View source for Bishop Auckland

{{Short description|Town and civil parish in County Durham, England}}
{{distinguish|Diocese of Auckland (disambiguation){{!}}Bishop of Auckland}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
 | official_name            = Bishop Auckland
 | type                     = [[List of towns in England|Town]]
 | statistic_title          = Population<br/>• [[civil parishes in England|Civil parish]]
 | statistic                = (2011 census)<br/>16,276<ref name="Parish Pop">{{NOMIS2011|id=E04010595|title=Bishop Auckland Parish|access-date=13 January 2021}}</ref>
 | statistic_title1         = • Town
 | statistic1               = 24,908<ref name="BUASD Pop">{{NOMIS2011|id=E35000528|title=Bishop Auckland Built-up Area sub division|access-date=13 January 2022}}</ref>
 | statistic_title2         = • Built-up area
 | statistic2               = 26,050<ref name="BUA Pop">{{NOMIS2011|id=E34004911|title=Bishop Auckland Built-up Area|access-date=13 January 2022}}</ref>
 | civil_parish             = Bishop Auckland<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bishopauckland-tc.gov.uk/|title=Bishop Auckland Town Council|website=Bishopauckland-tc.gov.uk|access-date=22 January 2022}}</ref>
 | unitary_england          = [[County Durham (district)|County Durham]]
 | lieutenancy_england      = [[County Durham]]
 | region                   = North East England
 | country                  = England
 | constituency_westminster = [[Bishop Auckland (UK Parliament constituency)|Bishop Auckland]]
 | post_town                = BISHOP AUCKLAND
 | postcode_district        = DL14
 | postcode_area            = DL
 | dial_code                = 01388
 | os_grid_reference        = NZ208294
 | coordinates              = {{coord|54.663|-1.676|display=inline,title}}
 | london_distance          = {{convert|227|mi|km|0|abbr=on}}&nbsp;[[Boxing the compass|SbE]]
 | static_image_name        = Bishop Auckland Town Hall.jpg
 | static_image_alt         = A square with three deciduous trees visible in the foreground. At the back of the square is the Town Hall, a neo-gothic style building. The town hall has two visible stories externally, together with a pitched roof with a number of dormers. In the centre of the roof area is a spire with a clock at its base. To the right of the Town hall is St Anne's church. The front of the church has a cylindrical cone spire.
 | static_image_caption     = [[Bishop Auckland Town Hall]]
}}

'''Bishop Auckland''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɔː|k|.|l|ə|n|d}} {{respell|AWK|lənd}}) is a [[market town]] and [[civil parishes in England|civil parish]] at the confluence of the [[River Wear]] and the [[River Gaunless]] in [[County Durham]], [[England]]. It is {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} northwest of [[Darlington]] and {{convert|12|mi|km|0}} southwest of [[Durham, England|Durham]].

Much of the town's early history surrounds the [[Bishop of Durham|Bishops of Durham]] and the establishment of [[Auckland Castle]]'s predecessor, a hunting lodge, which became the main residence of Durham Bishops. This is reflected in the first part of the town's name.<ref name="S41">{{Harvnb |Simpson|1991|p=41}}</ref><ref name="ACHist" /><ref name="Fordyce545" /><ref name="Placename meanings"/> During the [[Industrial Revolution]], the town grew rapidly as coal mining became its largest industry.<ref name="F558"/> Decline in the [[coal mining]] industry during the late twentieth century has changed the town's largest sector to manufacturing.<ref name="TNE200089" /><ref name="Rates sheet" />

Since 1 April 2009, the town's [[local authority]] has been [[Durham County Council]]. The [[unitary authority]] replaced the previous [[Wear Valley]] District and Durham County councils.<ref name="UnitaryMakeUp">{{citation
 | title = Make up of new unitary councils
 | work = BBC News
 | date = 1 April 2009
 | url =https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7976062.stm
 | access-date =6 June 2009}}</ref> The parliamentary constituency of [[Bishop Auckland (UK Parliament constituency)|Bishop Auckland]] is named after the town. It is currently held by [[Sam Rushworth]] of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. The town is twinned with the French town of [[Ivry-sur-Seine]].<ref name="twin" />

==History==
===Names===
The town was first attested under the name ''Alclit'' with ''Alcluith'' and  ''Alcleat'' also found.<ref>{{Harvnb |Whellan|1856|p=274}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2009|p=5}}</ref> ''Auckland'' is an area name used in the settlements of [[St Helen Auckland]], [[West Auckland, County Durham|West Auckland]] and St Andrew Auckland, the latter an old name for [[South Church, County Durham|South Church]], all of which are along the path of the Gaunless.<ref>{{Harvnb |Simpson|2002|p=21}}</ref><ref name="Echo Memories" /><ref name="Placename meanings"/> The town was in the [[Bishop of Durham]]'s land, gaining the 'bishop' element to differentiate it from the other settlements.<ref name="Gelling">{{Citation|last= Gelling|first= Margaret|author2= W. F. H. Nicolaisen|author3=Melville Richards |title= The names of towns and cities in Britain|year=1970|publisher= Batsford|page= 53}}</ref><ref name="Placename meanings"/><ref name="Oxford" />

The name Gaunless is of [[Norsemen|Norse]] origin, thought to meaning ''useless''.<ref name="Gelling" /><ref>{{Harvnb |Simpson|2002|p=132}}</ref> It is believed that this derives from the river's inability to power a mill, sustain fish or create fertile [[floodplains]].<ref name="Placename meanings">{{citation| last = Simpson | first = David | title = The North East England History Pages — Place Names | url = http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Place%20Name%20Meanings%20A%20to%20D.htm | access-date = 26 August 2008 | archive-date = 13 September 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080913030434/http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Place%20Name%20Meanings%20A%20to%20D.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="Echo Memories">{{citation | title = Echo Memories: Tides of change in the land of Canute | work = [[The Northern Echo]] | date = 20 July 2005 | url = http://www.northeasthistory.co.uk/the_north_east/history/echomemories/darlington/305/200705.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927173424/http://www.northeasthistory.co.uk/the_north_east/history/echomemories/darlington/305/200705.html | archive-date=27 September 2007 | access-date =26 August 2008 }}</ref>

====Auckland====
It is thought to be [[Cumbric language|Cumbric]], related to ''Alclud'' (which was the [[Kingdom of Strathclyde]]'s alternative name) meaning "cliff on the Clyde". It is thought 'Clyde'  may be the [[river Gaunless]]'s ancient name.<ref name="Gelling"/><ref name="Oxford">{{Citation
|last=Ekwall |first=Eilert |title= The concise Oxford dictionary of place names |edition= 4 |year= 1960 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages= 18–19}}</ref><ref name="heroicage.org">{{cite journal|author=Bethany Fox|title='The P-Celtic Place-Names of North-East England and South-East Scotland'|journal=The Heroic Age|volume=10|date=2007|url=http://www.heroicage.org/issues/10/fox.html}}</ref>

Historically attempts have been made to link Auckland to [[Old Norse]]  ''Aukland'' meaning 'additional land'. This view of the name origin could refer to the area recorded as being extra land granted to the Bishop of Durham by [[King Canute]] in around 1020.<ref name="Gelling"/><ref name="Oxford" /><ref name="heroicage.org"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.heroicage.org/issues/10/fox-appendix.html|title=Fox—P-Celtic Place-Names—Appendix|website=Heroicage.org|access-date=22 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="Echo Memories" />

Another suggestion is that Auckland derives from Old English or Old Norse combination of 'oak' and 'land', a woodland in the area with a majority of oak trees with each settlement built between it and the river Gaunless.<ref name="Placename meanings"/><ref name="Astrop" />

===Early===

The earliest known reference to Bishop Auckland itself is around 1000 AD as land given to the Earl of Northumberland for defending the church against the Scots.<ref name="H14"/> It is also mentioned in 1020 as a gift given to the [[Bishop of Durham]] by [[King Canute]]. However, a village almost certainly existed on the town's present site long before this, with there being evidence of church on the site of St Andrew's Church in [[South Church, County Durham|South Church]] as early as the seventh century.<ref name="H094">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2009|p=4}}</ref> Furthermore, the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] had a look-out post where [[Auckland Castle]] is sited today and a {{convert|10|acre|km2|adj=on}} [[castra|fort]] at nearby [[Binchester]]. There is also evidence of possible [[Iron Age]] settlements around the town,<ref>{{PastScape
 | mnumber = 24313
 | access-date =29 December 2008
}}</ref><ref>{{PastScape
 | mnumber = 24335
 | access-date =29 December 2008
}}</ref> together with finds of [[Bronze Age]],<ref>{{PastScape
 | mnumber = 24309
 | access-date =29 December 2008
}}</ref> [[Neolithic]]<ref>{{PastScape
 | mnumber = 22197
 | access-date =29 December 2008
}}</ref> and [[Mesolithic]]<ref>{{PastScape
 | mnumber = 24317
 | access-date =29 December 2008
}}</ref><ref>{{PastScape
 | mnumber = 23956
 | access-date =29 December 2008
}}</ref> artefacts.

