[1] Leave the car park and turn right on North Bondgate and follow the street until you reach the Market Place.
Be careful when walking along the roads and crossing them as North Bondgate is a busy road.
[2] Turn right at the Sportsmann Inn into Market Place and follow until the next crossing.
[3] On your left, you should see the arch into Auckland Castle / park grounds. Turn left and go through the arch.
Auckland Castle has been the official residence of the Bishop of Durham since 1832. It was established earlier as a hunting lodge for the Prince Bishops of Durham. The park around the castle was originally used by the Bishops for hunting.
[4] Pass the castle entrance and through the metal gate into the park. Turn left and follow the path round and down the hill. Don’t go up to the deer shelter.
[5] There is a path which bears left down towards the boundary walls (look to your left and see a really nice view of Newton Cap Viaduct) the path now straightens up and heads towards a stone packhorse type bridge. You will pass on your left, a circle of 6 trees with a seventh in the middle.
Bishop Auckland AFC were one of the great amateur football sides winning the FA Amateur Football Cup on 10 occasions (on 3 successive years between 1955 and 1957). They wear light and dark blue colours due to the fact that they were originally founded by theological students studying at Auckland Castle in 1882 who came from Oxford and Cambridge Universities (whose colours these are).
[6] Cross the bridge and then a bridge over a small stream.
[7] The path becomes indistinct and bears right. IGNORE the obvious path going straight ahead. This lovely terrace path climbs gently, up the hill to give lovely views of the surrounding countryside. Watch out for horses on the field and keep dogs on a close lead.
[8] At the top of the hill go through a gateway and on your left there is a stile, cross this and follow the path until you reach a bridge which spans the Spennymoor/Bishop Auckland railway line (now a footpath / cycleway)
[9] Cross the bridge and you will see some steps which take you down to the railway track. Turn left and walk along this track until you are level with a golf “green”.
Bishop Auckland golf club offers one of the finest golf courses in County Durham. The parkland course has retained much of its original character whilst being updated to keep up with the standards of modern golf. The club house was rebuilt in the 1990's and has a beautiful view to offer. The 7th hole of the golf course is, according to magazines, one of the best holes in the North of England.
[10] On your right there is a small stile with a Wear Walking for Health sign. Follow this path. It is on the edge of a farmer’s field so dogs should be kept out of crops and it can be muddy after rain. Keep the wall on your right.
When going along this path, keep an eye out for wayward golf balls!
[11] You will reach a narrow tarmac road which leads to the golf club, cross this and a tiny stile and go under a lovely ivy covered arch into a small wooded area full of wild garlic (in April).
[12] As you walk along this path there is a wall on your right and a wood beyond it. Listen out for woodpeckers in this wood! At the bottom of the slope there is a medium size stile, cross this and head over to your left round the end of the last house on the row.
[13] Cross a small style and down a few steps and you are on the main road. Turn right and walk up the hill towards the castle again.
[14] Follow Durham Road until you reached the Market Place again. Retrace your steps back to the car park. You can even go through the pedestrian zone. When you go into Finkle Street (end of a one-way-street) you will find a short-cut between a flower shop and a book shop to go back through to the car park in North Bondgate.
The sports centre of Bishop Auckland is the Woodhouse Close Leisure Complex, which is a council run leisure centre. It offers a swimming pool, a smaller "learner" pool, a gym, a sauna, a steam room and a spa pool. For outside sports, there are pitches available for football, tennis and even bowling greens.