The Auckland Project & Kynren – Bishop Auckland

Bishop Auckland has quietly become one of the most surprising days out in the North East. The Auckland Project has transformed this Durham market town into a genuine cultural destination, centred on Auckland Palace — for 900 years the home of the Prince Bishops of Durham, the original “Kings of the North.” Around it sits a remarkable cluster of museums, galleries and gardens, and on summer Saturday evenings the town hosts Kynren, an open-air spectacular that tells 2,000 years of English history with a cast of a thousand, galloping horses and fireworks.

Location Details

• County: Durham
• Post Code: DL14 7NR (Auckland Palace and the town-centre attractions; Kynren has its own signposted showground and parking on the edge of town)

The Daytime Attractions

• Auckland Palace: Wander state rooms and the famous long dining room hung with Zurbarán’s paintings, then head out into the re-imagined 17th-century Walled Garden and the 150-acre ancient Deer Park.
• Faith Museum: An award-winning museum telling 6,000 years of British history through the lens of belief — far more engaging than it might sound, with some genuinely extraordinary objects.
• Spanish Gallery: The UK’s first gallery dedicated to the Spanish Golden Age, with works by El Greco, Velázquez and Zurbarán in a beautifully converted bank.
• Mining Art Gallery: A moving collection of over 400 works by coalfield artists — a very personal window on the region’s industrial past.
• Auckland Tower: The visitor centre, with a 15-metre viewing platform looking out across the town and the palace — a good place to start.

Kynren – An Epic Tale of England

On summer Saturday evenings, roughly July to September, the show takes over a vast riverside arena beneath the palace. Expect Romans, Vikings, knights on horseback, a Tudor court, wartime scenes, water effects and a firework finale — all performed by a huge volunteer cast. Arrive early: there’s a working Viking Village to explore before the show, with roundhouses, blacksmiths and live crafts. Bring layers — the show ends after dark and the seating is open-air.

Good to Know

• Tickets: The Bishop’s Key pass covers the palace, gardens and all three museums and is valid for a full 12 months — excellent value if you’re local or likely to return. Kynren is ticketed separately and books up fast, so reserve well ahead.
• Duration: You can fill a whole day around the daytime attractions alone; Kynren is an evening in itself. Many visitors make a weekend of it.
• Food & Drink: The Bishop’s Kitchen café sits in a refurbished Tudor kitchen at the heart of the palace, and the town has plenty of independent options.
• Accessibility: The main attractions have step-free routes and accessible facilities; the Deer Park paths are unsurfaced in places, so sensible footwear helps.

Eat, Drink & Stay Nearby

You’re well fed on site: the Bishop’s Kitchen café occupies a refurbished Tudor kitchen inside the palace, and El Castillo, the tapas restaurant attached to the Spanish Gallery, is a lovely lunch to pair with the paintings. The Market Place outside has a good spread of independent cafés and bakeries for something quicker.

Kynren finishes late, so staying over locally makes the evening far more relaxed — and Weardale and Teesdale on the doorstep are classic cottage country.

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