Front left to right – Jane Ruffer, CEO of The Auckland Project, Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street.Back left to right – Dr John Castling at The Auckland Project, Mark Rowland, visitor assistant at Binchester Roman Fort, and Benjamin Westwood, archaeology manager and Durham County Council.
An attraction which shows what life was like at one of the largest Roman military sites in Northern Britain is to come under new management.
Durham County Council will be transferring the custodianship of Binchester Roman Fort to The Auckland Project as part of plans to enhance visitor experience and conservation of the site.
The heritage site is a Scheduled Monument and home to substantial remains of a significant Roman military base dating back to 80 AD.
Visitors can explore the well-preserved remnants of several Roman buildings that make up the base, including two almost intact bath houses.
The council currently owns a small portion of the Binchester estate, with the surrounding land owned by The Auckland Project.
As part of plans to establish stronger links between its attractions, including Auckland Palace, The Auckland Project will take over the management of Binchester Roman Fort as an attraction and visitor centre.
The transfer will support the council as it addresses the current significant financial challenges facing local authorities, creating a saving of £15,000 per year.
It will also allow The Auckland Project, which can access funding sources as a registered charity, to make a significant investment in the site to enhance its facilities.
Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “Binchester is a site of significant historical importance and is much loved by members of the public.
“We want to see the site reach its full potential, so we are working with The Auckland Project to transfer operation of the site to them. This will allow the site to receive significant investment to make the experience for visitors even better than it is now.
“The move has also been identified as a significant saving in our budget, allowing us to protect frontline services, and forms part of our ongoing work to regenerate and transform Bishop Auckland into a thriving heritage town and visitor destination.”
Jane Ruffer, CEO of The Auckland Project, said: “We purchased the land at Binchester Roman Fort in 2014 to safeguard this hugely significant archaeological site for the public. Since then, we have supported Durham County Council’s guardianship of the Scheduled Monument.
“We are now entering an exciting new phase, when Binchester will join our group of attractions alongside Auckland Palace. In this new phase of activity, The Auckland Project intends to improve both the visitor facilities, enhance the interpretation of the site, and fund essential conservation on the exposed archaeological remains.
“We aim to welcome more visitors, including families, to experience the wonder of archaeology, and share even more of the site’s rich history.”
Arrangements to transfer the site to The Auckland Project are ongoing, with the fort expected to open under new management by the summer.
