Image Credit: Alexander Jansen/Durham University

Massive Medieval Walls Found at Auckland Castle

After seven years of excavations and over 1,000 participants, archaeologists at Auckland Castle in County Durham have made a surprise discovery: massive medieval stone walls—over 8 feet wide and much taller than a person—believed to date back to around 1200.
Led by Prof. Chris Gerrard of Durham University, the team found the walls beneath a grassy slope north of the palace, under the remnants of a banqueting hall. The walls likely formed part of a curtain wall around the medieval bishop’s palace, revealing the wealth and power of the church in the North of England at that time.
A folded piece of lead marked with a faint cross was also found. Work on the site ends this week, with hopes that the findings will be displayed at the Faith Museum in Auckland Palace.
Student Frankie Rickett became the 1,000th participant, uncovering part of the wall herself. A replica of a medieval chapel pillar will also be installed in the gardens above the original buried structure.

Published on: 26-06-2025

Source: BBC