Eight hundred years ago the See of Durham, the most powerful Diocese in the North, established Auckland Castle as a hunting lodge for the Prince Bishop. Then virtually monarchs in their own kingdom, the Prince Bishops held military, economic and political power, in additional to their ecclesiastical authority.
Auckland Castle, placed above the Rivers Wear and Gaunless and some ten miles south west of Durham, was no mere country residence. Not for nothing did the town that grew around it take its name from the resident of the Castle. Over hundreds of years, the Castle was expanded until, in 1832, it became the official residence of the Bishop.
In those eight hundred years, Auckland Castle has been a meeting place for many thousands of visitors. Today the Castle remains a meeting place, combining traditional splendour in the original reception rooms with a newly developed conference centre. Auckland Castle offers a unique venue for all types of event from small intimate dinner parties to state banquets and from board meetings to product launches.