Bishop Auckland
Town and civil parish in County Durham, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bishop Auckland (/ˈɔːk.lənd/ AWK-lənd) is a market town and civil parish at the confluence of the River Wear and the River Gaunless in County Durham, England. It is 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Darlington and 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Durham.
| Bishop Auckland | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
| |
  Bishop Auckland Location within County Durham | |
| Population • Civil parish | (2011 census) 16,276[1] |
| • Town | 24,908[2] |
| • Built-up area | 26,050[3] |
| OS grid reference | NZ208294 |
| • London | 227 mi (365 km) SbE |
| Civil parish |
|
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BISHOP AUCKLAND |
| Postcode district | DL14 |
| Dialling code | 01388 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
| |
Much of the town's early history surrounds the Bishops of Durham and the establishment of Auckland Castle's predecessor, a hunting lodge, which became the main residence of Durham Bishops. This is reflected in the first part of the town's name.[5][6][7][8] During the Industrial Revolution, the town grew rapidly as coal mining became its largest industry.[9] Decline in the coal mining industry during the late twentieth century has changed the town's largest sector to manufacturing.[10][11]
Since 1 April 2009, the town's local authority has been Durham County Council. The unitary authority replaced the previous Wear Valley District and Durham County councils.[12] The parliamentary constituency of Bishop Auckland is named after the town. It is currently held by Dehenna Davison of the Conservative Party. The town is twinned with the French town of Ivry-sur-Seine.[13]