Gateway to the Durham Dales

By Linda Tancs

Known as the gateway to the Durham Dales, Bishop Auckland is a bustling market town in England’s Vale of Durham. As the name implies, the town was home to the bishops of Durham. Their principal residence for centuries was Auckland Castle, one of the best-preserved bishop’s palaces in Europe. Also known as “Kings of the North,” they would come to be known as prince-bishops owing to the princely powers granted to them by the king, such as the power to mint their own coins and levy taxes, raise an army and establish their own legal court. Now a tourist attraction, the castle still houses the bishop’s offices.