FEATURE
Bird ' s eye view – An aerial shot of Bishop Auckland town centre .
It is no longer an act of faith to invest in the town – it ’ s common sense .”
And a word from Jonathan … of the Bishop of Durham - was bought by philanthropist and founder of The Auckland Project , Jonathan Ruffer .
Jonathan , who grew up in Stokesley , wanted to preserve the building together with its famous Zurbarán paintings . But more than that , he saw the potential of the area as a whole and wanted to help revive it .
And , true to his word , that ’ s what ’ s happening , thanks to The Auckland Project – a regeneration charity that seeks to fuel longterm social and economic change through the arts , culture and heritage by creating a visitor destination at the heart of Bishop Auckland . Its main components are : Auckland Castle , garden and grounds – once the private home of the Durham Prince Bishops and built as a symbol of power and authority .
The Spanish Gallery – the UK ’ s first gallery dedicated to the art , history and culture of Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries .
Mining Art Gallery – an art collection giving a unique insight into the lives and souls of coal miners .
Auckland Tower – enjoy a bird ’ s eye view across the town .
Faith Museum – explore the stories and impact of faith in Britain and Ireland .
Weardale Railway – a historic and picturesque 18-mile stretch of track that trundles along the beautiful Durham Dales .
Kynren – a historical outdoor-theatre spectacular played out against the imposing backdrop of Auckland Castle .
And that ’ s not all … there are more attractions planned for future years .
And with the people it brings to the area , plus the contribution it makes to the local economy , it ’ s a project that is acting as a catalyst for the area ’ s regeneration .
AN EXCITING FUTURE Inspired by Jonathan Ruffer ’ s ongoing investment , and with The Auckland Project ’ s attractions continuing to draw thousands of people to the area , the town has attracted funding from various other sources towards its big regeneration plans – not least a £ 33.2m award from the government ’ s Stronger Towns Fund .
The funding application detailed three ideas which embodied the town ’ s vision for its future – and they still apply today . They are : > Develop Bishop Auckland into a visitor destination of choice with international prominence .
> Strengthen its established position as a 21stcentury market town and service centre for the whole of south-west Durham .
The man who started it all , Jonathan Ruffer , says it ’ s now simply “ common sense ” to invest in the reborn Bishop Auckland .
He told This Is Tees Valley : “ Bishop Auckland is the natural commercial capital of County Durham , just as Durham City is its cultural capital .
“ Over the years , the yang of Bishop Auckland had been eclipsed , and the whole of the county was the poorer because of this . Twelve years ago , we thought that it was worth reversing its fortunes – to begin with , we were lifting a deadweight , but now there is energy and a new spirit in the town . It is no longer an act of faith to invest in the town – it ’ s common sense .”
> Open up the town ’ s potential as the gateway to County Durham ’ s “ hidden gem ” – the Durham Dales . It also outlined anticipated outcomes from the massive investment project , including 1.5m annual visitors , hundreds of new special events enabled , 3,750 jobs and over £ 200m of private sector investment into Bishop Auckland , with up to £ 100m of other investment .
For more about The Auckland Project , visit aucklandproject . org For investment and development enquiries email : development @ aucklandproject . org
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