Talk by Dr John Castling: The Palace Beneath The Lawn- Rediscovering Auckland Castle

Friends of Norham Castle

Auckland Castle (now known as Auckland Palace) is widely considered to be one of the North East’s most important medieval residential complexes, a significance amplified by the extensive survival of its medieval parkland setting.

Since 2016,  several excavations by Durham University and The Auckland Project have brought a great deal of new information to light that has enhanced the understanding of the site and its significance, not least the discovery of Prince-Bishop Antony Bek’s magnificent early fourteenth-century two-storey chapel. It’s been featured on the BBC’s Digging for Britain (twice) and Channel 5 TV programmes, with annual excavations until summer 2025. Post-excavation work to produce a published report is ongoing. This talk will highlight some of these remarkable discoveries and describe how they have transformed our understanding of the medieval Prince-Bishop’s palace at Auckland.