DATES for the re-opening of a 900-year-old castle and the launch of its purpose-built welcome centre have been announced.

It's been full steam ahead with multi-million pound conservation work by The Auckland Project, to recapture the Georgian Gothic grandeur of Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland.

Once a private palace for the Prince Bishops of Durham, the castle is set to reopen to the public in Spring 2019.

The Auckland Project’s CEO, David Maddan, said it had originally been hoped that the extensive work would be complete in time for Christmas, however the complexities of working with an ancient structure and the ongoing discovery of hidden historic features has led to a small adjustment in the timescales.

“Since work began in September 2016, Auckland Castle has continued to throw up a number of fascinating surprises,” he said. “Starting with the discovery that the Scotland Wing had no foundations, which meant we needed to underpin the entire structure before any of the planned work could commence.

“In the months that followed our contractor Meldrum Construction Services Ltd has continued to uncover hidden historical features, from coats of arms and fireplaces dating back to the 15th Century, to hidden staircases and former windows."

He added: “As a result of such discoveries our work programme has had to be repeatedly adapted to ensure these intriguing and unpredictable finds could be documented and protected wherever possible.

“It is this ongoing succession of relatively small but necessary changes that has ultimately combined to create a shift in the overall timescales, which will now see Auckland Castle open to the public in spring 2019.”

The conservation of Auckland Castle is supported by a £11.4m grant from National Lottery Players via the Heritage Lottery Fund, as well as other charitable trusts.

These include the Heritage Conservation Trust, Sir James Knott Trust, The Charles Hayward Foundation, The Headley Trust, The Linbury Trust, The Rothschild Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust and Richard Oldfield.

Work at the Castle is currently being carried out by Gateshead-based Meldrum Construction Services Ltd, with the site due to be handed back to The Auckland Project in early 2019.

Once finished, The Auckland Project's Curatorial Team will work alongside expert craftspeople to dress the space, using sumptuous fabrics and furnishings to reflect its former Georgian Gothic opulence and hanging more than 50 artworks, including Zurbarán’s Jacob and His Twelve Sons, which have been housed at the Castle for more than 250 years.

Visitors are also set to see the castle from a whole new angle when Auckland Tower, a brand new welcome centre, is opened on October 20.

Work on the tower began in February 2017 and visitors will have their first opportunity to venture into the tower on July 21, from 10am to 3pm. A special community event will also be available on a drop in basis on September 29.

For more information visit aucklandproject.org or search Auckland Project on Facebook and Twitter.