=== Bishops of Durham ===
[[File:Auckland Castle Crop.jpg|thumb|A portion of Auckland Castle]]
Much of the town's history surrounds its links with the [[Bishops of Durham]]. In 1083, [[Prince bishop|Bishop]] [[William de St-Calais]] expelled a number of canons from [[Durham, England|Durham]]. Some of these settled in the area and established a [[collegiate church]].<ref name="H094" /> Around 1183 Bishop [[Hugh Pudsey|Pudsey]] established a [[manor house]] in the town, with a great hall being completed in 1195 on the site occupied by St Peter's Chapel today.<ref name="S41"/><ref name="H14">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=14}}</ref> Bishop [[Antony Bek (bishop of Durham)|Bek]], who preferred the town as his main residence over [[Durham Castle]] due to its proximity to hunting grounds, later converted the manor house into a castle. The grounds of the castle were noted as being large enough to contain 16,000 men ahead of the [[Battle of Neville's Cross]] in 1346.<ref name="H14" />

Between 1283 and 1310, Bek was also responsible for ordering the replacement of the collegiate church established in 1183 with the Church of St Andrew that stands in South Church today,<ref name="H094" /> together with accommodation for the canons; the building known today as the East Deanery.<ref>{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2009|p=9}}</ref>

The collegiate church also appears to have supported a school. The collegiate church was re-organised under Bishop [[Thomas Langley|Langley]] in 1428 and at some point in the same century moved to the castle grounds. The college and its school were finally dissolved in the 16th century.<ref name="short history">{{citation 
 |last=Laurie 
 |first=Barbara 
 |title=A Short History of Bishop Auckland 
 |publisher=Bishop Auckland Town 
 |url=http://www.bishopauckland.org/history1.asp?HistoryId=15 
 |access-date=26 August 2008 
 |archive-date=25 July 2011
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725080535/http://www.bishopauckland.org/history1.asp?HistoryId=15
 |url-status=dead
 }}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Fordyce|1857|p=543}}</ref><ref name="Victoria">{{citation |first=William |last=Page |series=Victoria History of the Counties of England |title=A history of the County of Durham |volume=1 |year=1905 |publisher=Constable |pages=397–398}}</ref>

The school was not revived until the reign of [[James I of England|King James I]] when in 1604 Anne Swifte petitioned the King to found a school and the Free Grammar School of King James, the direct antecedent of today's King James I school, was established. Although the school's early location is unknown, in 1638 Bishop [[Thomas Morton (bishop)|Morton]] granted the school space in an old chapel in the Market Place.<ref name="Victoria"/><ref>{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=75}}</ref>

Also in 1604, James's son, the future King [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] made the first of three visits to the town. On this visit, his first to England, he was entertained by Bishop [[Tobias Matthew|Matthew]]. In 1617 James himself stayed in [[Auckland Castle]] between 17 and 19 April.<ref name="H15">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=15}}</ref> Later, on 8 May, at [[Durham Castle]] King James is reputed to have rebuked Bishop [[William James (bishop)|William James]] so badly that the Bishop returned to Auckland Castle and died three days later.<ref name="F547" />

Charles's second visit to the town was on his way to Scotland on 31 May 1633, when he was entertained by Bishop Morton. His third visit on 4 February 1647 was in less lavish circumstances, as a prisoner. Morton had fled the town in 1640 and the castle was empty.<ref name="H15" /><ref name="F547">{{Harvnb|Fordyce|1857|p=547}}</ref> Consequently, the king had to stay in a [[public house]] off the Market Place owned by Christopher Dobson.<ref>{{citation
 |title=Castle State Rooms 
 |publisher=[[Auckland Castle]] 
 |url=http://www.auckland-castle.co.uk/downloads/aucklandcastlehistory.pdf 
 |access-date=16 September 2009 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904163359/http://www.auckland-castle.co.uk/downloads/aucklandcastlehistory.pdf 
 |archive-date=4 September 2011 
}}</ref>
[[File:NPG-Haselrig-Hesilrige.webp|thumb|upright|[[Arthur Haselrig|Sir Arthur Hazelrig]]|alt=A portrait of a man dressed in black armour. He has long brown hair down to his shoulders and a thin moustache and beard. His left hand is holding a helmet which is resting on a pedestal. His right hand is holding a small pole or scroll]]
[[File:Auckland Castle - Chapel.jpg|thumb|St Peter's chapel. Originally the castle's great hall, it was converted to a chapel after the [[English Restoration|restoration]] of the monarchy.|alt=A two to three-storey high stone building. The building is topped with castellations and pinnacles]]
After the disestablishment of the [[Church of England]], at the end of the [[First English Civil War|first civil war]], Auckland Castle was sold to [[Arthur Haselrig|Sir Arthur Hazelrig]], who demolished much of the castle, including the chapel, and built a mansion.<ref name="Lightfoot">{{Citation
 | last = Lightfoot
 | first = Joseph Barber
 | title = Leaders in the Northern Church: Sermons Preached in the Diocese of Durham
 | publisher = Macmillan
 | year = 1892
 | page =140
}}</ref><ref>{{Citation
 | last = Dodds
 | first = Glen Lyndon
 | title = Historic Sites of County Durham
 | publisher = Albion
 | year = 1996
 | isbn = 978-0-9525122-5-7
 | location = Sunderland
 | page = 16
}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb |Whellan|1856|p=279}}</ref> After the [[English Restoration|restoration]] of the monarchy, the new bishop of Durham, [[John Cosin]], in turn demolished Hazelrig's mansion and rebuilt the castle converting the banqueting hall into the chapel that stands today.<ref name="Lightfoot" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Fordyce|1857|p=548}}</ref>

==Sale of Auckland Castle==
Some [[Church Commissioners]] believed it was no longer affordable to maintain Auckland Castle as a Bishop's residence in the 21st Century.
In 2012, while [[Justin Welby]] was bishop of Durham,<ref>[https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/11169794.former-bishop-of-durham-portrait-unveiled-alongside-his-predecessors/ Former Bishop of Durham portrait unveiled alongside his predecessors]</ref> [[Jonathan Ruffer]] purchased Auckland Castle and all of the contents, including the artwork with the celebrated paintings by Zurbarán.<ref name="Guardian"/><ref>[https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/zurbaran/ Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art]</ref>

The castle was scheduled to re-open to visitors in November 2019, after a multi-million pound restoration project. The site would also include three new restaurants for visitors, with one in operation by early November 2019.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/oct/25/auckland-castle-durham-to-open-after-restoration|title=Auckland Castle in Durham to open to public after £12.4m restoration|work=The Guardian|date=25 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="bbc.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-49663538|title=Auckland Castle to re-open after multimillion-pound restoration|publisher=BBC|date=11 September 2019}}</ref><ref name="Eat & shop">{{cite web|url=https://www.aucklandproject.org/eat-and-shop/|title=Eat & shop|publisher=The Auckland Project|access-date=28 October 2019|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728231408/https://www.aucklandproject.org/eat-and-shop/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aucklandproject.org/the-bishops-of-durham-through-time/|title=The Bishops of Durham Through Time|publisher=The Auckland Project|access-date=28 October 2019|archive-date=28 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028142255/https://www.aucklandproject.org/the-bishops-of-durham-through-time/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Industrial Revolution ===
By 1801, the town had a population of 1,861.<ref name="Fordyce545">{{Harvnb|Fordyce|1857|p=545}}</ref> At the end of the eighteenth century the town had no notable roads other than the Roman road, and little trade beyond weaving.<ref name="F558">{{Harvnb|Fordyce|1857|p=558}}</ref><ref name="F552">{{Harvnb|Fordyce|1857|p=552}}</ref> Although, coal mining had existed on a small-scale as early as 1183 when it is mentioned in the [[Boldon Book]],<ref name="S25" /> it was limited by the lack of an easy way to transport coal away from the area.<ref name="H33">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=33}}</ref> All this changed with the arrival of railways in the early nineteenth century, which allowed large scale coal mining.<ref name="W276">{{Harvnb |Whellan|1856|p=276}}</ref> The railways allowed coal to be mined, and then transported to the coast before being put onto ships to London and even abroad.<ref name="W292">{{Harvnb |Whellan|1856|p=292}}</ref>
[[File:Shute Barrington by Lawrence.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Shute Barrington]]|alt=A portrait of a large man dressed in a white gown.]]
Around the same time, the bishop, [[Shute Barrington]] was a keen proponent of the use of education to improve the social and moral circumstances of the lower social classes. He used £70,000 received from lead mining royalties in Weardale to fund the establishment of a number of schools in the area. One of these schools was the Bishop Barrington School (now [[Bishop Barrington Academy]]), one of the town's three comprehensive schools today.<ref>{{Citation | last = Hunt | first = Christopher John | title = The lead miners of the Northern Pennines: in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries | location = Manchester | publisher = Manchester University Press | year = 1970 | page = [https://archive.org/details/leadminersofnort0000hunt/page/236 236] | isbn = 978-0-7190-0380-6 | url = https://archive.org/details/leadminersofnort0000hunt/page/236 }}</ref> The Bishop Barrington School opened on 26 May 1810, the Bishop's own birthday. The school even allowed girls to attend until the age of 11&nbsp;years.<ref>{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|pp=76–77}}</ref> Barrington's support of education for the poor was not without controversy. Some suggested education of the poor would lead people to question their position in society, others even blamed it for the [[French Revolution]].<ref>{{Cite ODNB
 | contribution = Barrington, Shute (1734–1826) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Varley | first = E. A. | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/1534 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/1534
 | access-date =29 September 2009
}}</ref><ref>{{Citation | last = Soloway | first = R. A. | title = Prelates and people: ecclesiastical social thought in England, 1783–1852 | location = London | publisher = Taylor & Francis | year = 1969 | page = [https://archive.org/details/prelatespeopleec0000solo/page/356 356] | isbn = 978-0-7100-6331-1 | url = https://archive.org/details/prelatespeopleec0000solo/page/356}}</ref>

Barrington's successor, [[William van Mildert]] was involved in the creation of [[Durham University]]. [[Durham Castle]] was donated to the new university and Auckland Castle, usually the preferred residence by successive Bishops, became the Bishop of Durham's official residence in 1832.<ref name="ACHist" /> However, the influence of the bishops of Durham was on the wane and there was pressure for reform. Van Mildert would be the last ruler of the county palatine. Shortly after his death, in 1836, the position was stripped of its ancient powers and wealth.<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Mildert, William Van (1765–1836) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Varley | first = E. A. | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/28096 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/28096
 | access-date =29 September 2009
}}</ref><ref name="Brickstock">{{Citation| last = Brickstock | first = Richard | title = Durham Castle: Fortress, Palace, College | location = Lindley | publisher = Jeremy Mills Publishing | year = 2007 | pages = 52–53 | isbn = 978-1-905217-24-3}}
</ref>

The population at the time of the 1841 census was 3,776 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite book |title=The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge |date=1848 |publisher=Charles Knight |location=London |page=638|volume=V |edition=First}}</ref> By 1851 the population of the town had increased to 5,112,<ref name="Fordyce545" /> with a great proportion of them working in ironworks and collieries.<ref name="F558"/> By 1891, the population had doubled again.<ref>{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=56}}</ref> In the second half of the nineteenth century there were typically around 60 collieries in the area open at any one time.<ref>{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=48}}</ref> By the turn of the twentieth century 16,000 people were employed in the mining industry in the area.<ref name="H43">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=43}}</ref>

The town also became an important centre for rail, with large amounts of minerals such as coal, [[limestone]] and [[ironstone]] mined in the surrounding area passing through the town on the way to the coast.<ref>{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=44}}</ref> In the neighbouring town of [[Shildon]] large numbers were employed in the railways, where a railway engine works was established.<ref>{{Harvnb|Fordyce|1857|pp=567–569}}</ref>

