Over the last eight years, a medieval wall, chapel and even a toilet have been uncovered in the grounds of Auckland Palace in County Durham.
The discoveries have been part of excavations by a team from our Department of Archaeology and The Auckland Project and a key element of field training for our archaeology students.
This summer, one of our first-year archaeology students, Frankie Rickett, became the 1,000th person to take part in excavations at the site. A highlight was when a section of medieval wall was found in the trench where she was working.
This was part of a series of walls, discovered this year, measuring over 2.5m wide, which once encircled the Prince Bishop’s residence.
The walls date back to 1200 and were buried under a slope, with the remains of a banqueting hall on top. Their scale hints at the level of power and wealth in the area during medieval times.
Also discovered this year was a garderobe – a medieval toilet – which is next to the Great Hall, where the bishops and their guests would have feasted.
This year was the last of the series of annual summer excavations at Auckland Palace.
Over the past eight years the excavations led by our archaeology team have uncovered everything from ancient palace walls and towers to huge gatehouses built by the medieval Prince Bishops.
Across 2018 and 2019 a two-storey chapel built by Bishop Bek in around 1300 was discovered. Once the largest private chapel of its kind in Britain, it was demolished by Puritan Sir Arthur Haselrig during the English Civil War of the 1650s. Haselrig also supervised the disastrous imprisonment of Scottish soldiers in Durham Cathedral in the autumn of 1650, when many died of dysentery.
The chapel is now commemorated in the layout of Auckland Palace’s Faith Museum courtyard.
In 2024, the remains of a 17th-century house purchased and remodelled by Sir Arthur Haselrig were also discovered. This was featured on BBC Two’s Digging for Britain.
Other discoveries have included a gold flower decoration, an elephant ivory, gold and silver handled knife, intricate wine glasses, and a very rare jet dice.
The materials discovered through these archaeological digs help tell the history of Auckland Palace’s vast wealth, power and influence.
A number of these objects are on display in The Auckland Project’s Faith Museum.
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