
Mining Art GalleryFaith Museum
The Auckland Project’s eagerly anticipated Faith Museum will open in autumn 2023, the first museum to contemplate the impact of faith in Britain. Through works of art preserved for centuries and everyday objects with powerful meanings, the museum will tell the story of how Faith has shaped the history of Britain over thousands of years.
Faith MuseumWeardale Railway
Take a ride on Weardale Railway to enjoy stunning views of Weardale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and explore the historic market towns of Wolsingham and Stanhope.
Weardale Railway
Budget friendly things to do in Bishop Auckland
There are plenty of budget-friendly and free things to do in Bishop Auckland. Enjoy far-reaching views from Auckland Tower, explore the 150-acre Deer Park and soak up the atmosphere at the annual Bishop Auckland Food Festival.
The town’s main attractions (Auckland Castle and Gardens, Spanish Gallery and Mining Art Gallery) are all included with The Auckland Project Annual Pass so you can pay once and enjoy unlimited access throughout the year.
Auckland Tower
Auckland Tower is the best place to begin your adventure in Bishop Auckland. The 15m viewing platform offers 360-degree views across the town, Deer Park and rural landscape beyond. You can buy The Auckland Project Annual Pass here and learn more about the history of Bishop Auckland.
Auckland Tower
Deer Park
The Prince Bishops of Durham created the Deer Park over 800 years ago as their own private hunting ground. The 150-acre parkland is now free to visit at any time of the year and retains many of its original features including the historic Deer House and the original 18th-century Trevor Bridge. The Deer Park is a haven for wildlife, with over 100 veteran trees, and is a great place to stretch your legs and enjoy a bracing walk.
Deer Park
No. 42 Gallery and Shop
No 42 is a welcoming community space. The gallery offers a place for local artists to display and sell their work, and there is a rolling programme of exhibitions highlighting intriguing objects from The Auckland Project’s archives and collections. Free weekly events are also organized by the team at No 42 including Pregnant to Preschool on Mondays and Wellbeing Walks on Wednesdays.
No. 42 Gallery and Shop
Binchester Roman Fort
Binchester Roman Fort is one of the largest and most complete Roman Fort sites in the UK, founded in the 1st century AD. Explore the exceptionally well-preserved remains of not just one but two bath-houses, and find out why taking a bath in Roman times was about more than just getting clean!
Binchester Roman Fort
The Gallery, Bishop Auckland Town Hall
The Gallery is an exhibition space located within Bishop Auckland Town Hall. It shows exhibitions of modern and contemporary art with a focus on responding to the context of County Durham as well as working with and creating work for local communities. The Gallery also hosts two permanent pieces of work, The Steps by Tom McGuinness and The Miners Gala Mural by Norman Cornish, as well as showing a range of other works by the two artists on a curated rotation through each year.
The Gallery, Bishop Auckland Town Hall
The Bishop Auckland Food Festival
The Bishop Auckland Food Festival stretches across the stunning Market Place in front of Bishop Auckland Town Hall. With a fantastic range of delicious street food traders and artisan food producers, bars with real ales, pop up cafes, live music and attractions for all, the festival truly has something for everyone. This annual event is hosted in April and attracts over 30,000 visitors to the town.
The Bishop Auckland Food Festival
Auckland Tower
Auckland Tower is the best place to begin your adventure in Bishop Auckland. The 15m viewing platform offers 360-degree views across the town, Deer Park and rural landscape beyond. You can buy The Auckland Project Annual Pass here and learn more about the history of Bishop Auckland.
Auckland TowerDeer Park
The Prince Bishops of Durham created the Deer Park over 800 years ago as their own private hunting ground. The 150-acre parkland is now free to visit at any time of the year and retains many of its original features including the historic Deer House and the original 18th-century Trevor Bridge. The Deer Park is a haven for wildlife, with over 100 veteran trees, and is a great place to stretch your legs and enjoy a bracing walk.
Deer ParkNo. 42 Gallery and Shop
No 42 is a welcoming community space. The gallery offers a place for local artists to display and sell their work, and there is a rolling programme of exhibitions highlighting intriguing objects from The Auckland Project’s archives and collections. Free weekly events are also organized by the team at No 42 including Pregnant to Preschool on Mondays and Wellbeing Walks on Wednesdays.
No. 42 Gallery and ShopBinchester Roman Fort
Binchester Roman Fort is one of the largest and most complete Roman Fort sites in the UK, founded in the 1st century AD. Explore the exceptionally well-preserved remains of not just one but two bath-houses, and find out why taking a bath in Roman times was about more than just getting clean!
Binchester Roman FortThe Gallery, Bishop Auckland Town Hall
The Gallery is an exhibition space located within Bishop Auckland Town Hall. It shows exhibitions of modern and contemporary art with a focus on responding to the context of County Durham as well as working with and creating work for local communities. The Gallery also hosts two permanent pieces of work, The Steps by Tom McGuinness and The Miners Gala Mural by Norman Cornish, as well as showing a range of other works by the two artists on a curated rotation through each year.
