Auckland Castle

Art, faith, and heritage safeguarded through restoration

Introduction

Purcell, in collaboration with Níall McLaughlin Architects, were appointed as architect and design team lead for the transformation of Auckland Castle, a 900-year-old, Grade I-listed episcopal palace in County Durham. The project forms the centrepiece of The Auckland Project’s long-term vision to drive social, economic and cultural regeneration in Bishop Auckland.

The private residence of the powerful Bishops of Durham for nearly a millennium, Auckland Castle had become disconnected from the community. The Auckland Project sought to reverse this legacy by opening the castle and its extraordinary collection to the public, creating a space for faith and heritage that would engage both locals and visitors.

Auckland Castle has an exceptionally high heritage significance. As a result, the development required a meticulous process of statutory consultation and consents. Purcell led the project through a detailed appraisal of the development's heritage assets to understand their significance and capacity for change.

Auckland Castle, with the town of Bishop Auckland in the background

Collaborative masterplanning

Following the design competition win in 2012, Purcell created an ambitious and evolving masterplan. Initially focused on the castle and what became the Faith Museum, the plan grew to encompass the town’s marketplace, a new Welcome Tower, a contemporary restaurant in the historic walled garden, and a consolidated energy centre.

Working in close partnership with Historic England, the National Trust, and local authorities, we developed a sensitive yet bold design response that respected the castle’s heritage while welcoming new architectural expressions.

Auckland Tower and Faith Museum, by Niall McLaughlin

'Painstaking conservation works to Auckland Castle by Purcell help safeguard its historic fabric for future generations [...] Purcell deserves praise for its seemingly effortless incorporation of a fully accessible visitor route – not to be underestimated in a listed building with a warren of internal levels at play.'

– RIBA Award Judges

Integrated conservation and design

A robust conservation management plan (CMP) developed by Purcell’s in-house heritage consultancy guided the castle’s renewal. It shaped design decisions and allowed for flexibility during construction, ensuring discoveries on site could be thoughtfully integrated.

Our approach treated each space individually, assessing significance, character and intended use. For example, in the formal state rooms, we pursued meticulous restoration, whereas the 16th-century Scotland Wing was remodelled with a two-storey extension designed by Niall McLaughlin to created 11 new exhibition galleries.

We worked closely with Níall McLaughlin to ensure coherence between the historic and the new. For example, oak was used in the castle as a fitting hardwood and a contemporary interpretation of oak in the extension, creating a cohesive experience for visitors. The desire for a high, floor-to-ceiling height in the new galleries meant adjusting the levels within the existing building to ensure seamless, level access throughout.

We created discovery moments where possible, such as revealing a Tudor fireplace through a glazed lift shaft or preserving a 16th-century timber screen behind the castle café servery. These decisions both serve to celebrate the site’s layered history and enhance visitor experience.

The Throne Room

Craftsmanship and sustainability

The project’s delivery relied on the expertise of local craftspeople. Original features such as the 1790s Throne Room floorboards were carefully conserved, with a specialist floorboard restorer brought in to work on the hand-finger-jointed boards that ran the length of the room.

Our conservation strategy also placed a strong emphasis on environmental performance. A site-wide energy strategy was implemented via a centralised plant, supporting sustainability goals and helping maintain stable environmental conditions for sensitive collections, particularly within the new Faith Galleries.

Restored state rooms

Legacy and regeneration

Auckland Castle’s revitalisation has played a key role in reshaping Bishop Auckland’s cultural identity and civic pride. It created over 8,000 training and development opportunities, including 60 apprenticeships, ensuring long-term impact.

The Welcome Tower now offers a symbolic and physical reconnection between castle and town. It was designed specifically to offer an elevated viewing platform where people could look down on the castle, not just as an architectural feature – but also as a social and cultural one. It represents the opening-up of the castle to the town, and to the people who were historically excluded from it.

The fully accessible visitor route is effortlessly incorporated into the scheme – a task that required careful thought in a listed building with a warren of internal levels at play.

What began as a conservation project became a catalyst for regeneration. By integrating heritage expertise with masterplanning vision, and delivering exemplary preservation alongside contemporary design, Purcell has helped to transform Auckland Castle into a living monument.

To celebrate its restoration, the project was renamed Auckland Palace; in 2024, it was the recipient of RIBA Building of the Year North East.

'We’re immensely proud that this magnificent site will finally be known as Auckland Palace, and we are excited for more people to discover the role that Auckland Palace has played in Britain’s history. Where once this was a palace just for the Prince Bishops, now everyone can come to explore the magnificent rooms, wander through the gardens, admire art or attend an event.

Who knows what the next 900 years will have in store?'

– Edward Perry, CEO, The Auckland Project