Construction specialists at Sintons are supporting the development of The Auckland Project, one of the most historic new visitor destinations in the UK.
The Auckland Project is a regeneration charity which is using art, faith and heritage to fuel long term change in the Bishop Auckland area. To do this, it is creating a visitor destination of the same name, which brings together seven sites in one setting.
The development includes 900-year-old Auckland Castle, which forms the centrepiece of the visitor destination and reopened earlier this month following three years of conservation work.
Three other sites are also already up and running in the town – the Mining Art Gallery, Deer Park and Auckland Tower visitor centre.
Further sites, due to open in the coming years, include a Spanish Gallery, which will house artworks from the medieval period onwards, with particular emphasis on the 17th century Spanish Golden Age, a Faith Museum, and a Walled Garden and restaurant, one of the oldest gardens in the country which pioneered the introduction of pineapples in the 18th century.
The specialist Construction & Engineering team at Sintons continues to advise The Auckland Project in its development programme, including drafting and negotiating various construction contracts and associated documents to enable the work to proceed.
Alex Rayner, Partner and Head of Construction & Engineering at Sintons, has led a team, including Associate Matthew Pexton, which has worked closely with The Auckland Project during the three-year conservation of Auckland Castle.
“The Auckland Project is creating a truly unique destination, the impact of which will be huge for the North East. It brings together 1,000 years of heritage with modern construction and design, resulting in a project which will showcase Bishop Auckland as a must-visit destination,” said Alex.
“We are delighted to be the construction lawyers of choice for this fantastic initiative, and have worked closely with the project team to develop the contracts and documentation to allow it to become reality. It is fantastic to see what has been created so far and we are excited to see what is yet to come.”
Helen Redman, Head of Projects at The Auckland Project, said: “Reopening Auckland Castle to the public on 2 November was a landmark moment, both for The Auckland Project and Bishop Auckland.
“We are grateful to all of the partners who supported us throughout the Castle’s conservation project. Our contacts at Sintons have been a pleasure to work with and we look forward to continuing this partnership as The Auckland Project develops.”
