Restored bishop's palace of nearly nine hundred years in Bishop Auckland, County Durham
Auckland Castle is a bishop's palace in Bishop Auckland, the seat of the Prince Bishops of Durham for nearly nine hundred years, now restored by The Auckland Project and hired for weddings of up to around 200 guests.
Auckland Castle stands in the market place of Bishop Auckland in County Durham. For nearly nine hundred years it was the palace of the Prince Bishops of Durham, who held their own court and ruled the border country, and The Auckland Project has now restored it as a heritage attraction and wedding venue.
The grand rooms are hired for the wedding. Couples marry in the State Rooms, beneath the Gothic canopy of the pink Throne Room, or in St Peter's Chapel, among the largest private chapels in Europe. Ceremonies take up to around 150, and the panelled Long Dining Room, hung with Zurbaran's twelve patriarchs, seats about 120 for the wedding breakfast. Restored walled gardens and a historic deer park lie behind the palace. Catering comes from a list of approved caterers, and guests stay at hotels and inns nearby. Durham is about twelve miles away and Newcastle thirty minutes.
Auckland Castle
Images courtesy of Auckland Castle
For nearly nine hundred years the castle was the palace of the Prince Bishops of Durham, who held their own court and governed the border country. The Auckland Project has since restored it as a heritage attraction and wedding venue.
Couples marry in the State Rooms, beneath the white Gothic canopy of the pink Throne Room, or in St Peter's Chapel, whose Gothic nave rises to a painted ceiling lit by tall lancet windows.
The wedding breakfast is served in the panelled Long Dining Room under Zurbaran's twelve patriarchs, by candlelight, with drinks in the State Rooms and the walled gardens.
Behind the palace lie restored walled gardens and a historic deer park, set aside for outdoor drinks, photographs and quieter moments.
For nearly 900 years the seat of the Prince Bishops of Durham, now a restored heritage wedding venue.
The PalaceGrand Gothic rooms, the Long Dining Room hung with Zurbaran and the pink Throne Room, for the ceremony and feast.
The Rooms
One of the largest private chapels in Europe, a soaring Gothic nave for the ceremony.
The ChapelRestored walled gardens and a historic deer park in the grounds, for drinks and photographs.
The Grounds
The panelled Long Dining Room, hung with Zurbaran's Jacob and his Twelve Sons, the great banqueting room of the palace, set for a candlelit wedding breakfast beneath the patriarchs.
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The pink Throne Room, with its white Gothic throne canopy, the most theatrical of the State Rooms, a dramatic setting for the ceremony or a reception.
EnquireThe State Rooms, the Long Dining Room, the Throne Room and St Peter's Chapel, with the walled gardens and deer park.
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Auckland Castle stands in the market place of Bishop Auckland, in the heart of County Durham, a restored bishop's palace with walled gardens and a deer park behind it. It is about twelve miles from the cathedral city of Durham and around thirty minutes from Newcastle, within easy reach of the East Coast Main Line and Newcastle Airport, so guests reach one of the North's most historic venues with ease, with hotels and inns nearby.
Auckland Castle, Market Place, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 7NR, England
Bishop Auckland (Northern Trains) is the nearest station, about 0.4 miles from the venue in a straight line.
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In the market place of Bishop Auckland, in County Durham, about twelve miles from Durham and around thirty minutes from Newcastle.
Yes. The grand rooms of the palace are hired for the wedding, including the State Rooms, the Long Dining Room, the Throne Room and St Peter's Chapel, along with the walled gardens and deer park.
Ceremonies take up to around 150 in St Peter's Chapel and the State Rooms, and about 120 can sit down in the Long Dining Room, with more standing for a reception.
In the State Rooms, beneath the Gothic canopy of the Throne Room, or in St Peter's Chapel, one of the largest private chapels in Europe.
Catering comes from a list of approved caterers, with full dietary and cultural catering possible.
No. It is a heritage events venue, and guests stay at hotels and inns in Bishop Auckland and across County Durham.
Yes. Restored walled gardens and a historic deer park are available for drinks and photographs.
It is a panelled banqueting room hung with Francisco de Zurbaran's Jacob and his Twelve Sons, a seventeenth-century Spanish cycle that has hung there for nearly three centuries.
Hire is bespoke and given on request around your date and plans.
Prices on request
Ask for a place, a name, a trade or the whole wedding. Every answer comes from checked records.
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