I visited Bishop Auckland after it was branded a 'dump'

Positive, hopeful and proud. Those are the three words I would use to describe the people of Bishop Auckland who were eager to speak to me on a windy September morning when I took a ramble around the town which had just recently been branded a “dump”.

The centre, which boasts a marketplace, several art galleries and a stunning palace with gardens to just name a few highlights, is steeped in history with strong links to the church and mining.

Bishop Auckland, or ‘Bish Vegas’ as it is fondly named, was earlier this month slammed by a YouTuber who visited the region and listed eight “dumps” in County Durham – and I wanted to speak with residents to see if they believed it is as bad as it was made out to be.

Bishop Auckland Market Place. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) I have to admit, this was not my first time in Bishop Auckland. My previous trips have seen me visit to experience the festive Christmas Town, the incredible food festival and admire new and moving exhibitions at the Mining Art Gallery.

After parking just outside the town centre in the North Bondgate car park, I made my way over to Bondgate – a historic street which includes a number of independent shops, food spots and a pub.

Bondgate as a street was singled out by the YouTuber who believed the street was “somewhere you would get mugged” – but this was far from the truth according to business owners who said their biggest issue at the minute is footfall.

Gordon Draper, 60, owns The Other Book Shop on “beautiful” Bondgate. He’s operated the shop for 21 years now but says business is slow.

“It’s not busy – I can’t pretend that it is,” he begins, after welcoming me inside.

The small unit was packed to the rafters with books of every genre, piled up around Gordon on shelves as far as the eye could see who added he has only opened the shop twice in the last two months.

Gordon Draper, 60, and friend Dave Flusher, 71. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) He said: “I have to say, there are a lot of positive things about the town. We do have the Spanish Gallery.

“But, there aren’t really things for people – I don’t like waiting for explorers to have to come and find us.”

Friend Dave Flusher, 71, who keeps Gordon company when he opens the store, argued that Kynren is another positive force in the town.

“It used to be brilliant here,” he says.

“Kynren does draw people to Bishop Auckland but even if they want to stay there’s no hotels. They’ve all shut.”

Just a few units down the way is Diane Alderson, 60, who owns Labyrinth which sells a mixture of home goods as well as popular Jellycat plush toys.

Diane Alderson, 60. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) She’s lived and worked in Bishop Auckland for her whole life and opened the shop six years ago. For her, the re-development of the town is much more of a marathon than a sprint.

“Bishop Auckland is a historic town”, she says.

“We have so much great architecture here if people just came and looked. What’s going on with the castle is great, and lots of other places where buildings are falling down are being developed.

“All of the projects are fabulous. But there still is a lot to do and it can’t all be done at once. Plus, there is a lot of negativity out there.”

Diane was also quick to share the thoughts of her fellow business owners regarding the number of visitors.

She said: “In terms of footfall, it has gone down. It is as low as it’s ever been. It’s nearly been wiped out.”

Mark Murray, 55. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Mark Murray, 55, was one business owner who had seen the video which branded Bishop Auckland being called a 'turd-town', and said the portrayal was frustrating.

He said: “He didn’t film my business or any of the other units which are open and being used. It is tough enough to combat all the negativity around Bishop Auckland when people come and don’t show the full picture.”

For Mark, one of the main concerns for him was customers coming into the town centre itself. He says places like the Bishop Auckland Retail Park have hit businesses hard.

But, is the town a ‘dump’? Mark certainly didn’t think so.

He said: “The STACK is set to open, and there are units along here on Bondgate which are being developed. There are a lot of positive things happening.”

Bondgate, Bishop Auckland. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) My next stop saw me head further up to the Bay Horse Pub, where a couple of punters were sitting outside having a pint.

A former landlord, who has lived in the town for over a decade said: “The marketplace really used to be the place to be. But I think all of the pubs and restaurants have just ended up closing down.

“Bishop Auckland isn’t a bad place, but it's now 2.30pm on a Friday and there isn’t anywhere for people to go.”

His companion, who travelled down from Wallsend in Newcastle for the day, confessed that Bishop Auckland seems to be a “beautiful place” but the town is very quiet.

Taking a stroll further downtown, I came upon Newgate Street. The long road boasts businesses including The Works, Shoezone, Heron Foods and more – and in a way feels like a contrast to the marketplace.

Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Standing at that crossroads where Newgate Street meets the marketplace is a stark contrast as you don’t have to travel far down the street to see boarded-up shops, as well as empty units in the Newgate Shopping Centre.

Friends Doreen Sharp, 75 and Gill Carr, 76, were walking along Newgate Street stopped to chat with us, and explained they were doing a ‘treasure trail’ of the town they had found online to take in the sights.

They had travelled from Teesside and agreed that Bishop Auckland is a great day out.

Doreen said: “We think there is plenty to see here. We’ve been to Auckland Castle after starting our day at the town hall with coffee and cake.

Friends Doreen Sharp, 75 and Gill Carr, 76 (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) “When you do live somewhere, you only do ever see the negatives and you won’t hear about what’s good in the town.

“The views here, even when you drive along, are just beautiful. What Jonathan Ruffer has done for the town with The Auckland Project is amazing. We’ve really enjoyed coming here today.”

Gill added: “Maybe the shops do need to be done up, but that’s like all high streets in the country.”

Bishop Auckland to me, at least, is a town that tells two tales.

On one hand, you have a thriving cultural scene with art galleries, Auckland Tower and gardens set around a stunning castle. However, you take a walk minutes down the road and find businesses fighting to stay afloat – as well as some who have already fallen.

The only trace left of former businesses is a fading sign, perhaps some scraps left inside the unit or simply shutters down rendering it lost in time.

There is hope here – and its kind, ambitious and welcoming residents are a testament to that. They want to believe that things will get better and are proud they come from Bishop Auckland.

A spokesperson for Durham County Council took an opportunity to praise the town when approached for comment, and remarked that projects are yet to "come to fruition".

Andy Kerr, head of economic development at Durham County Council, said: “Over the last 12 years, Bishop Auckland has received more than £250 million of public and private sector investment. Together with our partners at The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland Town Council and local businesses and community groups, we are working hard to regenerate the town, helping it to realise its potential and become an international tourism and heritage destination.

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“With support from the Government’s Future High Streets, Stronger Towns and Levelling Up funds, we are helping to deliver improved transport connections, new commercial and leisure facilities and significant cultural attractions, creating more than 3,750 new jobs.

“Events such as Bishop Auckland Food Festival and the upcoming Christmas festival package, attract tens of thousands of people into the town each year and are helping to encourage new businesses to open locally.

“There are projects yet to come to fruition, and more properties we’d still like to improve and bring back into use, but it’s clear that there’s significant change happening across Bishop Auckland and we should all seize every opportunity we can to celebrate this and attract further investment.”