Improvements are under way in Bishop Auckland, especially at Auckland Castle

If you have been to Bishop Auckland recently then you will have seen a lot of disruption. The Market Place has seen a lot of work and quite frankly, that is nothing compared to the plans that they have for the area. Bishop Auckland is changing face. and it might be a good time for investors to take a look. But to see where this fits in the present day, it is worth a look at the history behind the city. Don't worry, I'll keep it brief.

With it's strategic position near to the River Wear and River Gaunless, Bishop Auckland has long been a market town. Standing for centuries, it gained greater significance with the building of Auckland Castle. This was thought to have been first built in 1183 and was the seat of the Bishops of Durham until recently.

The area is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance. Auckland Castle is no longer the home of the Bishop of Durham (he has moved closer to home) and as such is becoming a tourist destination. This is obviously good for the North East. With the work going on at Durham Cathedral, this makes the area a more attractive place to visit. Having recently visited both Lincoln and Chester and seen the tourist draw from their cathedrals, I think that Durham City and the surrounding area has been missing a trick for some time now.

Bishop Auckland was a place I visited to browse a few shops when I was in the North East in my younger days. It was always an 'OK' place to visit but never any better than that. The last few years in particular have seen it go downhill rapidly. The out of town shopping area at St. Helen Auckland has drawn away most of the bigger chains from the High Street and it is now  place you go to if you want to count empty shops. I'm not saying that it fares any worse than any other town but it does look dreadful.

With the renovation taking place now, the future for Bishop Auckland can only look brighter. Auckland Castle in at the centre of all this renovation and improvement. It will be much more vibrant and I for one hope that it brings some big retailers and restaurants chains back to the town centre to do business. You can take a look at the different plans that are happening now here -

A walled garden and restaurant

A welcome building

A new art gallery

For the investor this looks like it might provide a great opportunity. With the top end of Newgate Street and the Market Place being filled with more visitors, the demand for units will almost certainly increase as will the demand for accommodation. The savvy investor might want to look at Bishop Auckland as the place to invest their money. Prices could rise, rents could be easy to come by.

Whatever the future holds for Bishop Auckland, I hope it is better than the present. There are few reasons to visit the main street and then little to keep you there if you do decide to take a trip. With some outstanding development on the way I hope that the money spent returns the town to its more vibrant past.

North East England's summer light is just about to get a bit darker!

The North East of England is a beautiful place. It is full of green fields, amazing cities and so much to do. I love living in the North East but it is just about to get darker. I am writing a detective novel based in the heart of the City of Durham where there is a killer on the loose!

The detective and his faithful sidekick are on the case and they are looking to catch the killer and save the day. It will be dark in places but will also show the light and beauty of the city of Durham in the surrounding areas. I am hoping to capture the juxtaposition between the dark and light and really bring this to life.

I am looking for funding for this novel through my Kickstarter campaign.

In return for funding I am offering some great opportunities for people to actually give some of the characters a name and to give them some characteristics. You can help to develop the book and be an integral part of the writing process. I am looking for-

• The detective that will solve the crimes and save the day
• The sidekick - the 2nd detective that makes a vital breakthrough in the case
• The killer, the murderer that is running wild on the streets of Durham
• The victims that are killed by the murderer and have their own back-stories as well

I am also offering some unique memorabilia with this Kickstarter campaign such as the chance to own the notebook that I use to gather all my information and thoughts and on-location photos and updates from the city of Durham.

Check it out at-

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2070524716/you-can-feature-in-my-detective-novel-based-in-dur?ref=user_menu

What is the Durham Cathedral sanctuary knocker all about?

The big knocker on the northern door of Durham Cathedral is known as the Sanctuary Knocker. It has long played a part in the history of Durham Cathedral. Anyone who had committed an offence such as murder in self-defence or breaking from prison, could knock the knocker, and would then be given 37 days of sanctuary within the cathedral. In this time they were expected to try reconciliation with their enemies or plan their route of escape.

The Durham Cathedral Sanctuary Knocker is mentioned as far back as 1593, in a book called The Rites of Durham.

Find out more detail on the Durham World Heritage Site website.

The beautiful Durham Dales are a vision in green!

At any time of the year the Durham Dales are spectacular and beautiful. Whether it is the snow of winter or the shades of brown in autumn, they are a beautiful sight. But my favourite time of the year in the Durham Dales is spring, with the green colours-

These photos were taken just outside the lovely village of Middleton-in-Teesdale which is a great place to visit and stop for a nice cup of tea. Check them out http://www.middletonplus.org.uk/

The Durham Dales are a must for any visitor to the North East of England so put it on your list.

Visit the hidden gem that is the City of Durham

As a city, it has been lost in the media images of the North East of England, as Newcastle and Sunderland take centre stage, not least because of their Premier League football teams. But Durham is the city that I have visited that most fits the tag 'hidden gem.' It is quite simply beautiful. It has the heady combination of the natural beauty of the River Wear circling and winding through the city, and the man made beauty of the cathedral, the castle and countless old bridges. I love this city.

Even through the North East England winters and the wet Summer days the city shines through in every aspect. Bill Bryson enthused about it in his book Notes From A Small Island: Journey Through Britain and rightly so.

It is a wonderful city with a rich past and a vibrant future. The number of residents in the city swells every September with the annual migration of students and this helps to keep the city fresh and vibrant. The cathedral and castle dominate the skyline and remind you of just how old this city actually is.

Over the coming blogs I will share with you my experience of Durham, the history of Durham, the photographs I have taken of Durham and the best places to visit in and around the city.