His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester has seen first-hand how investment and community spirit is transforming the town of Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
Guided by Jonathan Ruffer, Chair of North East charities Auckland Castle Trust and Eleven Arches, The Duke enjoyed a tour of the historic Auckland Castle, and Bishop Auckland’s changing Market Place, as well as an opportunity to explore the £70m revitalisation programme currently being undertaken by Auckland Castle Trust.
This included a look inside the former Old Bank Chambers, which is currently being transformed into a Mining Art Gallery, as well as a chance to view architectural models of the charity’s Future Plans, including the Welcome Building, Walled Garden, Spanish Art Gallery and Faith Museum.
After being shown where local contractors have begun early construction for the Welcome Building and Walled Garden, and where volunteers are now working alongside archaeologists from Durham University to excavate the site for the Faith Museum, His Royal Highness was escorted on a visit inside Auckland Castle by Jonathan Ruffer and his wife, Dr Jane Ruffer.
Once a private palace for the Prince Bishops of Durham, the 900 year-old Castle is now benefitting from a £17m restoration, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), which will put it at the heart of the revitalised Bishop Auckland and create an art, faith and heritage destination of international importance.
Inside the Castle, The Duke met with key figures from Bishop Auckland and County Durham, including Sue Snowdon, HM Lord Lieutenant, Helen Goodman MP, Terry Collins, Chief Executive of Durham County Council and Cllr Ann Golightly, Mayor of Bishop Auckland.
Also included in the welcoming committee were a number of Bishop Auckland residents who are part of the ambitious transformation being led by Auckland Castle Trust.
Following the Castle visit, His Royal Highness visited the Eleven Arches site, home of open air spectacular Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, which has benefitted from a £30m investment and features a cast and crew of more than 1,000 volunteers.
The Duke was shown around the set by Anne-Isabelle Daulon, Chief Executive of Eleven Arches, the sister charity to Auckland Castle Trust and given a small taste of the live action that attracted more than 100,000 visitors during the show’s first season in 2016. This year, Eleven Arches expects to host around 135,000 visitors across 17 performances planned for the summer season.
For more information about Auckland Castle Trust and its Future Plans please visit www.aucklandcastletrust.org and for Kynren – An Epic Tale of England, visit www.kynren.co.uk