An excavation at Auckland Castle in County Durham, England, has unearthed a 400-year-old house that provides valuable insights into life during the English Civil War and the brief period of republican rule. Built by Parliamentarian Sir Arthur Haselrig, the house was demolished when the monarchy was restored in 1660.
A team of over 100 people participated in excavations at Auckland Castle in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, uncovering a house buried for almost 400 years. Dating back to around 1650, the mansion was constructed by Sir Arthur Haselrig , a prominent ally of the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War . However, just a decade later, the monarchy was restored, and the new Bishop of Durham, John Cosin, took over the castle, leading to the demolition of the house.
For centuries, the house remained undiscovered, a hidden testament to life in republican England. Archaeologists from Durham University and experts from The Auckland Project unearthed the structure during an excavation in June 2024. The discovery also yielded several medieval artifacts in a separate trench on the castle's North Terrace, including a gold flower decoration, a gold and silver knife, an arrowhead, and a dice. Sir Arthur, a powerful Parliamentarian, had been acquiring land belonging to bishops, including Auckland Palace, a significant site in the region. During the construction of his house, he demolished a 13th-century chapel, repurposing its stones for his own mansion. His ambitious project neared completion, but fate intervened when the monarchy was restored in 1660, leading to Sir Arthur's imprisonment in the Tower of London, where he ultimately died.The excavation attracted significant public interest, with hundreds observing the archaeologists from a viewing platform throughout the summer. Professor Chris Gerrard, the project's academic lead, highlighted the historical significance of the find, describing it as a 'moment in time when the world is turned upside down.' He explained that Sir Arthur's house represented an attempt to establish a new vision for England under republican rule, a vision ultimately dashed by the restoration of the monarchy. The house was subsequently demolished, its stones reused to restore other medieval buildings on the site. Professor Gerrard emphasized that the site provided a 'real window' into this short but crucial period in history. Second-year archaeology student Annabelle Scullion shared the thrill of discovery, stating, 'When certain artefacts were found, like the gold, it just spread across the site and finding one yourself is really exciting. When you dig it up, you kind of think you are the first person to hold it in maybe hundreds of years.' The team plans to return for a final excavation in the summer, continuing their work north of the palace. John Castling, archaeology curator at The Auckland Project, expressed confidence that Auckland Palace will become 'one of the best understood bishop's palaces in Western Europe, from an archaeological point of view'
Archaeology History English Civil War Republican England Auckland Castle Sir Arthur Haselrig
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