Industry News
Auckland Palace Archaeology goes on public view in Bishop Auckland 'Open Lab'
Archaeologists uncovering the hidden history of Auckland Palace are inviting the public behind the scenes as historic finds from eight years of excavations are analysed in a new ‘open laboratory’ in Bishop Auckland town centre.
The open lab launched on Friday, 16 January, at Hearth (formerly Mrs M’s) on Bishop Auckland Market Place. Experts from The Auckland Project and Durham University will examine hundreds of artefacts in full view of the public through the venue’s windows, allowing visitors to observe the analysis of discoveries long after excavations concluded.
The open lab follows an extensive archaeological programme. Since 2018, more than 1,000 volunteers, students and aspiring archaeologists have participated. Their work has transformed the understanding of one of the most important medieval bishop’s palaces in Western Europe.
Excavations revealed palace walls, towers, and gatehouses built by the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham. They also uncovered a two-storey chapel from around 1300 built by Bishop Bek, and a 17th-century mansion built by Sir Arthur Haselrig, featured on BBC Two’s Digging for Britain.
Across the site, archaeologists have recovered thousands of objects. These range from everyday pottery and building materials to rare finds such as whale baleen, an elephant ivory gold-and-silver-handled knife – described by Prof Alice Roberts on Digging for Britain as “one of the most beautiful objects I’ve ever seen [which] speaks to the riches of those medieval bishops” - intricate wine glasses, and a fortune-telling jet dice. All these finds point to Auckland Palace’s wealth, power, and international connections.
With excavations complete, the team faces over 300 boxes of finds and a post-excavation process expected to take two years.
Dr John Castling, Archaeology Curator at The Auckland Project, said: “This work usually happens out of sight, but we wanted to open it up. People can drop in, see what we’re working on that day and build a picture of how archaeology really works — whether that’s sorting pottery one week or analysing glass the next.”
Visitors to the open lab can enter the temporary workspace, handle artefacts, hear updates from the team, and help sort and record finds.
Professor Chris Gerrard, from Durham University’s Department of Archaeology, added: “Rather than only seeing objects in display cases, this exposes the process behind discovery. It’s hands-on and accessible. We hope it inspires people to learn more about archaeology — and perhaps get involved themselves.”
The archaeology open lab is at Hearth, at No. 1, Market Place, Bishop Auckland, and will operate for at least a year, offering opportunities to hear directly from archaeologists about their latest findings.
It opened on Friday 16 January for the first time, with spectators able to get up close between 3.30pm and 4.30pm. Updates on The Auckland Project's What's On website or the Hearth Bishop Auckland's Facebook page.