===Industrial decline===

By the early years of the twentieth century coal mining started to go into decline as coal reserves started to become exhausted. By the end of the 1920s unemployment had hit 27% and the population too had started to decline, as colliery employment had halved compared with ten years previously.<ref name="H82">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|pp=82–84}}</ref><ref name="Bulmer">{{Citation
 | last = Bulmer
 | first = Martin
 | title = Mining and Social Change: Durham County in the Twentieth Century
 | location = London
 | publisher = Taylor & Francis
 | year = 1978
 | page = 145
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kwIOAAAAQAAJ
 | isbn = 978-0-85664-509-9
 | access-date =6 June 2009}}
</ref> With the onset of the [[Great Depression]] unemployment rose to 60% in 1932 before easing back to 36% in 1937.<ref name="Bulmer"/> The [[World War II|Second World War]] offered a temporary reprieve for the coal industry, however, after the war the decline continued.<ref>{{Citation
 |title = Thematic Overview — Industrial
 |publisher = Durham County Council
 |url = http://www.keystothepast.info/k2p/usp.nsf/pws/Keys+to+the+Past+-+Overviews+-+Industrial
 |access-date = 29 August 2008
 |url-status = dead
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080828062239/http://www.keystothepast.info/k2p/usp.nsf/pws/Keys+to+the+Past+-+Overviews+-+Industrial
 |archive-date = 28 August 2008}}</ref> The last deep colliery in the area closed in 1968, although drift mines and the much more mechanised and less labour-intensive surface level opencast mining did continue.<ref name="H104">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=104}}</ref>

Equally, the railways that had also supported the area were also scaled back,<ref name="short history"/> ultimately culminating in the closure of Shildon's Wagon works in 1984 with the loss of thousands of jobs.<ref>{{citation
 |title = Railway works resurrected decades after closure blow
 |publisher = [[The Northern Echo]]
 |date = 10 August 2006
 |url = http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2006/8/10/226520.html
 |access-date = 26 August 2008
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120219131218/http://www.newsquest.co.uk/
 |archive-date = 19 February 2012
 |url-status = dead}}</ref>

A 2016 report on the community stated that<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ilivehere.co.uk/statistics-bishop-auckland-durham-3726.html|title=Socio-Economic Statistics For Bishop Auckland, Durham|publisher=I Live Here|date=25 June 2016}}</ref>
<blockquote>
the rate of unemployment in Bishop Auckland is both higher than the average for and higher than the national average{{nbsp}}... The rate of claiming any benefit (which includes in work benefits) is more than 25% higher in Bishop Auckland than the national average, suggesting that many people maybe under employed or on a low salary.
</blockquote>

==Economy==
[[File:BishopAucklandCentre02June2010.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Shopping in Bishop Auckland]]
At the end of the eighteenth century the town is noted as having little trade beyond weaving.<ref name="F558" /><ref name="F552"/> The first mention of coal mining in the area is in the [[Boldon Book]] of 1183,<ref name="S25">{{Harvnb |Simpson|1991|p=25}}</ref> but early coal mining was limited by the lack of an easy way to transport coal away from the area.<ref name="H33"/> The arrival of the railways transformed the town as it allowed coal to be mined, and then transported to the coast before being put onto ships to London and even abroad.<ref name="W292" /> At the start of the twentieth century 16,000 people were employed in the mining industry in the area.<ref name="H43" /> However, by 1915 the coal industry in the town had started to decline as coal reserves started to become exhausted.<ref name="H82" /> The last deep colliery in the area closed in 1968.<ref name="H104" />

Today, with the decline of the Durham coalfield, manufacturing has been left as the largest sector of employment in the town, accounting for 24.6% of the town's employment.<ref name="Rates sheet" />

The town also traditionally had a strong retail sector.<ref name="TNE200089">{{citation
 | title = £2.4&nbsp;m 'people's plan' to revive economy of market town
 | work = [[The Northern Echo]]
 | date = 9 August 2000
 | url = http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2000/8/9/194536.html
 | access-date =26 August 2008 }}</ref> As one of the county's main population centres with good bus and rail connections, and thriving markets on Thursdays and Saturdays, shoppers were attracted from smaller settlements on the Durham coalfield for miles around. However, the decline in the coal mining industry, along with increased car ownership and competition from local shopping malls such as the [[MetroCentre (shopping centre)|MetroCentre]] in [[Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead|Gateshead]], have caused a downturn in the fortunes of retailers,<ref>{{citation
 | title = Action plan aims to revive town fortunes
 | work = [[The Northern Echo]]
 | date = 26 October 2000
 | url = http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2000/10/26/188625.html
 | access-date =26 August 2008 }}</ref> with commentators lamenting the number of down market stores and [[charity shop]]s in the town centre.<ref>{{citation
 | title = End of an era as charity shop pioneer pulls out
 | work = [[The Northern Echo]]
 | date = 13 June 2000
 | url = http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2000/8/9/194536.html
 | access-date =26 August 2008 }}</ref> In response, numerous initiatives to regenerate the town centre have been proposed, including the launch of the Bishop Auckland Town Centre Forum,<ref>{{Citation
 |title=Bishop Auckland Town Centre Forum 
 |publisher=Enterprising Britain 
 |access-date=26 September 2008 
 |url=http://www.makeyourmark.org.uk/inspiring_stories/bishop_auckland_town_centre_forum_puts_bishop_auckland_on_the_map 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403233349/http://www.makeyourmark.org.uk/inspiring_stories/bishop_auckland_town_centre_forum_puts_bishop_auckland_on_the_map 
 |archive-date=3 April 2009 
}}</ref> and the 2006 regeneration master plan drawn up by Red Box Group, which was sponsored by Wear Valley District Council and the regional development agency [[One NorthEast]].<ref>{{Citation
 |date=June 2006 
 |title=Bishop Auckland Urban Renaissance Master Plan 
 |publisher=Wear Valley District Council 
 |access-date=26 September 2008 
 |url=http://www.wearvalley.gov.uk/media/pdf/1/7/BA_Master_Plan_1.pdf 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209125624/http://www.wearvalley.gov.uk/media/pdf/1/7/BA_Master_Plan_1.pdf 
 |archive-date=9 December 2008 
}}</ref> In 2015, Bishop Auckland was granted Heritage Action Zone status by [[Historic England]], a 5-year programme that aimed to reinvigorate the town and its economy through tourism and its heritage.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bishop Auckland Heritage Action Zone {{!}} Historic England|url=http://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/heritage-action-zones/bishop-auckland/|access-date=2020-06-28|website=historicengland.org.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Bishop Auckland Heritage Action Zone|url=https://www.bishopauckland-tc.gov.uk/2018/01/15/bishop-auckland-heritage-action-zone/|access-date=2020-06-28|website=bishopauckland-tc.gov.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=New learning space to be created in Bishop Auckland Heritage Action Zone|url=http://ahfund.org.uk/news-source/2018/11/7/work-begins-to-transform-historic-building-in-heritage-action-zone|access-date=2020-06-28|website=The Architectural Heritage Fund|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Alastair Coey Architects|year=2019|title=Former Bishop Auckland Mechanics' Institute, 27 Victoria Avenue, Bishop Auckland: Historic Building Report. Historic England Research Report 30/2019|url=https://research.historicengland.org.uk/Report.aspx?i=16253&ru=/Results.aspx?p=1&n=10&rn=30&ry=2019&ns=1|access-date=2020-06-28|website=research.historicengland.org.uk}}</ref>

Notable employers in the town include [[Ebac]], which is headquartered in the town and employs 350 people.<ref>{{citation
 | title = Ebac turns its eyes to Far East
 | work = [[The Northern Echo]]
 | date = 16 November 2006
 | url = http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/1024104.ebac_turns_its_eyes_to_far_east/
 | access-date =26 August 2008 }}</ref>

A September 2019 report stated that Bishop Auckland was one of the towns designated to receive up £25 million to in funding from a new Towns Fund that was intended "to improve industrial areas that have not benefitted from economic growth in the same way as more prosperous areas." A Durham County Councillor said that the funds would help the partners (including the Auckland Project) to regenerate the town center area for the benefit of all residents of the community.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-towns-land-175m-16878413 |title=North East towns land £175m from Government fund|date=6 September 2019 |publisher=Trinity Mirror North East|access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref>

===Building tourism in the town===
[[File:Auckland Castle 003.jpg|thumb|Auckland Castle gate and Market Place]]
An October 2019 article in ''[[The Guardian]]'' referred to Bishop Auckland as a "rundown town ... since the closure of the mines" but predicted that the re-opening of Auckland Castle would transform the community into a "leading tourist destination".<ref name="Guardian" /> The castle re-opened on 2 November 2019 after renovations by the Auckland Project; the founding partner of the group is the owner of the castle, [[Jonathan Ruffer]] who purchased the property and all of the contents in 2012, including the artwork, which included the works by [[Francisco de Zurbarán]].<ref name="Zurbarán Paintings">{{cite web|url=https://www.aucklandproject.org/zurbaran-paintings/|title=Zurbarán Paintings|work=The Auckland Project |access-date=28 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="bbc.com"/><ref name="Eat & shop"/>
[[File:St. Peter&#039;s Chapel at Auckland Castle - formerly the Banqueting Hall.jpg|thumb|St. Peter's Chapel at Auckland Castle, formerly the Banqueting Hall]]

News reports in 2019 clarified the situation, stating that in 2012, Ruffer had purchased the castle and all of the contents, including the artwork, which included the works by Francisco de Zurbarán.<ref name="Zurbarán Paintings"/> The paintings which had been on tour, were returned to the site in time for the re-opening of the castle to visitors on 2 November 2019 as the Auckland Project,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.historichouses.org/houses/house-listing/auckland-castle.html|title=Auckland Castle MARKET PLACE, BISHOP AUCKLAND, CO DURHAM, DL14 7NR|publisher=The Auckland Project|access-date=28 October 2019|archive-date=20 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120142101/https://www.historichouses.org/houses/house-listing/auckland-castle.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> after a multi-million pound restoration project, funded partly by the National Lottery.<ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="bbc.com"/><ref name="Eat & shop"/>

