ASHER’s second visit of 2024 was to the Auckland Project in Bishop Auckland, the inspired brainchild of retired investment banker Jonathan Ruffer. We began with a guided tour of Auckland Castle, the former Palace of the Prince Bishops of Durham, from the spiritual heart of St Peter’s Chapel, through the state rooms and Bishops’ private apartments, culminating in the formal dining room, with its unique portraits of the 12 sons of Jacob, by the famous Spanish painter, Francisco de Zurbaran.
After lunch in the Old Library of the Castle, our afternoon was free to visit other attractions of the Auckland Project. The newly opened Faith Museum traced the fascinating religious heritage of Britain from its early prehistory, through the development of Christianity right up to the diverse variety of religious faiths in the 21st century. The Mining Art Gallery reflected the huge local significance of the Durham mining industry, economically, socially and personally, with moving pictures of what it was like working down the mines, painted by miners themselves.
Keith Bottomley