Auckland and Durham Castles in the
Eighteenth Century

Pears, Richard

Abstract

This chapter examines how the bishops' aspirations for contemporary secular amenities were incorporated in buildings that also had episcopal requirements. It suggests that the former were the principal focus of eighteenth-century modifications to Durham Castle and Auckland Castle, as the bishops employed the same architectural features and craftsmen as their lay peers. Eighteenth-century Bishops of Durham were drawn from gentry and aristocratic families, and as wealthy, educated, landowning men they shared with their secular peers an expectation to live in houses of suitable state to their social position. Auckland Castle became the favoured residence for the bishops when they were in the Palatinate during the eighteenth century. This was partly because the growth of industries and population in Durham City made Durham Castle a less attractive residence. Although some bishops preferred Auckland Castle as a residence, Durham Castle was 'the ceremonial centre of the bishops' power'.

Citation

Eighteenth Century. In D. Rollason (Ed.), Princes of the Church: Bishops and Their Palaces (615-641). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315229553

• Acceptance Date: Jun 15, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jun 7, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017
• Deposit Date: Jun 15, 2016
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 615-641
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Book Title: Princes of the Church: Bishops and Their Palaces
• Chapter Number: 21
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315229553