By the time of the opening day, a new 35 meter high tower had been erected as a visitor centre; the structure has a lift and a staircase as well as balconies for views of the castle from above. The interior had been fully restored, including the 
bishops' "palatial" quarters. According to one news item, "each of the 14 restored rooms, recreated from contemporary accounts and personal recollections" features the career of one former bishop.<ref name="The Art Newspaper">{{cite web|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/castle-opening-crowns-gbp150m-revival-of-bishop-auckland |title=Castle opening crowns £150m revival of Bishop Auckland|date=November 2019 |publisher=The Art Newspaper|access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref> The Faith Museum of world religion and a huge glass greenhouse were under construction on Castle property.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/nov/05/hothouse-towers-auckland-castles-skyscraping-pineapple-friendly-revamp |title=Hothouse towers: Auckland Castle's skyscraping revamp  |date=5 November 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

Other attractions already operating at or near the Castle include the Mining Art Gallery (in a nearby former bank building in the town centre)<ref name="The Art Newspaper"/> showing work mainly by self-taught or night school-educated miners; this attraction opened in 2017 (thanks to support provided to the Castle Trust by Bishop Auckland and Shildon AAP and Durham County Council);<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aucklandproject.org/news/mining-art-gallery-moving-ahead/|title=MINING ART GALLERY MOVING AHEAD|publisher=The Auckland Project|access-date=3 November 2019}}</ref> a 7.5 acre open-air theatre, [[Kynren]], on the other side of the River Wear, with a cast of 1,000 depicting the history of England;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kynren.com/|title=Kynren|publisher=Eleven Arches|access-date=3 November 2019 |quote=Kynren brings to ground-shaking life the story of invasions, royal splendour, wars, heroic sacrifice, daily life and seismic change....Take your seat with 8,000 others}}</ref> and the Bishop Trevor Gallery at the Castle. The latter started displaying the [[National Gallery]]'s Masterpiece touring exhibit in October 2019.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/nov/02/restored-auckland-castle-county-durham-bishop-auckland|title=First look: a tour of the restored Auckland Castle|work=The Guardian|date=2 November 2019 |access-date=3 November 2019}}</ref>

In future, other attractions were expected to open in or near the town centre: 
* the Spanish Gallery opened in 2021. The display of Spanish "[[Spanish Golden Age|Golden Age]]" art occupies two converted buildings one of which housed [[Backhouse's Bank]]) 
* the Faith Museum opened in 2023. It is housed in the Scotland Wing of the castle and a purpose-built extension
* a gallery that will feature medieval to later era artworks 
* a boutique hotel (in former pubs) and two restaurants in addition to the current bishop's Kitchen café.<ref name="The Art Newspaper"/>

According to ''[[The Guardian]]'',<ref name="theguardian.com"/><blockquote> "The aim is to make the town – the heart of the abandoned Durham coalfields – a tourist destination that holds people for a day or two rather than just a couple of hours. The scheme will create hundreds of entry-level jobs in a county that suffers high unemployment and has some of the most deprived areas in northern Europe".</blockquote>

A ''[[Financial Times]]'' report in early November 2019 stated that "Kynren [theatre] has attracted 250,000 people and the Auckland Project, even with the castle closed, welcomed 35,500 visitors in the past year" to this community.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/0101ffee-f5e7-11e9-9ef3-eca8fc8f2d65 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/0101ffee-f5e7-11e9-9ef3-eca8fc8f2d65 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=City philanthropist battles to transform 'left behind' UK town|work=Financial Times|date=November 2019 |access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref>

In 2025, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' reported that Jonathan Ruffer had given at least £200 million to the Auckland Project.<ref name=telegraph-20250412>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/bishop-auckland-jonathan-ruffer/ |title=A wealthy Christian spent £200m reviving this northern town – but not everyone is happy |last=Miles |first=Paul |website=The Telegraph |location=London |url-access=subscription |date=12 April 2025 |access-date=12 April 2025}}</ref>

==Governance==
===Historic===
{{further|County Palatine of Durham}}
For a large part of the area's history, the autonomous powers held by the bishop of Durham meant that the county operated as a principality under England's [[protectorate]]. The UNESCO site describes the role of the bishops in the "buffer state between England and Scotland":<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/history/prince-bishops |title=The Prince Bishops of Durham |date=11 July 2011 |publisher=Durham World Heritage Site}}</ref><blockquote>From 1075, the Bishop of Durham became a Prince-Bishop, with the right to raise an army, mint his own coins, and levy taxes. As long as he remained loyal to the king of England, he could govern as a virtually autonomous ruler, reaping the revenue from his territory, but also remaining mindful of his role of protecting England's northern frontier.</blockquote>

A steward of Bishop [[Antony Bek (bishop of Durham)|Antony Bek]] in the thirteenth century is quoted as saying England had two kings; the king and the bishop of Durham.<ref>{{Harvnb |Simpson|1991|p=1}}</ref> A 1788 report states that the Bishops had the authority to appoint judges and barons and to offer pardons.<ref>{{cite book |last=Drummond Liddy |first=Christian |title=The Bishopric of Durham in the Late Middle Ages |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R6ZbDEhf86sC&q=durham+bishop+princes&pg=PA2 |publisher=Boydell |page=1 |isbn=978-1843833772|year=2008 }}</ref> The bishops of Durham were not stripped of the last of their secular powers until shortly after the death of Bishop [[William Van Mildert]] in 1836 by the [[Durham (County Palatine) Act 1836]].<ref name="Brickstock"/><ref>{{cite book |date=1836 |title=The Statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eFk0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA130 |publisher=His Majesty's Statute and Law Printers|page=130}}</ref>

===Modern===
At the end of the nineteenth century the [[Local Government Act 1894]] created Bishop Auckland [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|Urban District]] council. From 1894 to 1974, the town was governed by the Urban District council within the [[administrative county]] of [[County Durham|Durham]]. The district was enlarged to include a number of surrounding settlements in 1937 when Auckland [[Rural District]] and [[Willington, County Durham|Willington]] Urban District were abolished.<ref>{{Citation
 | title = A vision of Bishop Auckland UD
 | publisher =A vision of Britain
 | url = http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10042847
 | access-date =28 August 2008
}}</ref> The Urban District was replaced, under the [[Local Government Act 1972]], by a two tier district ([[Wear Valley]]) and county system.

The former urban district area was re-parished from the May 2007 local elections with a new town council was established. After the elections, the council elected Barbara Laurie as the town's first re-established mayor.<ref>{{citation
 |title=New Town Council for Bishop Auckland 
 |publisher=Wear Valley District Council 
 |url=http://www.wearvalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=11791 
 |access-date=26 August 2008 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927222613/http://www.wearvalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=11791 
 |archive-date=27 September 2007 
}}</ref> On 25 July 2007, Durham County Council and Wear Valley District Council were replaced on 1 April 2009 by a single [[unitary authority]] serving the whole of County Durham.<ref name="UnitaryMakeUp" /><ref name="Unitary">{{citation
 | title = Durham unitary authority approved
 | work = BBC News
 | date = 25 July 2007
 | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/6915882.stm
 | access-date =26 August 2008 }}</ref>

===Parliament===
The town is a part of the [[Bishop Auckland (UK Parliament constituency)|Bishop Auckland parliamentary constituency]], and is currently represented at [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Westminster]] by [[Sam Rushworth]] MP ([[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]).

Prior to [[Brexit]], for the [[European Parliament]] its residents voted to elect [[Members of the European Parliament|MEP]]'s for the [[North East England (European Parliament constituency)|North East England]] constituency.

===Other===
The town is located in the South Area of the [[Durham Constabulary]],<ref>{{citation
 |title=South Area 
 |publisher=[[Durham Constabulary]] 
 |url=http://www.durham.police.uk/local/south/bishopauckland/ 
 |access-date=12 January 2009 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309061804/http://www.durham.police.uk/local/south/bishopauckland 
 |archive-date=9 March 2009 
}}</ref> and served by the [[County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service]] and [[North East Ambulance Service]].

Bishop Auckland is twinned with the French town of [[Ivry-sur-Seine]], whilst the wider Wear Valley district was twinned with [[Bad Oeynhausen]] in Germany.<ref name="twin">
{{Citation
 |title=Town Twinning 
 |publisher=Wear Valley District Council 
 |url=http://www.wearvalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3913 
 |access-date=29 August 2008 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204011407/http://www.wearvalley.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3913 
 |archive-date=4 December 2008 
}}</ref>

=== Town Hall ===
{{Main|Bishop Auckland Town Hall}}
The Town Hall is a "Gothic style" [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] Building overlooking the town's market place and is Grade II* listed.<ref>{{citation|title=Bishop Auckland Town Hall|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1297550&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway|access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> After being abandoned and then condemned for demolition in the 1980s, the town hall was fully restored in the early 1990s. It now houses the town's main [[public library]], a [[theatre]], an [[art gallery]], tourist information centre and a café-bar.<ref name="H122">{{Harvnb|Hutchinson|2005|pp=121–122}}</ref>

The Town Hall has held three exhibitions for mining artist [[Tom Lamb (artist)|Tom Lamb]]. The first was held in 1999 for his 'Fading Memories' exhibition, then in 2004 for Lamb's 'The Footprints of My Years' exhibition and in 2008 the last exhibition called 'My Mining Days' was held.

==Geography==
Bishop Auckland is located at {{Coord|54|39|36|N|1|40|48|W|type:city(24392)_region:GB-DUR}} ([[British national grid reference system]]: {{gbmapscaled|NZ208294|10|NZ208294}}) on the Durham coalfield at the confluence of the [[River Wear]] with its [[tributary]] the River Gaunless.<ref name="S41" /> The town nestles in the rivers' valley about {{convert|100|m|ft}} above [[sea level]]. Besides this the town is all but is surrounded on all sides by hills ranging in height from around {{convert|150|m|ft}} above sea level to over {{convert|220|m|ft}} above sea level.

Bishop Auckland is located about {{convert|12|mi|km}} northwest of [[Darlington]] and {{convert|12|mi|km}} southwest of [[Durham, England|Durham]]. The town is served by [[Bishop Auckland railway station]], which marks the point where the [[Tees Valley Line]] becomes the [[Weardale Railway]]. The town is not served directly by any [[motorway]]s.

