Member Article

Celebrations in County Durham as Auckland Tower opens its doors

The County Durham community turned out in force to celebrate the opening of the region’s newest landmark, Auckland Tower

There was an upbeat atmosphere as crowds gathered in Bishop Auckland Market Place for the launch of the 29-metre high building, which will now serve as a welcome centre for The Auckland Project visitor destination.

The day’s celebrations began with a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Clive Auld, Chairman of Bishop Auckland Town Team and Founder of The Auckland Project, Jonathan Ruffer.

Mr Ruffer thanked the community for their support and paid tribute to everyone involved in the next stage of The Auckland Project’s development.

“This is the day The Auckland Project comes of age,” he said. “Auckland Tower is our welcome to those who visit Bishop Auckland, with modern architecture that makes a nod to the town’s past and celebrates its future.”

Music from seven-piece band Back Chat Brass then filled the air as more than 1,000 people ventured inside Auckland Tower for the very first time.

Many scaled the iconic tower to enjoy the sights from its 15-metre high viewing platform, offering a brand new perspective on Bishop Auckland and the surrounding countryside.

Others took the opportunity to explore the building’s downstairs ticketing hall and open first floor space, with an intricately decorated ceiling inspired by the borders of medieval illuminated manuscripts.

There, they were able to enjoy family-focussed talks on the powerful Prince Bishops of Durham and an archaeological display featuring finds from the grounds of their former home, Auckland Castle.

Auckland Tower itself is a reflection of Bishop Auckland’s history and its connection to the Prince Bishops. Its unique design, by award-winning architects Niall McLaughlin, echoes historic structures such as siege engines, to evoke the idea of overcoming barriers, which historically stood between the town and the Prince Bishops’ private palace, Auckland Castle.

The history of the Castle, the Bishops and the local landscape also features directly on engraved panels lining the outside of the tower, which tell the story of the area from the Roman era to the present day.

Auckland Tower is the latest new attraction to be opened by The Auckland Project, a new visitor destination being created in Bishop Auckland that will ultimately have Auckland Castle at its heart.

Staffed by a new Visitor Experience Team, the Tower will be the first port of call for The Auckland Project’s visitors, where they can learn about special seasonal events and activities and buy tickets to all elements of the destination.

This includes the Mining Art Gallery, which opened in 2017, as well as the Castle, Spanish Gallery, Walled Garden and Faith Museum, which will open in stages over the next few years. Tickets for each attraction will go on sale close to their respective launch dates.

Auckland Tower was built by Bishop Auckland-based VEST Construction. It was supported by The Headley Trust and made possible by the realignment of Bishop Auckland Market Place, which was funded by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) and delivered by Durham County Council.

The North East LEP, through the Local Growth Fund (LGF), is investing in key capital projects across the North East in support of the Government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative.

LEP Board member, David Land, said: “The North East LEP is delighted to be able to support the ambitions of The Auckland Project and Durham County Council to boost the visitor economy of Bishop Auckland. The attractions and appeal of events so far have demonstrated the potential reach to attract audiences far beyond the North East and help bring jobs and new skills to the local economy.”

Auckland Tower is now open daily 10am to 4pm in Bishop Auckland Market Place. Tickets to climb the tower are £3 for adults and £1 for under-16s. Entry is also included with tickets for Mining Art Gallery.

For more information please visit aucklandproject.org/auckland-tower/ sign up to The Auckland Project’s regular newsletter or follow The Auckland Project on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by The Auckland Project .