MP backs bid for Bishop Auckland to win ‘town of culture’ competition

Sam Rushworth announced his support of the bid in the House of Commons and praised the County Durham town’s history for telling “the cultural story of Britain”.

The Town of Culture competition will be targeted at small and medium-sized towns, with shortlisted towns receiving £60,000 to help deliver their full bids for the competition. The winning town will win up to £3.5 million to deliver a cultural programme during the summer of 2028.

It follows in the footsteps of the UK City of Culture competition, which was won by Bradford in 2025. Durham was a runner-up in the vote. 

Labour MP Sam Rushworth said: “Bishop Auckland is the town that gave birth to the calendar. It was Bede who stood on a local hillside, looked at the cosmos and wrote ‘The Reckoning of Time’, by which we decide when Easter is today.

“The North East is the cradle of Christianity in the UK. The Faith Museum, the only one of its kind globally, opened in Bishop Auckland in 2023 and tells the 6,000-year history of faith, including Christianity, in the UK. It is based at Auckland Palace, the home of the prince bishops of Durham, who were the most important men in the kingdom after the king at the time.

“The town forms part of the Camino Ingles, or English way, a route trodden by pilgrims since the Middle Ages. We have an Anglo-Saxon church, one of the oldest in the country, down the road. Following a community archaeological dig, the 14th-century ruins of Bek’s chapel were discovered outside the palace. The eponymous Bek served not only as bishop of Durham, but as patriarch of Jerusalem. The palace is also home to the famous Zurbarán paintings, ‘Jacob and his Twelve Sons’.”

Applications for the Town of Culture competition will be judged on the story of the town, the design for its cultural programme and its plans to deliver it.

Mr Rushworth added: “The connection between Bishop Auckland and Spanish art is perhaps best exemplified by the Spanish Gallery, where hon. Members will find the greatest collection of 17th-century Spanish art anywhere in the world outside Spain.

“It was opened by the now King, alongside Queen Letizia of Spain, in 2022. Bishop Auckland’s pedigree in the world of art does not stop there. Our town’s proud industrial heritage is on display at the Mining Art Gallery, showcasing work of local artists such as former mineworkers Tom McGuinness of Witton Park and Norman Cornish from nearby Spennymoor, two prevalent figures in British social realism. 

“The museum was founded by my constituent and neighbour Bob McManners to showcase his collection of art. The town also punches above its weight in the performing arts. Stanley Jefferson, of Laurel and Hardy fame, was educated at King James I grammar school, while his father managed the Eden theatre. Renowned classical composer Edward Elgar played ‘The Music Makers’ in 1913 at St Peter’s church, and dedicated it to his friend Nicholas Kilburn, the organist. Is it possible that the rousing English anthem ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ was also played for the first time in Bishop Auckland? Witton Park features the start of the Stockton and Darlington railway, the world’s first passenger railway, which celebrated its bicentenary last year. More than that, nearby West Auckland won the first World Cup. 

“It is suggested that the organisers had invited Woolwich Arsenal, but the initials WA meant the letter went to West Auckland—though we know it was really because they wanted North East grit. Picture the scene: people clubbing together to send their boys off to Turin, selling what they had and huddling round the radio to listen. What is more, the team went on to win the cup—not once, but twice. Jack Greenwell from Crook Town went on to manage Barcelona, and Bishop Auckland’s football team lent players to Manchester United after the Munich air disaster. 

“We also have the food festival, the Bishop Auckland heritage festival, and so much more. I have covered history, faith, industry, music, arts, food and sports; frankly, no town tells the cultural story of Britain like Bishop Auckland.”

Applications for Town of Culture 2028 will open shortly.

Lisa Nandy, Culture Secretary, said: “For far too long, too many people have felt left out of our national story. These competitions are our chance to change that by shining a light on the places that have shaped our cultural life, but haven’t always had the recognition they deserve.

“Every place has a story worth telling, so I want to encourage towns across the UK to step forward and show us what makes them special.”