Notable wards include Cockton Hill, Woodhouse Close, and Henknowle. Additionally, once neighbouring villages such as [[South Church, County Durham|South Church]], [[Tindale Crescent]], [[St Helen Auckland]], and [[West Auckland, Durham|West Auckland]] now more or less merge seamlessly into the town.
{{Geographic Location
|title     = Neighbouring settlements.
|Northwest = [[Escomb]] (village)
|North     = [[Willington, County Durham|Willington]] (town)
|Northeast = [[Spennymoor]] (town)
|West      = [[Toft Hill, County Durham|Toft Hill]] (village)
|Centre    = Bishop Auckland
|East      = [[Coundon]] (village)
|Southwest = [[St Helen Auckland]] (suburb/village)
|South     = [[Tindale Crescent]] (suburb/village)
|Southeast = [[Shildon]] (town)
}}

== Demography ==
{| id="toc" style="float: right; margin-left: 2em; width: 40%; font-size: 90%;" cellspacing="3"
|-
!colspan="4"|'''Bishop Auckland Compared'''
|-
| style="width:120px;"|'''[[United Kingdom Census 2001|UK Census 2001]]<ref name="Rates sheet">
{{Citation
 | title = 2001 Census Profiles (Rates) for Major Centres in County Durham
 | publisher = Durham County Council
 | url = http://www.durham.gov.uk/PDFApproved/MCCatchmentSummarySheetsRates.pdf
 | access-date = 6 June 2009
 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="numbers sheet">{{Citation
 |title=2001 Census Profiles (Numbers) for Major Centres in County Durham 
 |publisher=Durham County Council 
 |url=http://www.durham.gov.uk/PDFApproved/MCCatchmentSummarySheets.pdf
 |access-date=29 August 2008 
}}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>'''||'''Bishop Auckland'''||'''[[County Durham]]'''||'''England and Wales'''
|-
|Total population||24,392||493,484||52,041,916
|-
|Foreign born||1.5%||2.0%||8.9%
|-
|Buddhist||0.2%||0.1%||0.3%
|-
|Christian||84.8%||83.5%||71.7%
|-
|Hindu||0.2%||0.1%||1.1%
|-
|Muslim||0.2%||0.2%||3.0%
|-
|No religion||7.3%||9.3%||14.8%
|-
|Over 65 years old||17.2%||16.7%||15.46%
|-
|Unemployed||5.0%||4.8%||4.3%
|}

According to the 2001 census, Bishop Auckland has a population of 24,392, living in 10,336 dwellings. Of these dwellings, around 44% are terraced houses, 33% semi-detached houses, and 17% detached houses. As shown in the graph, the distribution of ages in Bishop Auckland was broadly in-line with that of County Durham and England and Wales, although there is a slightly smaller proportion of people between 20 and 24 years old.

Compared with the national average, the town's population performs poorly with regard to qualifications. At 31.9%, the proportion of the town's population with no qualifications is significantly higher than the national average of 23.2% and 29.1%. Similarly, only 13.8% have a degree level qualification (or higher) compared with the national average of 21.1%.

84.8% of the town's population identify themselves as [[Christian (word)|Christian]], compared with a national average of 71.7%. There are below averages numbers identifying themselves as belonging to other religion. The people of the town are also more likely to be religious than the national average with only 7.3% stating they had no religion compared with the national average of 14.8%.

At 1.5% of the population, the town has a below average population of foreign born individuals, compared with a national average of 8.9%.

[[File:Bishop Auckland Population Pyramid.png|thumb|607px|center|"[[Population pyramid]]" showing the breakdown of the Bishop Auckland's population vs Age compared with the figures for County Durham and England and Wales. Source:<ref name="Rates sheet" />|alt=A bar chart comparing dividing the population into 5-year intervals, and comparing the percentage of the population of Bishop Auckland made up by each interval with the figures for England and Wales and County Durham. The graph shows that the towns population is broadly in line with that nationally, with the exception that Bishop Auckland has a much lower proportion of people aged 20 to 24 years.]]

== Landmarks ==
The town has a number of Grade I [[listed building]]s. The grounds of [[Auckland Castle]] alone contain seven such structures.<ref name="ACG1-1" /> Additionally [[Escomb Church|Escomb Saxon Church]],<ref name="IOEEscomb">{{citation|title=The Saxon Church, Saxon Green, Escomb|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1292122&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway|access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> St Andrew's parish church,<ref name="IOEAnd">{{citation|title=Church of St Andrew|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1196458&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway|access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> St Helen's church,<ref name="StHelenChurch">{{citation|title=Church of St Helen |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1196602&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> St Helen Hall,<ref>{{citation |title=St Helen Hall |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1297566&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> West Auckland Manor House,<ref>{{citation |title=The Manor House |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1209970&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> the East Deanery<ref>{{citation |title=East Deanery |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1196576&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> and the 14th century Bishop Skirlaw bridge are all Grade I listed.<ref name="IOESkirlaw">{{citation|title=Newton Cap Bridge|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1292118&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway|access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> Other notable buildings include the town hall, a Victorian railway viaduct and [[Binchester]] Roman fort.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.durham.gov.uk/article/2011|title=Binchester Roman Fort – Durham County Council|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom}}</ref>

=== Auckland Castle ===
{{Main|Auckland Castle}}
[[File:Auckland Castle - Gatehouse.jpg|thumb|[[Auckland Castle]]'s Gatehouse|alt=A crenellated stone arched gateway. In the middle is a small tower with a blue clock]]
[[Auckland Castle]] (often known locally as ''The Bishop's palace''), was the official residence of the Bishop of Durham since 1832 until 2012. However, its history goes back much earlier, being established as a hunting lodge for the bishops of Durham.<ref name="ACHist">{{Citation
 |title=Castle History 
 |publisher=[[Auckland Castle]] 
 |url=http://www.auckland-castle.co.uk/castle-history.asp 
 |access-date=25 August 2008 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928062749/http://www.auckland-castle.co.uk/castle-history.asp 
 |archive-date=28 September 2008
}}</ref> The castle is surrounded by {{convert|800|acre|km2}} of parkland, which was originally used by the Bishops for hunting and is today open to the public.<ref name="H20">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=20}}</ref> The castle and its grounds contain seven Grade I listed structures.<ref name="ACG1-1">{{citation |title=Auckland Castle |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1196444&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}<br />•{{citation |title=Auckland Castle West Mural Wall |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1196445&resourceID=5|publisher= Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}<br />•{{citation |title=Auckland Castle Gatehouse |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1297645&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}<br />•{{citation|title=Auckland Castle Chapel of St Peter |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1196446&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}<br />•{{citation |title=Auckland Castle Screen Wall |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1196448&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}<br />•{{citation |title=Auckland Castle Deer Shelter |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1297608&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}<br />•{{citation |title=Auckland Castle Lodge |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1297529&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref>

The castle's long dining room is home to 12 of the 13 17th century portraits of [[Jacob]] and his 12 sons painted by [[Francisco de Zurbarán]], which were saved by [[Bishop of Durham|Bishop]] [[Richard Trevor (bishop)|Trevor]] in 1756.<ref>{{citation
 | title = London should keep its hands off the treasures of the north
 | work = The Guardian
 | date = 7 October 2005
 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2005/oct/07/art.politicsandthearts
 | access-date =26 August 2008
| first=Simon
| last=Jenkins}}
</ref> Trevor was unable to secure the 13th, [[Benjamin]], so commissioned [[Arthur Pond]] to produce a copy, which hangs alongside the 12 other originals.<ref>
{{citation
 | title = Bid to keep castle paintings in N-E
 | work = [[The Northern Echo]]
 | date = 14 May 2001
 | url = http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2001/5/14/171061.html
 | access-date =26 August 2008 }}</ref>

[[Auckland Castle]] also provides the setting for [[Lewis Carroll]]'s story "''A Legend of Scotland''".

As discussed in the Tourism section, the Castle re-opened in early November 2019, after a multi-million pound restoration. Additional work continued at and near the castle to make the town a significant tourist attraction. Reports suggests that the revival of the area, dubbed the Auckland Project, will eventually cost a total of about £150m.<ref name="The Art Newspaper"/><ref name="theguardian.com"/>

=== Binchester Roman Fort ===
{{Main|Binchester Roman Fort}}
[[File:Binchester Roman Fort.jpg|thumb|[[Binchester Roman Fort]]|alt=The ruins of a building. The remains of stone walls up to about {{convert|1|ft|m|adj=on}} are all that remains.]]
The route of the [[Roman road]] [[Dere Street]] passes straight through the middle of the town on its way to the nearby Roman Fort at [[Binchester]]. Binchester [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] Fort, or ''Vinovia'' as it was known to the Romans, has one of the best preserved examples of a Roman military [[Public bathing|bath house]] [[hypocaust]] in the country.<ref name="S4445">{{Harvnb |Simpson|1991|pp=44–45}}</ref> Bishop Auckland's main shopping street, Newgate Street, together with Cockton Hill Road and Watling Road faithfully follow the route of Dere Street.<ref name="H11">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=11}}</ref> Watling Road should not be confused with the Roman road [[Watling Street]], which is in the South of England.

==Transport==
[[File:Bishop Auckland Railway Station.jpg|thumb|left|[[Bishop Auckland railway station]]|alt=In the foreground is a single storey building with a pitched roof. A railway platform runs along the length of the building. In the background is a large red warehouse style building.]]
The town has links with the birth of the railways, with the original 1825 route of the [[Stockton and Darlington Railway]] passing through [[West Auckland, Durham|West Auckland]]. [[Timothy Hackworth]], a well-known locomotive builder, built steam locomotives in the neighbouring town of [[Shildon]].<ref>{{Cite ODNB
 | contribution = Hackworth, Timothy (1786–1850)
 | year = 2004
 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
 | last = Carpenter
 | first = George W.
 | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/37500
 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/37500
 | access-date =26 January 2008
}}</ref>

Today, [[Bishop Auckland railway station]] still provides passenger services, and is located at the end of the [[Tees Valley line]]. Since May 2010 it has been re-connected with the [[Weardale Railway]], which provides passenger services up the valley to [[Stanhope, County Durham|Stanhope]]. The town centre had a large railway goods yard until 1972.<ref name="H122" /> Freight traffic ceased to use the line completely in 1993 when [[Blue Circle]] cement stopped using the line to transport cement from its works in [[Eastgate, County Durham|Eastgate]].<ref name="H113">{{Harvnb |Hutchinson|2005|p=113}}</ref>

The nearest airport to the town is [[Teesside Airport]] at around {{convert|19|mi|km}} drive South-East of Bishop Auckland. The nearest motorway junction is Junction 60 of the [[A1(M)]], which is around {{convert|8|mi|km}} away.

