BISHOP AUCKLAND, a small market town about ten miles south-west of Durham, in the heart of what was until recently mining country, is the site of a fascinating experiment in urban regeneration, financed not by the state but a private individual.
The story began in 2001 when the Church Commissioners decided to sell a wonderful series of paintings of by Francisco de Zurbaran. They were acquired by Bishop Trevor in 1757 for Auckland Castle, his palace at Bishop Auckland. Bishop Trevor was a worldly figure who wintered at his family estate