More than 40 artisan craftspeople and food producers from across the North East are preparing for the return of the popular Christmas Market in the grounds of Auckland Castle from Friday 17th to Sunday 19th November.
An array of inspiring and distinctive gifts and speciality foods will be on sale, from sweets and seasonal gingerbread to cheese, handmade chocolates, jewellery, glassware and Christmas decorations.
Regional companies hosting stalls include the Gingerbread Mam, whose ginger puddings and wine are produced in Stockton-On-Tees; Tinkers Treasures, a Bishop Auckland-based business who make and sell a variety of products ranging from bath salts to vintage tea cup candles and Charlie’s Country Kitchen, who will be bringing their range of handmade pies and pasties from Chester-le-Street.
The Auckland Cupcake Company, which attended the Market in 2016, is also returning for a second year.
Wayne Furnell, who established the company with his wife, Joanne, last year, said: “The Christmas Market at Auckland Castle was our first ever event. We couldn’t believe how popular our cupcakes were. By the time I put the cupcakes out, we had a queue of people wanting to buy them.
“I’ve recently left my full time job to concentrate on The Auckland Cupcake Company and plan on being well stocked for this year’s market.”
A major restoration of 900-year-old Auckland Castle began last autumn, with work due to finish in spring 2018. Visitors to the Christmas Market will be able to take a sneak peek at the large amount of work underway with Behind the Scenes Tours of the Castle, which is otherwise closed to visitors, taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
Another Christmas Market will be taking place at No.42, a shop and gallery space in the nearby Market Place, where visitors can see the craftsmanship of local artists, who use the space to display and sell their work.
The Christmas Market, organised by Auckland Castle Trust, is part of a programme of events supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), thanks to National Lottery players, which is designed to support grassroots heritage and encourage communities to explore their local history.
Entry to the Christmas Markets at Auckland Castle and No.42 is free.
The Christmas Market at Auckland Castle will be running from 1pm-7pm on Friday November 17th and 10am-4pm on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th.
On the same dates, No.42 will be open from 10am-7pm on Friday, 10am-5pm on Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday.
For more information visit www.aucklandcastle.org.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
