Highlights from 2023…
 
Last year The Auckland Project launched its Annual Pass, resulting in a significant increase in visitor numbers to Auckland Castle and Gardens, the Spanish Gallery and Mining Art Gallery. The Auckland Project’s attractions hosted high-quality exhibitions, including Sin: the National Gallery touring exhibition, and Auckland Castle and the Spanish Gallery both won Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, placing them in the top 10% of attractions worldwide.
 
February 2023 saw the opening of Park Head Hotel and Restaurant, which was officially awarded a 3* rating last May, along with a Visit England Breakfast Award – Park Head has since welcomed over 10,000 overnight guests. Weardale Railway also resumed operations from Bishop Auckland to Wolsingham in spring 2023, opening up access to the Durham Dales.
 
The opening of the new Faith Museum in October 2023 attracted national and international press coverage. The Faith Museum explores 6,000 years of British history through the lens of faith, with over 250 objects on loan from 50 lenders along with contemporary artworks by leading British artists.
 
The Auckland Project also launched an event programme of family events throughout the summer holidays and Auckland Castle’s light trail AGLOW launched in November 2023, attracting 35,000 visitors in its first year. Lumiere also came to Bishop Auckland for the first time in 2023, with projections on the Spanish Gallery and Auckland Tower.
 
Plans for 2024…
 
The Auckland Project enjoyed a successful start to 2024, with Weardale Railway featured on Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes in January. The Spanish Gallery also won the Gold Award for Small Visitor Attraction of the Year at the North East of England Tourism Awards in February. 
 
Easter Weekend saw record-breaking visitor numbers to Auckland Castle and the Gardens, with activities and events for all the family, and The Auckland Project will continue to host family events throughout the school holidays this year. The Auckland Project’s attractions will also be open on Bank Holiday Mondays in 2024 for the first time. 
 
On 25th May the Upper Walled Garden and Faith Garden will open to the public in time for summer, with regular walks and tours of the gardens delivered by volunteers. 
 
The Auckland Project is also opening 10 new self-catering residences this year, three of which are available to book now. The remaining seven properties will be bookable by the end of July, and all properties are located in and around the historic Market Place of Bishop Auckland. 
 
Other key events include Summer Fest from 22nd June – 20th July, a month-long celebration with live music, outdoor cinema and theatre on Auckland Castle’s Bowling Green, and Pumpkin Forest, a family-friendly pumpkin trail through the Castle grounds in October. AGLOW will return from 22nd November – 31st December along with Christmas at the Palace from 15th November – 31st December, which will see Auckland Castle adorned throughout with festive Christmas decorations. Kynren also returns from 27th July – 14th September.
 
The Auckland Project are also hoping to purchase a tapestry which once belonged to Henry VIII to be displayed in the new Faith Museum. The public fundraising campaign has raised over £1 million, and if additional funding is granted by the National Lottery Heritage Fund then it is hoped that the tapestry will be on display this autumn.