Things to do in Barnard Castle, County Durham
Old Barnard Castle
The Butter Mart
Ancient Duel
The Bowes Museum
Famous Visitors
Places To See Nearby
Video
Directions
Barnard Castle is situated in County Durham in the northeast of England, in a beautiful area known as Teesdale.
The town grew up around the Norman castle of the same name, and is affectionately known to locals as "Barney".
Barnard Castle lies southwest of the City and county town of Durham, and west of Darlington, which is well known for its ground-breaking railway history.
Barnard Castle is an ideal starting point for visiting the Lake District.
Old Barnard Castle
Delightful old cobbled streets and twisting lanes, lined with stylish architecture from the Georgian and Victorian periods, are to be found in the centre of town.
Many of these buildings are now independent, interesting shops, cafes and restaurants.
There are four right of entryways, known as gates, to the town; Bridgate, Galgate, Newgate and Thorngate.
From there it follows the castle wall into Horse Market, which is the main street.
The Butter Mart
A cobbled section known as Market Place is where a weekly market is held each Wednesday and a Farmer's Market on Saturdays.
This is where the Market Cross is located; this is an octagonal building, which was erected by Thomas Breaks in 1747.
It is also known as Butter Mart - the name derives from the fact that farmer's wives sold dairy produce on the ground floor, which protected both the women and the produce from sunshine and rain!
Ancient Duel
Observant visitors today can see two bullet holes in the weather vane on the Market Cross, which was being used as target practice by the Earl of Strathmore's gamekeeper and a local man named Taylor, one of the Teesdale Squad of Volunteers, who were attempting to show who was the best marksman.
This took place back in 1803 when there were fears of a Napoleonic invasion.
Left of the market place is Newgate, where you will find the Parish Church of St. Mary's which also serves the village of Whorton.
St Mary's owes its foundation to Bernard Balliol who built the Castle. The church is mainly Norman and Transitional. The west tower is a replacement of 1874.
The Bowes Museum
Just off Newgate is the Bowes Museum - a surprising building to find in Teesdale in County Durham.
This museum was purpose-built in the 19th century, inspired by a French chateau; the museum opened in 1892. It is one of the finest museums outside London.
The Bowes Museum draws many people to Barnard Castle. It is home to an internationally renowned art collection and a huge range of treasures, which include furniture, clocks, porcelain, musical instruments, tapestries and toys.
Probably the most famous of the treasures is the mechanical Silver Swan, which still delights the public by performing daily.
Further on is Bridgegate and the County Bridge, which was built in 1569. When the River Tees shaped the boundary between County Durham and North Yorkshire.
The largest single employer in Barnard Castle is the pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Kline at their manufacturing service on the periphery of town.
A year later it became a larger paper, its name was changed to Teesdale Mercury and Barnard Castle Advertiser and charged 1 penny.
In 2009 the paper received a National Lottery grant enabling it to create a digital archive of the first hundred years of its publications. This vast task was completed in 2012.
Famous Visitors
Oliver Cromwell is thought to have dined at Blagraves House in the town in 1648.
J.M.W.Turner, who is regarded as the 'painter of light' visited the town in 1797 and sketched 'Barnard Castle from the West'.
Charles Dickens and his illustrator Hablot Browne otherwise known as Phiz resided at the King's Head in town in 1837 - 38 while researching and writing his novel "Nicholas Nickleby".
He enquired about an extraordinary clock and its maker. William Humphrey explained that his son Humphrey was the maker.
This may have inspired Dickens to entitle an article he was writing for his new weekly journal as "Master Humphrey's clock".
The journal went on to publish "The Old Curiosity Shop" and "Barnaby Rudge".
Many other notable people have visited Barnard Castle such as Sir Walter Scott who was familiar with the area when he visited his friend John Sawrey Morritt at Rokeby Hall.
Sir Walter enjoyed exploring Teesdale and mentioned the round tower of Barnard Castle itself in his marathon poem "Rokeby"
Places To See Nearby
Enjoy the stunning scenery as you walk, cycle or drive along the quiet roads, or sail or go fishing on Teesdale's rivers and reservoirs.
Visit Raby Castle the castle which was built for John 3rd Baron Nevill around 1360. The Nevills were the most powerful family in the north of England.
A treat lies in store for keen gardeners with a trip to Eggleston Hall Walled Gardens. The garden specialises in rare species, with an emphasis on hardy herbaceous plants.
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Days Out in Barnard Castle
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The Bowes Museum (<1 Mile)*
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Raby Castle (6 Miles)*
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Low Barns Nature Reserve (11 Miles)*
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Georgian Theatre Royal (12 Miles)*
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Richmondshire Museum (12 Miles)*
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Green Howards Regimental Museum (12 Miles)*
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Hazel Brow Farm (12 Miles)*
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Auckland Castle (13 Miles)*
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Head of Steam - Darlington Railway Museum (14 Miles)*
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Bolton Castle (15 Miles)*
Places to Visit near Barnard Castle
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Staindrop (5 Miles)*
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Middleton in Teesdale (8 Miles)*
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Marrick (12 Miles)*
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Frosterley (12 Miles)*
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Bishop Auckland (12 Miles)*
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Hunwick (13 Miles)*
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Crook (13 Miles)*
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Keld (14 Miles)*
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Stanhope (14 Miles)*
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Darlington (14 Miles)*
Also near Barnard Castle |
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