The town has a bus station with a number of bus routes serving the town. Following the withdrawal of [[Go North East]] from the town on 8 April 2006, most of these services are provided by [[Arriva North East]].<ref>{{citation
 | title = Go-Ahead will use green diesel
 | work = [[The Northern Echo]]
 | date = 18 February 2006
 | url = http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2006/2/18/218627.html
 | access-date =26 August 2008 }}</ref> However, a number of smaller firms such as Weardale Buses also serve the town.

=== Newton Cap viaduct ===
[[File:Newton Cap Viaduct (geograph 7488900).jpg|thumb|Newton Cap Viaduct]]
The town also has a Grade II listed Victorian [[railway]] [[viaduct]] crossing the [[River Wear]].<ref name="Viaduct">{{citation|title=Newton Cap Railway Viaduct|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1269762&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway|access-date=21 September 2009}}</ref> At {{convert|105|ft|m}} high, the viaduct provides views of the surrounding countryside below as well as Auckland Castle, the Bishop's Park and the Town Hall on approaching the town from the Viaduct. It was originally built in 1857<ref name="Viaduct" /> to carry the Bishop Auckland to Durham City railway line across the River Wear and the Newton Cap Bank that leads down to the river. The railway closed in 1968 and the viaduct fell into a period of disuse and was at one point threatened with demolition.<ref>{{citation|title=Bridge leads to a rich vein of history|date=19 February 2002|url=http://archive.thenorthernecho.co.uk/2002/2/19/145400.html|work=[[The Northern Echo]]|access-date=8 August 2008}}</ref> However, in 1995, the viaduct was converted for vehicle use to take traffic on the [[A689 road|A689]] between Bishop Auckland and Crook, relieving the Grade I listed<ref name="IOESkirlaw" /> fourteenth-century single-lane Bishop [[Walter Skirlaw|Skirlaw]] bridge which sits in the valley below it.<ref name="H122" /><ref name="H128">{{Harvnb|Hutchinson|2005|p=128}}</ref>

On the north side of the bridge sits Eleven Arches Flatts Farm (named after the number of arches in the viaduct) which hosts [[Kynren]], a local historical performance.

==Education==
{{further|List of schools in Durham}}
[[File:Bishop Auckland GCSE results.png|thumb|324px|Chart showing the percentage of pupils at each school achieving 5+ [[GCSE]]s (including Maths and English) at grade A*–C compared with national and LEA averages.<ref name="King James7">{{citation
 | title = League Tables: King James I Community Arts College
 | work = BBC News
 | date = 11 January 2007
 | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/840_4178.stm
 | access-date =26 August 2008}}</ref>
<ref name="2006DUR">{{citation |title=Secondary Schools in Durham |work=BBC News |date=11 January 2007|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/840_alevel_lea.stm}}</ref><ref name="St John 8">{{citation
 | title = League Tables: St John's Catholic School
 | work = BBC News
 | date = 10 January 2008
 | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/07/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/840_4681.stm
 | access-date =10 January 2008 }}</ref><ref name="2007DUR">{{citation
 |title= Secondary schools in Durham
 |work = BBC News
 |date = 10 January 2008
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/07/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/840.stm
 |access-date =24 January 2010}}</ref><ref name="2008DUR">{{citation
 | title = League Tables: Secondary schools in Durham
 | work = BBC News
 | date = 15 January 2009
 | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/08/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/840_gcse_lea.stm
 | access-date =15 January 2009 }}</ref><ref>
{{citation |title=King James I Community Arts College
|url =https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/08/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/840_4178.stm
|date=15 January 2009| work=BBC News }}</ref><ref name="2009DUR">
{{citation
|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/09/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/840.stm
|title =Secondary schools in Durham
|work=BBC News
|date= 13 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{citation
 |title=St John's RCVA Technology School and Sixth Form Centre
 | work = BBC News
 | date = 13 January 2010
 | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/09/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/840_4681.stm
 |access-date =21 January 2010
}}</ref>
<ref name="BBCExam2010">{{citation
|title=Secondary schools in Durham
|work= BBC News
|date=12 January 2011
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/education/school_tables/secondary/10/html/840.stm
 |access-date =12 January 2011
}}</ref><ref name="2011ByLEA">{{citation |title=Regional picture: GCSE results |work=BBC News |date=26 January 2012|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16730017}}</ref><ref name="2011DurhamLEA">{{citation |title=Secondary school league tables in Durham |work=BBC News |date=26 January 2012|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/education/school_tables/secondary/11/html/840.stm}}</ref>
<br />'''Legend'''
{{legend|#800080|[[Bishop Barrington Academy]]}}
{{legend|#000080|[[King James I Academy]]}}
{{legend|#FF9900|[[St John's Catholic School]]}}
{{legend|#000000|National average}}
{{legend|#FF00FF|LEA average}}|alt=A scatter/line graph illustrating the GCSE results at Bishop Auckland schools compared with LEA and national averages.]]
[[File:Bishop Auckland A-Level results.png|thumb|324px|Graph showing average [[A-Level]] points score per students at sixth form's attended by Bishop Auckland students, compared with the national average and Durham LEA average. The A-Level points system changed in 2006 and results from before then cannot be compared with present results.<ref name="2006DUR"/><ref name="2007DUR"/><ref name="2008DUR"/><ref name="2009DUR" /><ref>{{citation
|title=Guide to the secondary tables
|work=BBC News
|date=12 January 2007
|url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6227793.stm}}
</ref><ref name="QE09">{{citation |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/09/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/841.stm |title=Secondary schools in Darlington |date=13 January 2010| work=BBC News }}</ref><ref name="QE08">{{citation
 | title = League Tables: Secondary schools in Darlington
 | work = BBC News
 | date = 15 January 2009
 | url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/08/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/841.stm
 | access-date =15 January 2009 }}</ref><ref name="BBCExam2010"/><ref>{{citation |title =Secondary schools in Darlington |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/07/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/841.stm |date=10 January 2008| work=BBC News }}</ref><ref>{{citation |title =Secondary schools in Darlington |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/secondary_schools/html/841.stm |date=11 January 2007| work=BBC News }}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/schools/performance/group.pl?qtype=LA&no=840&superview=p16  |publisher=Department for Education |title=Performance Tables – Local Authority results |access-date=9 February 2012}}</ref>
<br />'''Legend'''
{{legend|#800080|[[Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College]]}}
{{legend|#000080|[[King James I Academy]]}}
{{legend|#FF9900|[[St John's Catholic School]]}}
{{legend|#FF0000|[[Bishop Auckland College]]}}
{{legend|#000000|National average}}
{{legend|#FF00FF|LEA average}}|alt=A chart illustrating the A-Level point scores discussed in the main text]]
The town itself has three [[secondary school]]s—[[St John's Catholic School]], The [[Bishop Barrington Academy]] and [[King James I Academy]]. The town also has a college, [[Bishop Auckland College]] serving the [[Further Education]] and [[Higher Education]] fields. Both Bishop Barrington and King James schools have long histories, being founded in 1810 by [[Prince-Bishop|Bishop]] [[Shute Barrington|Barrington]] and in 1604 on the orders of [[James I of England|King James I]] respectively.<ref name="Astrop">{{citation
 | last = Lewis
 | first = Samuel
 | title = A Topographical Dictionary of England
 | publisher = S. Lewis & co
 | year = 1831
 | pages = 108–112
 | volume = 1
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=L88qAAAAMAAJ}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Hutchinson|2005|pp=75–77}}</ref>

In the government's Level 2 [[contextual value added|CVA]] (Contextual Value Added) statistic, which measures how much a school improves students between the end of [[National Curriculum for England|National Curriculum]] [[Key Stage 2]] and the end of [[Key Stage 4]], compared with how much other schools in the country improve students with similar circumstances, King James scored 1039.9&nbsp;points, Barrington 1019.3&nbsp;points and St John's scored a below average 997.4&nbsp;points (with 1000 points being the target baseline).<ref name="2011DurhamLEA" />

At [[A-Level]] in 2009, none of the towns sixth form centres average points scores reached the national average of 739.1&nbsp;A-Level points per student or the LEA average of 664.1&nbsp;points. Amongst sixth form centres in the town, St John's performed best with an average score of 661.5&nbsp;points per student. In comparison, King James had an average A-Level score of 557&nbsp;points and Bishop Auckland College with 459.3 points taking last position in the LEA in terms of A-Level point score, a position occupied by King James in the previous year.<ref name="2008DUR"/><ref name="2009DUR"/> The Bishop Barrington Academy no longer has its own [[sixth form]], with the school being a feeder for [[Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College]] in [[Darlington]]. The average A-Level points score at Queen Elizabeth is 871.8.<ref name="QE09" /> The needs of those with [[Special education in the United Kingdom|special educational needs]] are served by Evergreen Primary.

The town is served also by the following primary schools; Cockton Hill Infant, Cockton Hill Junior, Copeland Road Primary, Etherley Lane Primary, Oakley Cross Primary, St Andrew's Primary, St Anne's CofE Primary, St Helen Auckland Community Primary, St Wilfrid's RC Primary, Woodhouse Community Primary, Evergreen Primary School, Prince Bishops Community Primary School.

