Faith Museum

Bishop Auckland is now home to the Faith Museum, a new museum dedicated to experiences and expressions of faith throughout British history. The museum explores the myriad ways in which faith has shaped lives and communities in Britain and features over 250 objects and artworks which tell stories of faith in Britain over 6,000 years, curated in consultation with a panel of interfaith leaders.

The museum aims to attract visitors from all walks of life, whether they identify as religious, spiritual, or neither, to discuss the historical significance of faith, and its relevance in contemporary life.

The Faith Museum is housed within a purpose-built extension to the Grade I listed Scotland Wing of Auckland Palace designed by Niall McLaughlin Architects. It was built using Cop Crag sandstone, local to the North East. The museum is deliberately monolithic in appearance, with its steeply pitched roof designed to encourage visitors to look inward in quiet contemplation, and has won a number of architectural awards since opening.

Bishop Auckland is a natural home for a new museum about faith: the North East of England was the cradle of Christianity in the UK and Bishop Auckland an important early Christian site. The Faith Museum opened in autumn 2023 as the latest addition to The Auckland Project’s unique collection of heritage attractions, art galleries, gardens and parkland at the heart of Bishop Auckland.

The Faith Museum is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Jerusalem Trust.