The Gallery, Bishop Auckland Town HallThe Bishop Auckland Food Festival
The Bishop Auckland Food Festival stretches across the stunning Market Place in front of Bishop Auckland Town Hall. With a fantastic range of delicious street food traders and artisan food producers, bars with real ales, pop up cafes, live music and attractions for all, the festival truly has something for everyone. This annual event is hosted in April and attracts over 30,000 visitors to the town.
The Bishop Auckland Food Festival
Places to eat in Bishop Auckland
With so much to see and do, you’ll work up a healthy appetite during your visit to Bishop Auckland.
Thankfully the town offers an excellent range of restaurants and cafes within easy reach of the Market Place, all catering for a range of dietary requirements.
El Castillo
Be transported to Spain in El Castillo, Bishop Auckland’s new tapas bar next to the Spanish Gallery. The menu celebrates modern tapas-style dining, with small plates of flavourful heart-warming dishes. Classic Spanish flavours complement the best seasonal ingredients from the region, including fresh produce from Auckland Castle’s Walled Garden.
El Castillo
The Bishop's Kitchen
The Bishop’s Kitchen is a beautifully refurbished medieval kitchen at the heart of Auckland Castle, offering a delicious range of tempting treats. The menu celebrates the fresh produce grown within the Castle grounds.
The Bishop's Kitchen
Gabrielle’s Restaurant
A friendly and authentic Italian restaurant, serving traditional and contemporary Italian dishes and weekly specials.
Gabrielle’s Restaurant
Park Head Hotel Restaurant
Park Head Hotel and Restaurant is ideally located on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland, within easy reach of the town. The Oak Room Restaurant serves generous breakfasts, classic evening meals, and a sumptuous Sunday Lunch.
Park Head Hotel Restaurant
El Castillo
Be transported to Spain in El Castillo, Bishop Auckland’s new tapas bar next to the Spanish Gallery. The menu celebrates modern tapas-style dining, with small plates of flavourful heart-warming dishes. Classic Spanish flavours complement the best seasonal ingredients from the region, including fresh produce from Auckland Castle’s Walled Garden.
El CastilloThe Bishop's Kitchen
The Bishop’s Kitchen is a beautifully refurbished medieval kitchen at the heart of Auckland Castle, offering a delicious range of tempting treats. The menu celebrates the fresh produce grown within the Castle grounds.
The Bishop's KitchenGabrielle’s Restaurant
A friendly and authentic Italian restaurant, serving traditional and contemporary Italian dishes and weekly specials.
Gabrielle’s RestaurantPark Head Hotel Restaurant
Park Head Hotel and Restaurant is ideally located on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland, within easy reach of the town. The Oak Room Restaurant serves generous breakfasts, classic evening meals, and a sumptuous Sunday Lunch.
Park Head Hotel Restaurant
How to get to Bishop Auckland
The closest LNER station to Bishop Auckland is Darlington. From Darlington, you can connect onto local train services for a short journey into Bishop Auckland.
How to save on LNER train tickets
Cheap tickets
We know you can't always plan ahead but, if you can, booking your travel in advance can save you a lot of money. In fact, booking at least 4 weeks ahead of your travel date can save you an average of up to 47%* on on-the-day train ticket prices!
Book cheap train ticketsJoin LNER Perks
Did you know that if you join our loyalty scheme, you can save money on every trip you take with LNER? Yep, that's right. LNER Perks members get £5 credit free on their account to spend on travel as a thank you for signing up. AND all members earn 2% credit back on every single journey. Not bad, eh?
Join LNER Perks nowSave 1/3 with a Railcard
Looking for travel deals? Enjoy cheap train fares and save up to 1/3 on train ticket prices with a range of Railcards.
From Two Together Railcards, Senior Railcards, and many more, there are Railcard discounts to be had for all!
Railcards
Cheap tickets
We know you can't always plan ahead but, if you can, booking your travel in advance can save you a lot of money. In fact, booking at least 4 weeks ahead of your travel date can save you an average of up to 47%* on on-the-day train ticket prices!
Book cheap train ticketsJoin LNER Perks
Did you know that if you join our loyalty scheme, you can save money on every trip you take with LNER? Yep, that's right. LNER Perks members get £5 credit free on their account to spend on travel as a thank you for signing up. AND all members earn 2% credit back on every single journey. Not bad, eh?
Join LNER Perks nowSave 1/3 with a Railcard
Looking for travel deals? Enjoy cheap train fares and save up to 1/3 on train ticket prices with a range of Railcards.
From Two Together Railcards, Senior Railcards, and many more, there are Railcard discounts to be had for all!
Railcards
*Saving average based on all Standard Advance tickets bought on the LNER website and App at least four weeks before you travel vs buying any Standard ticket on the day you travel.
