Bishop Auckland – the market town with a fascinating 2,000 year heritage brought to life through events.
Known as the gateway to Weardale, Bishop Auckland is a bustling market town standing high above a meander in the River Wear with commanding views of the surrounding countryside.
The historic town centre has a thriving arts and cultural offering, with the Town Hall home to a superb library, cinema, theatre and arts complex. A shoppers’ delight, Bishop Auckland has over 200 shops – head for Fore Bondgate for boutiques and specialist shops that you won’t find on the high street. And after a busy day, sample the delights of one of the many cosy cafés to help keep the energy levels up!
Walk from the town centre straight into the beautiful grounds of the magnificent Auckland Castle, the country residence of the Prince Bishops for centuries and still the official home of the Bishop of Durham. Surrounding the Castle are the 800 acres of the Bishop’s Deer Park – a great place for a summer picnic or an autumnal stroll through vividly coloured parkland.
A mile from the town are the remains of Binchester Roman Fort, home to the best preserved Roman military bath house in Britain. And at Escomb, visitors can see one of the finest examples of early Christian architecture in Northern Europe at the restored 7thC Escomb Saxon Church.
Bishop Auckland Shopping
Bishop Auckland is the main shopping centre in Wear Valley from three distinct locations; The Market Place, The Newgate Centre and Fore Bondgate. Well-known high street brands trading in the town include Marks and Spencer, Boots, WH Smith, Burtons, Dorothy Perkins, MacDonalds, Superdrug, Top Man/Top Shop, Woolworths, Argos, Currys and Mothercare. Asda and Morrisons are [...]
History of Bishop Auckland
Toponymy The first part of the name, “Bishop”, refers to the land being owned by and the town being the residence of the Bishop of Durham. However, the derivation of “Auckland” is less clear. One suggestion is that it is derived from “Alclit”, “Alcluith” or “Alcleat”. This is similar to Alclut or Alclyde, an early [...]