Member Article

Archaeological dig kick starts £50 million Auckland Castle visitor plans

Archaeological works are underway at Auckland Castle ahead of a multi-million pound investment to transform the estate into a major heritage site.

Millionaire financier Jonathan Ruffer has acquired the Castle and its grounds from the Church of England and will undertake development works to the tune of £50 million.

Mr Ruffer has formed the Auckland Castle Trust to develop the landmark, and has ambitions to do what the Guggenheim museum has done for Bilbao in northern Spain.

The plan is to attract 150,000 visitors a year and drive wider economic and social regeneration of Bishop Auckland - attracting £3 million a year to the region, and jobs.

The initial first stage of historical analysis is part of the Heritage Lottery Fund supported project which is also backed by several charitable organisations.

Jonathan Ruffer shows Prince Charles around Auckland Castle in 2013

Just ten days into the dig a mysterious set of building remains have left the archaeological team from Durham University scratching their heads.

Evidence of burning in a grassed area close to the castle’s Scotland Wing - so-called because that is where prisoners’ from north of the Border were once housed – has astonished the Castle’s head curator.

Dr Chris Ferguson says the volume of debris is a puzzle and could suggest a “very dramatic end” to the buildings once associated with the main palace.

Another two weeks of archeological digging will take place before the next phase of the restoration and development can take place.

The attraction, which is being supported by £10 million of Heritage Lottery Fund money, will feature exhibitions with never before seen artefacts such as a prayer book that once belonged to Henry VIII’s mother, Elizabeth of York and the bed in which Henry VIII is believed to have been conceived in.

Around 107 equivalent permanent jobs and 22 full-time training positions are expected to be created as part of the plans.

Auckland Castle is currently open to the public 10.30am-4pm every day except Tuesday. Admission is £8 for adults, with children under 16 going free. But anyone who would like to take part in the castle’s ongoing consultation process will receive a £4 admission refund.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .