Barnard Castle is a market town in County Durham in northeast England, with a population of 5800 in 2021. It has a picturesque ruined castle and the over-the-top Bowes Museum. Dickens, Wordsworth, JMW Turner, Defoe and Sir Walter Scott were all inspired here. Another admirer of the view was Dominic Cummings the chief advisor to the prime minister, who in 2020 drove some distance to Barnard Castle during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. He said it was to test his eyesight.
Get in
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By road
[edit]Barnard Castle is just north of the A66 trans-Pennine highway. The A688 runs northeast to Durham, and A67 runs west to join A66 towards Penrith and the Lake District.
At the south edge of town, there is a narrow bridge on A67 with a sharp turn. Heavy vehicles are not permitted (it's enforced by traffic cameras) and cars with caravans or trailers must take great care not to strike the bridge walls.
There's a large "pay and display" car park at Morrisons supermarket. You can park free on the cobbles in the town centre, but not on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings which are market days. Parking is seldom a problem.
By train
[edit]The nearest railway station is Darlington on the London King's Cross - York - Newcastle mainline.
By bus
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Arriva North East Bus X75 / X76 runs from Darlington every 30 min M-Sa, every two hours on Sunday. It takes 50 min via A67 through High Coniscliffe, Piercebridge, Gainford, Winston and Staindrop.
Weardale Bus 84 runs three times M-Sa from Darlington, taking an hour via Mowden, Ingleton and Staindrop.
Bus 85 runs every couple of hours M-Sa from Bishop Auckland, taking 50 min via West Auckland and Staindrop.
Bus 95 / 96 runs hourly M-Sa down the Tees Valley from Middleton-in-Teesdale via Mickleton, Romaldkirk, Cotherstone and Lartington.
The main bus stand is outside the Commercial Hotel on Galgate, the main thoroughfare.
Get around
[edit]Walk. Hodgson's Bus trundles around town every few hours: 70 to Whorlton, Cleatlam and Staindrop, 71 to Startforth and 72 to Bowes.
The taxi firm is Figgy's (+44 7825 272145).
See
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- 1 Barnard Castle, Flatts Rd DL12 8PR, ☏ +44 1833 638212. Daily 10AM-5PM. Was it really worth so many fights between the Scots, Normans and Prince Bishops over this? The setting is grand, overlooking the river and bridge, and many authors have been inspired by its prospect and turbulent history. But it's hard to disagree with the 17th-century new owner, awarded it by the Crown for not being treasonous like the previous occupant, who took one look and decamped to Raby Castle 8 miles east in Bishop Auckland. Adult £8, child £4.50, conc £7, EH free.
- The bridge over River Tees dates to 1771. It's often busy with traffic so the best views are from the river bank below.
- Market Cross or Butter Market dates from 1747.
- 2 Bowes Museum, Newgate DL12 8NP, ☏ +44 1833 690606. Daily 10AM-5PM. This grandiose late 19th-century concoction is County Durham's best attempt at recreating the Louvre. It holds blingy fine art by the metric tonne: El Greco, Goya, ceramics, tapestries, Canaletto, jewels, and on and on it goes. Be there for 2PM, when a mechanical silver swan whirrs into life, craning and preening its feathers then trying to catch a fish. Adult £21.
- 3 Deepdale Wood is an ancient woodland along the stream that joins the Tees. Deepdale and its footpath go west, while Ray Gill is a little to the north, with a link path so you can make a circular walk.
- 4 Egglestone Abbey, Abbey Lane DL12 9TH, ☏ +44 370 333 1181. Daily 10AM-6PM. This was a Premonstratensian abbey built in the late 12th century, knocked about by visiting armies, and after Dissolution much of its masonry was re-used elsewhere. What's left is a picturesque ruin on the river bank that can be reached both by car and via a nice 30 min walk along the river Tees. Parking £2.
- 5 Rokeby Park is a grand neo-Palladian villa built in 1735, but it's only open by arrangement to group tours. It was from 1813 the home of the Velasquez painting now known as "The Rokeby Venus". In 1906 the original painting was acquired by the National Gallery (and in 1914 slashed by a suffragette) while Rokeby Hall holds a copy.
- Raby Castle: see Bishop Auckland for this made-over medieval castle 7 miles northeast.
Do
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- 1 Barnard Castle Golf Club, Harmire Rd DL12 8QN, ☏ +44 1833 631980. White tees 6423 yards, par 73.
