A rare insight into the luxurious dining habits of the Prince Bishops of Durham has been unearthed at Auckland Castle.
The remains of two centuries old glasshouses used for growing pineapples have been found at the medieval grade 1 listed fortress. They date back to 1757, which would make them amongst the oldest known hothouses of their kind in the North.
The discovery was made during an archaeological survey of the castle’s derelict 300 year-old walled garden ahead of a major project to restore the two acre site. The find has been hailed as “early and interesting” by Harry Beamish, the historic environment, research and interpretation archaeologist who identified both the age and true identity of the structures, known as pineries.
Pineapples were once known as the ‘king of fruits,’ and from the 1720s it became the ultimate status symbol, due to the expense and ingenuity needed to grow the tropical fruit in Britain’s erratic temperate climate. It is not known exactly when Auckland Castle’s heated hothouses were first built, but there is a reference to “a fine pinery” in a letter of 1757.
Mr Beamish commented, “It is remarkable to find a walled garden that has continued to evolve over three centuries of use.
“We know that sometime in the early 1900s the walled garden ceased to be of interest to the bishops and that it was then leased out as a market garden. Then in the 1920s an acre of the garden was lost to accommodate the construction of Durham Road.
“But despite all the changes that have taken place and two world wars that were the death knell for many other grand walled gardens, this one continued to supply a varied assortment of fruit and vegetables until very recently.”
Mr Beamish hopes to now delve deeper into the walled garden’s secrets and wants to enlist the help of local history hungry volunteers to dig up the site’s past. As well as investigating and recording the archaeology, there will be the chance to help with survey work and even explore old documents to put the features and finds into their correct historical context.
Mr Beamish says: “You’ll have the chance to work alongside myself, meet new people, learn new techniques and make new discoveries that could shed fresh light on to Bishop Auckland’s past.
“You can give as much or as little time as you would like and you don’t need to know anything about archaeology to take part. We just need your time and enthusiasm to find out more.”
Anyone who would like to volunteer should contact Sam Fletcher on 01388 743 750 or email: Samantha.fletcher@aucklandcastle.org.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
