Industry news

One of the North East’s most popular visitor attractions and historic sites has scooped a prestigious tourism award which places it in the top 10% of attractions worldwide. 

Part of The Auckland Project, The Spanish Gallery and Auckland Castle, located on the main site in the heart of Bishop Auckland, have both been named Travellers’ Choice Winners by Tripadvisor, the online travel guidance platform.   

The coveted award celebrates businesses that have consistently received great traveller reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months, placing these winners among the 10% of all listings on Tripadvisor globally.  

The Spanish Gallery is the UK’s first gallery dedicated to the art, history and culture of Spain, where visitors can immerse themselves in the Spanish Golden Age. While at Auckland Castle, visitors can appreciate one of the best-preserved bishops’ palaces in Europe, admire the state rooms and enjoy the serenity of the chapels. 

Edward Perry, CEO of The Auckland Project said: “To be given this award is not only recognition of the popularity of the castle and gallery and their contents, but it is also much-deserved appreciation for the people who worked so hard to make them a success. As custodians of this special place, it’s our job to share the rich history of Bishop Auckland and bring transformative change to the people who work, live and visit here, and we feel very honoured to now be ranked among the world’s best.”