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Indoors

Auckland Palace

Bishop AucklandAges 5-15
Courtesy of Auckland Palace

BEST FOR

Ages 5-15

ENTRY

from £13.50

SETTING

Indoors

WHERE

Bishop Auckland

What it’s like

A thousand years of history in one bishop's palace, from a private chapel the size of a church to Old Master paintings and a Faith Museum.

This is a proper palace, not a stately home dressed up as one. Kids can wander through rooms that have belonged to the Bishops of Durham for a millennium, stand in St Peter's Chapel (one of the largest private chapels in Europe, so it says, and it certainly sounds it), and hunt out the Zurbarán paintings of Jacob and his Twelve Sons in the Long Dining Room. The Faith Museum adds another 6,000 years of story on top, which is a lot to take in alongside everything else.

Tickets aren't cheap. A family of two adults and up to three kids is £75 for the Palace alone, or £60 if you book the Palace and Gardens combo online, which is the better route if you know you're going. Under-5s get in free, and there's a £5 concession ticket for anyone on universal credit, bought in person on the day.

The site itself reckons a single day won't cover everything, and once you've factored in the Bishop Trevor Rooms' changing exhibitions alongside the permanent collections, that tracks. Opening hours are Wednesday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays, 10:30am to 4pm, with last entry at 3:30pm, so this isn't a rock up after lunch and squeeze it in kind of visit.

There's a café on site for the inevitable mid-visit flag, and wheelchair access is properly thought through with lifts to the Palace, Tower and galleries plus manual wheelchairs available if you need one. Parking is 650m away at North Bondgate, £1 for two hours or £4 for the day, and it's a fifteen-minute walk from Bishop Auckland station if you're coming by train.

What’s on here

Facilities

Accessible toilet
Café
Gift shop
Parking
Toilets
Wheelchair accessible

Need to know

Best for
5 to 15; younger kids get in free but may find the history heavy going
Last entry
3:30pm
Parking
North Bondgate car park, 650m away
How long to allow
It takes more than a day to delve into over a thousand years of history
Food
Bishop's Kitchen café with home-cooked food and cakes
Wheelchairs
Accessible lifts in Palace, Tower, Spanish Gallery and Mining Art Gallery
Dogs
Assistance dogs welcome with ID
Getting there by bus or train
Bishop Auckland station, 15-minute walk
  • Under-5s are free everywhere, so no need to buy a ticket for a baby or toddler
  • Booking online for the Palace and Gardens combo saves a few pounds over paying on the day
  • There's a £5 universal credit concession ticket, but it has to be bought in person on arrival
  • Dogs are allowed in the outdoor spaces and at the Park Head Hotel, just not inside the Palace itself
  • If one day genuinely isn't enough, you can upgrade a day pass to an annual Bishop's Key for the difference

Plan your visit

How much does it cost?

£13.50 for a child and £30 for an adult if you pay on the day for the Palace alone. Booking online for Palace and Gardens together brings it down to £10.80 and £24.

Is there a family ticket?

Yes, £75 for two adults and up to three children for the Palace, or £60 online for Palace and Gardens. There's also a one-adult version at £45.

What age counts as a child ticket?

5 to 15 is the child rate. Under-5s go in free.

How long should we set aside?

Longer than you'd think. The site itself says a single day is not really enough to cover a thousand years of history properly.

What time do we need to arrive by?

Last entry is 3:30pm, with the Palace open 10:30am to 4pm Wednesday to Sunday and bank holiday Mondays.

Is there parking?

North Bondgate car park is 650m away, £1 for up to two hours or £4 for the whole day.

Can we get there by train?

Bishop Auckland station is a fifteen-minute walk away, with hourly trains from Darlington taking about 25 minutes.

Is it wheelchair accessible?

There are accessible lifts in the Palace, Tower and both galleries, manual wheelchairs available on request, and a complimentary carer ticket.

Is there anywhere to eat?

Bishop's Kitchen café does home-cooked food and cakes, and the Park Head Hotel restaurant is also on site.

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