Auckland Palace and Gardens Shortlisted for Two Regional Tourism Awards
A town’s heritage is doing more than drawing visitors in Bishop Auckland, where Auckland Palace and Gardens have been named a finalist in two categories at the North East England Tourism Awards 2026. The historic attraction, run by the regeneration charity The Auckland Project, is up for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year and Regenerative Tourism. That double shortlisting speaks to both the quality of the experience offered to visitors and the charity’s broader efforts to bring lasting benefit to the town and the people who live in it.
The annual awards celebrate excellence, innovation and best practice across the visitor economy in County Durham, Northumberland and Tyne & Wear. They are delivered in partnership with VisitEngland, and Gold winners who qualify will go forward to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. For residents, the significance lies less in trophies than in what the recognition signals: tourism in Bishop Auckland is being measured not only by visitor numbers but by the difference it makes to the community.
That regenerative dimension is visible in everyday practice at the palace. Fresh produce hand-picked from the estate’s Walled Garden is regularly harvested and served across the charity’s venues, including the Bishop’s Kitchen at Auckland Palace, the El Castillo Spanish tapas restaurant and the Park Head Hotel. Surplus yields are donated to local charities and foodbanks, meaning the historic estate’s gardens now contribute directly to food provision in the surrounding area.
Vic Cunningham, Head of Visitor Experience at The Auckland Project, said the charity was incredibly proud to see the attraction shortlisted in two categories, recognising the difference it makes for visitors and for Bishop Auckland. Being recognised for both the visitor experience and regenerative tourism was particularly special, she said, explaining that everything the organisation does is about giving people a memorable reason to visit the town while ensuring tourism brings lasting benefits to it and its community. The recognition, she added, also reflects the passion and hard work of staff and who make visitors feel welcome and help bring the remarkable stories of Auckland Palace and Bishop Auckland to life every day.
The palace itself carries a long civic history. It served as the primary country residence of the Prince Bishops of Durham for more than 800 years, and those bishops wielded extraordinary powers, including the authority to dispense justice, mint currency and raise an army. Today the site offers visitors St Peter’s Chapel, restored Georgian Gothic state rooms and Francisco de Zurbarán’s celebrated paintings of Jacob and His Twelve Sons.
The grounds are equally extensive. They include the 150-acre Deer Park and 10 acres of gardens, originally designed as a private domain where bishops could escape the turbulence of the north, entertain guests and produce fresh food for the estates. The meticulously restored gardens, designed by Pip Morrison, comprise the 17th-century Walled Garden, the Faith Garden, the Paradise Garden and the Wilderness Garden.
Meanwhile, The Auckland Project’s wider ambitions reach beyond the palace walls. The charity works to establish Bishop Auckland as a major cultural destination and to create opportunities for the local community through employment, education, skills and sustainable economic growth. Its visitor destination takes in the Faith Museum, the Spanish Gallery, the Mining Art Gallery, Auckland Tower, the Weardale Railway and Binchester Roman Fort, giving the town a cluster of cultural attractions that together support local jobs and learning.
Further details about the shortlisting can be found at https://www.visitcountydurham.org/news/auckland-palace-and-gardens-shortlisted-for-two-regional-tourism-awards/ and more information about the charity is available at https://aucklandproject.org/.
For Bishop Auckland, the shortlisting is a moment of recognition, but the deeper story is one of a heritage site being put to work for the public good, from food donated to foodbanks to jobs, skills and opportunities created for the community that lives in its shadow. Whether the palace converts its double nomination into Gold, and a place at the national VisitEngland Awards, will be decided when the winners are announced.