Bishop Auckland is a quaint market town situated 30 miles south of Newcastle upon Tyne and 25 miles north west of Middlesbrough. It has a strong historical association with the period of the Industrial Revolution as it was a coal mining hotspot. Notable landmarks include Auckland Castle, locally known as The Bishop’s palace, and the remains of the Binchester Roman Fort.

County Durham is a county located in the north of England and its coastline is on the North Sea. Its county town is Durham which is a historic city and is host to the beautiful Durham Castle. The county is perhaps most famously known for Durham Cathedral, otherwise known as The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, first opened in 1018, as well as the collegiate Durham University that was first established in 1832.

The county's major population centres include Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees. Surrounding counties are Tyne and Wear and Northumberland to the north, Cumbria to the west and North Yorkshire to the south.

The unitary authority for the majority of County Durham is Durham County Council, however Darlington, Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees have their own unitary authorities.

County Durham contains many national parks like the North Pennines, Hamsterley Forest and the High Force Waterfall. North Pennines is a section of the Pennines famous for mining and birdwatching.

The only motorway in the county is the A1(M) but there are many dual carriageways with the main ones being the A68 and the A688.