3 Best Sights in Bishop Auckland, The Northeast

Formerly known as Head of Steam, this recently reimagined, family-friendly museum in Darlington, 10 miles southeast of Bishop Auckland, tells the story of the early days of rail travel. The town gained fame in 1825 when George Stephenson piloted his steam-powered Locomotion No. 1 along newly laid tracks the few miles to nearby Stockton, thus kick-starting the railway age. Set on a 7.5-acre site, including an abandoned 1833 goods shed, 1842 train station, and 1853 carriage works, the museum has interactive exhibits and big steam trains that are great for kids. The antique engines and scale models help bring history to life, while the new (2024), purpose-built Darlington Locomotive Works gives visitors a chance to see engineering in action. The site also includes a café, distillery, and railway-themed adventure play park, and regular events are held on Foundry Green. Hopetown is a 25-minute drive from Bishop Auckland (just off the A68), or there are regular train connections; get off at North Road (Darlington) station.

The stone battlements and turrets of moated Raby Castle, once the seat of the powerful Nevilles and currently the home of the 12th Baron Barnard, stand amid a 200-acre deer park and ornamental gardens. Charles Neville supported Mary, Queen of Scots in the 1569 uprising against Elizabeth I; when the Rising of the North failed, the estate was confiscated. Dating mostly from the 14th century (using stone plundered from Barnard Castle) and renovated in the 18th and 19th centuries, the luxuriously furnished castle has displays of art and other treasures. Rooms in wonderfully elaborate Gothic Revival, Regency, and Victorian styles are open for public viewing (seek out the spectacular Octagon Drawing Room), as are the remodeled 18th-century Walled Gardens. The gardens are part of The Rising, a brand-new development that features heritage buildings converted into event spaces, restaurants, and shops. The castle is 6½ miles northeast of Barnard Castle.

Arguably the greatest of the prince-bishops of Durham's properties is this Episcopal palace, which you enter through an elaborate stone arch. Much of what's on view today dates from the 16th century, although the limestone-and-marble chapel, with its dazzling stained glass windows, was built in 1665 from the ruins of a 12th-century hall. The extraordinary paintings of Jacob and his 12 sons, by the 17th-century Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán, hang in the Long Dining Room. Informative videos and immersive projections throughout the property cover everything from the history of the prince-bishops to the bitter miners' strike of 1892. Your ticket also includes access to the on-site Faith Museum, documenting 5,000 years of religious belief in Britain, as well as the garden and deer park.