Barnard Castle

Location ~ Approx. 11 miles Southwest of Bishop Auckland in County Durham. Follow the A688 from Bishop, or the A67 from the A66 Brough to Scotch Corner road. The town is ideally placed to visit the south of the region and North Yorkshire. The beautiful upper Teesdale valley is only a few minutes drive away.  For more information see the maps page.

So who is this Barnard and does he have a castle? Yes, the castle was built by Barnard Balliol who was a pal of William The Conqueror, but that's not the start of the towns history. The site of the castle is on a Roman Road at a crossing point of the River Tees. Like many castles, it changed hands a few times with Edward I taking it in 1296 from John Balliol (founder of the famous college) and given to Guy Beauchamp, the Earl Of Warwick and moved on to the Nevilles. It came under the control of Richard III when he married Anne Neville. The history of the castle continues with a siege defended by Sir George Bowes in 1569 during the plot to get rid of Elizabeth I and restore the Catholic monarchy. Life could be hectic in those days.

Today, Barnard Castle looks like an old market own with typical streets and buildings that were mainly constructed around the 18th and 19th century's. Market Day is Wednesday and as can be expected the main street is wide, to get sheep and cattle to auction, before they were hauled on the back of a wagon. Busy markets also mean lots of pubs and inn's, well haggling is a thirsty job! So today's visitors are well served with places to eat and drink.

The area is a superb base for walking with many varied treks available for the enthusiast or the beginner. The drive up the Tees Valley is particularly pleasant. The main tourist attraction along the valley is High Force, a spectacular waterfall when the river is in flood. The is a good car park and nearby pub.

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Last modified 30/07/03