[[Durham University]]'s Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art is located at Roper House in the centre of Bishop Auckland and offers postgraduate degrees ([[Master of Arts|MA]] and [[PhD]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/zurbaran/about-us/roper-house/|title=Roper House|website=Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art|publisher=Durham University|access-date=29 March 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/zurbaran/postgraduates/|title=Postgraduate Study|website=Zurbarán Centre for Spanish and Latin American Art|publisher=Durham University|access-date=29 March 2023}}</ref>

==Public services==

===Healthcare===
{{See also|Bishop Auckland General Hospital}}
[[File:Bishop Auckland General.jpg|thumb|Bishop Auckland General Hospital|alt=The new Bishop Auckland General facing onto Cockton Hill Road. The picture shows a 3-storey, sandstone clad building, with two large chimneys]]
As is the case with the rest of the United Kingdom, the population of the town is served by the [[National Health Service]] (NHS). The town has its own NHS hospital, [[Bishop Auckland General Hospital]]. The current Bishop Auckland General Hospital has 286 beds, and since opening in 2002 has become a centre specialising in routine surgery.<ref>{{Citation
 |title       = Bishop Auckland General Hospital
 |publisher   = County Durham and Darlington [[National Health Service (England)|NHS]] Foundation Trust
 |url         = http://www.cddft.nhs.uk/Contact+Us/Hospital+Sites/BishopAucklandGeneralHospital.htm
 |access-date  = 30 August 2008
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20081204101717/http://www.cddft.nhs.uk/Contact+Us/Hospital+Sites/BishopAucklandGeneralHospital.htm
 |archive-date = 4 December 2008}}</ref> Although Bishop Auckland General Hospital was built with an [[Accident and Emergency]] department, this was closed and replaced with an "Urgent Care Centre" in 2009, when the local NHS trust concentrated [[acute (medicine)|acute]] health care services at Durham and Darlington, and moved more routine surgery to Bishop Auckland General.<ref>{{citation
 |title=Hospital changes start in summer 
 |work=[[The Northern Echo]] 
 |date=7 May 2009 
 |url=http://www.theadvertiserseries.co.uk/news/wearvalley/4349750.Hospital_changes_start_in_summer/ 
 |access-date=6 June 2009 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724053647/http://www.theadvertiserseries.co.uk/news/wearvalley/4349750.Hospital_changes_start_in_summer/ 
 |archive-date=24 July 2011 
}}</ref><ref>{{citation
 | title = Dates set for loss of Bishop Auckland hospital services
 | work = [[The Northern Echo]]
 | date = 10 September 2009
 | url =http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4590650.Dates_set_for_loss_of_hospital_services/
 | access-date =18 September 2009
}}</ref>

The new hospital was a [[Private Finance Initiative|PFI]] project and was announced by the [[Labour party (UK)|Labour]] government in the summer of 1997.<ref>{{citation
 | work = The Times
 | title = Hospital Records Database – Bishop Auckland General Hospital
 | publisher = [[The National Archives (United Kingdom)|The National Archives]]
 | url = http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/hospitalrecords/details.asp?id=313&page=6
 | access-date =30 August 2008
}}</ref> and temporary huts constructed during [[World War II]].<ref>{{citation
 |title      = Deadline set for move to £67&nbsp;m hospital
 |publisher  = [[The Northern Echo]]
 |date       = 27 September 2001
 |url        = http://archive.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk/2001/9/27/158836.html
 |access-date = 24 August 2008
}}{{Dead link|date=December 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Other local hospitals include [[Darlington Memorial Hospital]] and [[University Hospital of North Durham]], which has replaced Durham Dryburn and was announced on the same day as the new Bishop Auckland General. All three of these hospitals are run by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which provides secondary health care services in the area.<ref>{{citation
 |title       = About the Trust
 |publisher   = County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
 |url         = http://www.cddft.nhs.uk/About+Us/
 |access-date  = 18 January 2009
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20081230140027/http://www.cddft.nhs.uk/About+Us/
 |archive-date = 30 December 2008}}</ref> The local ambulance service is [[North East Ambulance Service]].

===Utilities===
Bishop Auckland's water and sewerage is managed by [[Northumbrian Water Group#Northumbrian Water Limited|Northumbrian Water]]. Water supply comes from [[Burnhope Reservoir]] via the Wear Valley water treatment works at [[Wearhead]]. The present treatment works replaced old works on the site of the present one and another one closer to the town at [[Tunstall Reservoir]].<ref>{{citation
 | title = Royal visit to award-winning water treatment works
 | publisher = [[Northumbrian Water]]
 | date = 22 November 2005
 | url = http://www.nwl.co.uk/newsreleases2005_3042.aspx
 | access-date = 21 February 2009
 | archive-date = 16 May 2008
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080516040227/http://www.nwl.co.uk/newsreleases2005_3042.aspx
 | url-status = dead
 }}</ref> Contrary to popular belief, the town does not receive water from [[Kielder Reservoir]]. Although water from Kielder can be pumped into the [[River Wear]], via the Tyne–Tees tunnel, upstream at [[Frosterley]], this water is not abstracted from the river until it reaches [[Chester-le-Street]]. Equally, although water can be pumped from the tunnel into [[Waskerley Reservoir]], which in turn supplies Tunstall Reservoir, Tunstall water treatment works was closed in 2004, when the new Wear Valley works was brought into service.<ref>{{citation
 |title       = Water Resources Drought Plan
 |publisher   = [[Northumbrian Water]]
 |date        = April 2008
 |url         = http://www.nwl.co.uk/Final_published_drought_plan_April_2008.pdf
 |pages       = 19–20
 |access-date  = 21 February 2009
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110719052151/http://www.nwl.co.uk/Final_published_drought_plan_April_2008.pdf
 |archive-date = 19 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{citation
 | first = David
 | last = Archer
 | author2 = Chris Gibbins
 | title = Hydrological and species-specific responses to water transfers into the River Wear, northeast England.
 | journal = Proceedings of a Boulder Symposium July 1995
 | publisher = [[International Association of Hydrological Sciences|IAHS]]
 | year = 1995
 | url = http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/redbooks/a230/iahs_230_0207.pdf
 | access-date = 6 June 2009
 | pages = 207–218
 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The electricity [[distribution network operator]] for the area is the [[CE Electric UK|CE Electric]]-owned [[Northern Electric|NEDL]] (Northern Electric Distribution Limited). There are no power stations in the town.

==Religion==
{{multiple images|perrow=2|total_width=250px
|image1=Church of St Helen, Auckland, County Durham-by-Vivienne-Smith.jpg|caption1=St Helen's|alt1=In the background is a small stone church building. In the foreground is a graveyard.
|image2=Bishop Auckland Methodist Church.jpg|caption2=The methodist church|alt2= A stone building consisting of a three-storey central body with pitched roof. At one corner of the building is an octagonal-spired tower.
|image3=Escombe Church.jpg|caption3=[[Escomb Church]]|alt3=A small plain church building with a stone porch and no tower. It is surrounded by a graveyard and trees without leaves.
|image4=South Church.jpg|caption4=St Andrew's|alt4=A stone church building with a tower. On the top of the tower, a Saltire flag flies on a pole.}}
The town is in the Auckland [[Deanery]] and [[Archdeaconry]] of the [[Anglican]] [[Diocese of Durham]].<ref>{{citation |title=Archdeacons |url=http://www.durham.anglican.org/diocese-and-admin/archdeacons.aspx|publisher=[[Diocese of Durham]]|access-date=23 September 2009}}</ref> The diocese has its administrative offices at Auckland Castle in the town.<ref>{{citation|title=Diocesan Office |url=http://www.durham.anglican.org/diocese-and-admin/diocesan-office1.aspx |publisher=[[Diocese of Durham]] |access-date=23 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091111021916/http://www.durham.anglican.org/diocese-and-admin/diocesan-office1.aspx |archive-date=11 November 2009 }}</ref> In the [[Roman Catholic]] faith, the town is located in the St William Deanery of the Cleveland and South Durham Episcopal Area, [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle|Hexham and Newcastle Diocese]].<ref>{{citation |title=The Deanery of St William |url=http://www.rcdhn.org.uk/churches07/churchdeanery2.php?did=15|publisher=[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle]]|access-date=23 September 2009}}</ref> Bishop Auckland Baptist Church is part of the family of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baptist.org.uk|title=The Baptist Union of Great Britain : The Baptist Union|website=baptist.org.uk}}</ref> and is part of the Northern Association of Baptist churches<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenba.org.uk/church.htm |title=Church Directory - Northern Baptist Association |access-date=2011-06-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715082826/http://www.thenba.org.uk/church.htm |archive-date=15 July 2011}}</ref>

===Grade listed churches===
The town has three Grade I [[listed building|listed churches]]: the Church of St Helen,<ref name="StHelenChurch" /> the Church of St Andrew,<ref name="IOEAnd" /> and St Peter's chapel at [[Auckland Castle]].<ref name="ACG1-1" />
Three grade II listed churches are in the town: Bishop Auckland [[Methodist]] Church on Cockton Hill Road,
<ref>{{citation |title=Bishop Auckland Methodist Church |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1209024&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=23 September 2009}}</ref> St Anne's church next to the town hall in the Market Place,<ref>{{citation |title=Church of St Anne |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1292201&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=23 September 2009}}</ref> and St Peter's Church on Princes Street.<ref>{{citation |title=Church of St Peter |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1292120&resourceID=5|publisher=Heritage Gateway |access-date=23 September 2009}}</ref>

===Nearby villages===
{{Main|Escomb Church}}
The nearby village of [[Escomb]] is home to a complete Anglo-Saxon church. It is believed the church was built between the years 670 and 690.<ref name="Escomb Church">{{Citation|title=History of the Church|url=http://www.escombsaxonchurch.com/History.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930041637/http://www.escombsaxonchurch.com/History.htm|publisher=[[Escomb Saxon Church]]|access-date=30 August 2008|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Much of the stone used to construct the church came from the nearby Roman fort at Binchester, with some stones having Roman markings on them.<ref name="S4445" /><ref name="Escomb Church" /> The church is a Grade I listed structure.<ref name="IOEEscomb" />

St Andrew's church located in the adjoining village of South Church is the largest church in County Durham<ref>{{Harvnb|Hutchinson|2005|p=70}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Pevsner|first=Nikolaus|title=County Durham|page=411|year=1985|series=The Buildings of England|edition=2|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-14-071009-0|author2=Elizabeth Williamson}}</ref> and a Grade I listed building. The church was built in the thirteenth century and acted as a [[collegiate church]].<ref name="IOEAnd" /><ref>{{harvnb|Hutchinson|2009|p=4}}</ref>

==Sport==
[[File:Woodhouse Close Leisure Centre.jpg|thumb|Woodhouse Close Leisure Complex|alt=A building approximately 3 stories high. For the most part, the building is made up of horizontal columns of an opaque white panel up to around head height, with 3 windows arranged vertically above this. The columns are approximately {{convert|0.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide and run from just below the roof to just above ground level and are separated by vertical wooden beams. Above the columns of windows a corrugated white border runs along the top of the building.]]

