Auckland Castle awarded £9m HLF grant

Auckland Castle has received a £9m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the building and create a new museum that will explore the history of faith.

Purcell, as the design team lead, is overseeing the restoration of the Castle’s state entrance, Gentleman’s Hall, state rooms, private apartments and St Peter’s Chapel.

The 16th century Scotland Wing will be remodelled with a two-storey extension designed by Niall McLaughlin architects and create 11 new exhibition galleries.

These works are part of a £17m scheme to renovate one of Britain’s most important historic sites.

Project Lead, Jo Bartle commented: “Purcell is delighted to be working with the Auckland Castle Trust to transform the site as an exciting new heritage destination in the North East. It's a privilege to be working on such a unique historic building which, until 2012, was inaccessible to the public.”

Durham County Council granted planning permission for the project in April 2015. Work on the scheme is due to begin in 2016 and complete in 2018.