THE date a historic castle will reopen following a multi-million pound conservation programme has been announced.

Auckland Castle will open its doors to the public on December 1 next year, in time for the annual Christmas Market.

Auckland Tower, meanwhile, will open on Saturday, July 21,when visitors will be able to climb the 29-metre high welcome visitor centre, designed by award winning architects Niall McLaughlin.

The relaunch of Auckland Castle was originally scheduled for summer 2018, however due to a number of fascinating finds and a few unexpected challenges, the Auckland Project had to postpone until December. This includes the discovery of previously unknown historical features, which have shone new light on the historical home of the Prince Bishops of Durham. Among them include an engraved serving hatch from 1500, a Tudor fireplace, historic door and window openings and wallpapers dating from the 1720s.

An archaeological excavation earlier this summer, meanwhile, revealed that a proportion of the castle’s Scotland Wing was without substantial foundations, a major civil engineering challenge that has been successfully addressed.

To find out more about the project, visit aucklandcastle.org