- Teesdale Leisure Centre, Strathmore Rd DL12 8DS, ☏ +44 300 026 0862. M-F 8AM-10PM, Sa Su 10AM-5PM. Gym, pool, sports hall, climbing wall, various drop-in fitness classes.
- Walk, cycle or horse-ride along the old railway track up the Tees valley. From Barnard Castle follow B6277 or the Ray Gill path northwest to Lartington to pick up the trail, which takes you through Cotherstone, Romaldkirk and Mickleton to Middleton.
- The Pennine Way passes a few miles west of town, see Middleton-in-Teesdale for trail notes.
- Manufacture live-saving medicines at GSK, who have a large development and production facility at the north edge of town. The site was used to make penicillin back in the 1940s. This complex was built in 2016, and among its many products are an antibody treatment for lupus, a muscle relaxant to aid endotracheal intubation, a treatment for anthrax lesions, and a long-acting suspension against HIV.
Buy
[edit]- Farmers Market is on the first Saturday of the month 9AM-3PM on Horsemarket. Feb and Mar it's inside the Witham, Apr-Dec it's outdoors, none in Jan.
- Morrison's supermarket is at 23 Galgate, open M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 10AM-4PM.
Eat
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- Bengal Mercant is at 7 The Bank, open daily 4:30-10:30PM.
- Artisan is a cafe / bistro at 6A The Bank, open W-Sa 10AM-3PM, Su 10AM-6PM.
- Capri is at 25 Newgate, open Tu-F 5-9PM, Sa Su noon-2:30PM, 5-9PM.
- Moments Cafe is at 8a Market Place, open Su-W 9:30AM-4PM, Th-Sa 9:30AM-7:30PM.
- Babul's is at 9 Market Place, open Su-F 4-9PM, Sa 3-10PM.
- Clarendon's Cafe is at 29 Market Place, open M-Sa 9:30AM-3:30PM.
- Creme de la Crust is at 6 Horse Market, open daily 9AM-8AM.
- Mad Hatter's Tearoom is at 42 Horse Market, open M-F 9:30AM-2:30PM, Sa Su 10AM-4PM.
Drink
[edit]- Pubs along main drag are The Bluebell, The Old Well Inn, Golden Lion and Firkin Alley, with Cricketers' Arms a little further north.
Sleep
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- 1 Teesdale Barnard Castle Caravan Site, Lartington Lane DL12 9BD, ☏ +44 1833 637999. Open Feb-Oct with 76 tourer pitches but no campsite. Pitch £26.
- 2 Barnard Castle Camp Site, Dockenflatts Lane DL12 9DG, ☏ +44 1833 630228. Well-run site open Mar-Oct with 90 pitches.
- 3 Three Horseshoes Hotel, 7 Galgate DL12 8EQ, ☏ +44 1833 631777. Hotel in old coaching inn. Two suites, The Stables and The Carriage House, are a little distance away, as is the free car park. B&B double £150.
- Commercial Hotel is opposite Three Horseshoes at 12 Galgate.
- Coach and Horses, 22 Galgate DL12 8BH, ☏ +44 1833 908179. Friendly pub with rooms. B&B double £90.
- Cricketers Arms is at 48 Galgate.
- Homelands Guesthouse is at 85 Galgate.
- Red Well Inn is north along Harmire Rd. It's tired and run-down.
- 4 The Ancient Unicorn, The Street, Bowes DL12 9HL, ☏ +44 1833 628576. Coaching inn on the old road through Bowes village (now bypassed) with rooms in converted stables. B&B double £90.
- 5 Morritt Hotel, Greta Bridge DL12 9SE, ☏ +44 1833 627232. Smart spa hotel with good dining on an old loop of A66. B&B double £100.
- Romaldkirk: see Middleton-in-Teesdale for accommodation here and higher up the Tees valley.
Connect
[edit]As of Oct 2025, Barnard Castle and its approach roads have 4G from O2 and Vodafone, and 5G with EE and Three.
Go next
[edit]- Bishop Auckland northeast has a bishop's palace, miners' museum and Raby Castle.
- Richmond southeast has a pleasant Georgian centre, but is socked in by military facilities.
- Middleton-in-Teesdale northwest up the river valley has High Force waterfall.
- The road west crosses the Pennines to Appleby and Penrith.