Bishop Auckland is famous for its amateur football team, [[Bishop Auckland F.C.]], which won the [[FA Amateur Cup]] a record 10 times in the Trophy's 80-year history, having appeared in the Final on 18 occasions.<ref>{{harvnb|Hutchinson|2005|p=110}}</ref>
Bishop Auckland Football Club also helped out [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] after the [[Munich air disaster]] in 1958 by donating three of their players, [[Derek Lewin]], [[Bob Hardisty]] and [[Warren Bradley (footballer)|Warren Bradley]]. In return in 1996, Manchester United played a friendly against Bishop Auckland to help raise money when the club was threatened with bankruptcy after a member of a rival team sued over an injury. In 2007 Manchester United donated floodlights to Bishop Auckland Football Club, which the club has added to their new ground, Heritage Park. These floodlights have subsequently been upgraded to LED.<ref>{{citation |title=Champs light the way for minnows |date=17 July 2007 |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6902170.stm |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911163839/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6902170.stm |access-date=24 August 2008 |archive-date=11 September 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Amateurs help save the day after disaster |date=6 February 2008 |url=http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/02/06/amateurs-help-save-the-day-after-disaster-61634-20439800/ |work=[[The Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne newspaper)|The Journal]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121180435/http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/02/06/amateurs-help-save-the-day-after-disaster-61634-20439800/ |access-date=24 August 2008 |archive-date=21 January 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In terms of sports facilities, Woodhouse Close Leisure Complex, a council run leisure centre, has a {{convert|25|by|10|m|ft|adj=on}} swimming pool and a {{convert|10|by|5|m|ft|adj=on}} "learner" pool, as well as a gym, sauna, steam room and spa pool. Additionally, football pitches, tennis courts and [[bowls|bowling greens]] are provided at the Town Recreation Ground and Cockton Hill Recreation Ground. Henknowle Recreation Ground has a [[5 a side]] pitch and a basketball court.<ref>{{Citation |title=Leisure centres, swimming pools, multi-use games areas |url=http://www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/Service.aspx?ServiceId=451 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009160657/http://www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/Service.aspx?ServiceId=451 |publisher=[[Durham County Council]] |access-date=22 November 2009 |archive-date=9 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Notable people==
[[File:Laurel and Hardy in Lucky Dog.jpg|thumb|[[Stan Laurel]] (left) lived in the town during his childhood|alt=A promotional poster for Laurel and Hardy's film "Lucky Dog". Laurel is sitting on the left; Hardy is behind him with his hands around Laurel's neck. Both are looking at a small dog on the right.]]
* [[Stan Laurel]] of the comedy duo [[Laurel and Hardy]]<ref>{{harvnb|Hutchinson|2005|p=72}}</ref>
* [[William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong|William George Armstrong]], nineteenth century industrialist<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Armstrong, William George | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Linsley | first = Stafford M. | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/669 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/669 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[William Atkinson (architect)|William Atkinson]], architect<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Atkinson, William (1774/75–1839) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Riddell | first = Richard | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/860 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/860 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[John Bird (astronomer)|John Bird]], scientific instrument maker<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Bird, John (1709–1776) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = McConnell | first = Anita | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/2448 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/2448 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[Eds Chesters]], drummer for [[The Bluetones]] and [[Soho (band)|Soho]]
* [[Jeremiah Dixon]], astronomer and surveyor of the [[Mason–Dixon Line]]<ref>{{Citation | contribution = Dixon, Jeremiah (1733–1779) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Howse | first = Derek | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/articleHL/37360 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[James Craggs the Elder]], 17th century politician<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Craggs, James, the elder | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Handley | first = Stuart | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/6567 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/6567 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[Frederick William Faber]], theologian and catholic priest<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Faber, Frederick William (1814–1863) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Gilley | first = Sheridan | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/9050 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/9050 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[Robert Kaye Greville]], botanist<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Greville, Robert Kaye (1794–1866) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Foote | first = Yolanda | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/11519 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/11519 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[Christopher Hancock]], who played [[Charlie Cotton]] in ''[[EastEnders]]''<ref>{{citation  |title=Obituary — Christopher Hancock  |work=[[The Independent]]  |date=19 November 2004  |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/christopher-hancock-533730.html  |access-date=22 November 2009  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224155505/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/christopher-hancock-533730.html |archive-date=24 December 2015 |location=London  |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Fiona Hill (presidential advisor)|Fiona Hill]], American foreign affairs specialist
* [[Dan Jones (footballer, born 1994)|Dan Jones]], footballer for [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]]
* Sister [[Hilda Marley]], educator and psychologist in Glasgow
* [[Alan Meale|Sir Alan Meale]], the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Mansfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Mansfield]] from 1987 to 2017<ref>{{Citation  |title=Alan Meale's CV  |publisher=[[Alan Meale]]  |url=http://www.alanmeale.co.uk/cv.html  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507172034/http://www.alanmeale.co.uk/cv.html |archive-date=7 May 2009 |access-date=22 November 2009  |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Scarlett Moffatt]], television presenter 
* [[Harold Orton]], linguist<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Orton, Harold (1898–1975) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Ellis | first = Stanley | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/69689 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/69689 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>
* [[Craig Raine]], poet and critic<ref>{{Citation  |title=Craig Raine, Contemporary Writers  |publisher=The [[British Council]]  |url=http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth212  |access-date=22 November 2009  |archive-date=16 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216074837/http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth212 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Thomas Wilfred Sharp]], town planner<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Sharp, Thomas Wilfred (1901–1978) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Stansfield | first = K. M | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/31673 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31673 | access-date =25 January 2008}}</ref>
* [[Peter Soulsby]], the current [[Mayor of Leicester]]<ref>{{Citation  |title=Biography of Sir Peter Soulsby MP  |publisher=[[Peter Soulsby]]  |url=http://www.petersoulsby.org/peter-soulsby-bio.html  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126095548/http://www.petersoulsby.org/peter-soulsby-bio.html |archive-date=26 November 2009 |access-date=22 November 2009  |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
* [[Amy Tinkler]], artistic gymnast
* [[Ross Turnbull]], goalkeeper for [[Chelsea F.C.]]<ref>{{citation  |title=Soccerbase: Ross Turnbull  |work=[[The Racing Post]]  |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=37002 |access-date=22 November 2009  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091216195328/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=37002 |archive-date=16 December 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Charlie Wayman]], footballer who played for [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]], [[Middlesbrough F.C.|Middlesbrough]] and [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]<ref>{{citation  |title=Obituary — Charlie Wayman  |work=The Guardian  |date=7 February 2006  |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/mar/07/guardianobituaries.football  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007122630/http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2006/mar/07/guardianobituaries.football |archive-date=7 October 2008 |access-date=22 November 2009  |location=London  |first=Brian  |last=Glanville  |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Thomas Wright (astronomer)|Thomas Wright]], astronomer<ref>{{Cite ODNB | contribution = Wright, Thomas (1711–1786) | year = 2004 | title = Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | last = Knight | first = David | doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/30060 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/30060 | access-date =24 August 2008}}</ref>

==Climate==
{{climate chart|Bishop Auckland
|0.6|6.2|56.2
|0.8|6.7|38.8
|2.1|9.0|51.1
|3.3|11.2|52.0
|5.7|14.5|49.5
|8.5|17.2|54.8
|10.7|19.8|44.5
|10.6|19.6|61.3
|8.6|16.7|57.5
|6.0|13|56.9
|3.1|9.0|61.5
|1.5|7.0|59.2
|float=right
|source=<ref name="DH Climate">{{Citation
 |title=Durham 1971–2000 averages 
 |publisher=[[Met Office]] 
 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/durham.html 
 |access-date=29 August 2008 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092808/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/sites/durham.html 
 |archive-date=29 September 2007 
}}</ref>
}}
The nearest [[Met Office]] weather station to Bishop Auckland is located {{convert|8|mi|km}} north-east of Bishop Auckland in Durham. The following local figures were gathered at this weather station between 1971 and 2000.

Like the vast majority of the United Kingdom, Bishop Auckland has an [[oceanic climate]] (''Cfb'' in the [[Köppen climate classification]]). At {{convert|643.3|mm|in}}<ref name="DH Climate" /> the average annual rainfall is lower than the national average of {{convert|1125|mm|in}}.<ref name="UK Climate">{{Citation
 |title=UK 1971–2000 averages 
 |publisher=[[Met Office]] 
 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/uk.html 
 |access-date=29 August 2008 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705140124/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/uk.html 
 |archive-date=5 July 2009 
}}</ref> Equally there are only around 121.3 days<ref name="DH Climate" /> where more than {{convert|1|mm|in}} of rain falls compared with a national average of 154.4&nbsp;days.<ref name="UK Climate" /> The area sees on average 1374.6&nbsp;hours of sunshine per year,<ref name="DH Climate" /> compared with a national average of 1354.9&nbsp;hours.<ref name="UK Climate" /> There is [[frost (temperature)|frost]] on 52&nbsp;days<ref name="DH Climate" /> compared with a national average of 55.6&nbsp;days.<ref name="UK Climate" /> Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures are {{convert|12.5|and|5.2|C|F}}<ref name="DH Climate" /> compared with a national averages of {{convert|12.1|and|5.1|C|F}} respectively.<ref name="UK Climate" />

{| style="margin:auto;"
| {{Durham weatherbox}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[Baron Foster of Bishop Auckland]]
* [[Baron Auckland]]
* [[Raby Castle]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{Citation
 | last = Fordyce
 | first = William
 | title = The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham
 | publisher = A. Fullarton and Co.
 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kDdNAAAAMAAJ
 | year = 1857
 | access-date =6 June 2009}}
*{{Citation
 | last = Hutchinson
 | first = Tom
 | title = South Church Memories of an ancient Auckland community
 | publisher = Summerhill Books
 | year = 2009
 | location = Newcastle-upon-Tyne
 | isbn = 978-1-906721-15-2}}
*{{Citation
 | last = Hutchinson
 | first = Tom
 | title = The History of Bishop Auckland
 | publisher = The People's History
 | year = 2005
 | location = Seaham
 | isbn = 978-1-902527-59-8}}
*{{Citation|title=Prince Bishop country the people history and folklore of County Durham and the River Wear|last=Simpson|year = 1991|publisher=North Pennine Publishing|first=David A|isbn=978-1-874617-00-6}}
*{{Citation|title=Northern Roots|last=Simpson|year = 2002|publisher=Business Education Publishers
|first=David A|location = Sunderland|isbn=978-1-901888-35-5}}
* {{Citation
 | last = Whellan
 | first = William
 | title = History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham
 | publisher = William Whellan and Co.
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vN4MAAAAYAAJ
 | year = 1856
 | access-date =6 June 2009}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bishop Auckland}}

{{Durham}}
{{Civil parishes in County Durham}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bishop Auckland| ]]
[[Category:Market towns in County Durham]]
[[Category:Towns in County Durham]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in County Durham]]
[[Category:County Durham places with etymologically Brittonic names]]