BISHOP AUCKLAND

bishop auckland, a market town in the bishop auckland parliamentary division of durham, england, 11 m. s.s.w. of the city of durham, the junction of several branches of the north eastern railway. pop. of urban district (1901) 11,969. it is beautifully situated on an eminence near the confluence of the wear and the gaunless. the parish church is 1 m. distant, at auckland st andrews, a fine cruciform structure, formerly collegiate, in style mainly early english, but with earlier portions. the palace of the bishops of durham, which stands at the north-east end of the town, is a spacious and splendid, though irregular pile the site of the palace was first chosen by bishop anthony beck, in the time of edward i. the present building covers about 5 acres, and is surrounded by a park of 800 acres. on the wear 1-1/2 m. above bishop auckland there is a small and very ancient church at escomb, massively built and tapering from the bottom upward. it is believed to date from the 7th century, and some of the stones are evidently from a roman building, one bearing an inscription. these, no doubt, came from binchester, a short distance up stream, where remains of a roman fort (_vinovia_) are traceable. it guarded the great roman north road from york to hadrian's wall. the industrial population of bishop auckland is principally employed in the neighbouring collieries and iron works.