Search Site:
England Accommodation
Explore England
|
Pictures of Barnard Castle
About Barnard Castle
This historic town is a picturesque centre for discovering the delights of Teesdale.
The town occupies a clifftop site above the River Tees, it grew up outside of the castle founded by Guy de Bailleul, and rebuilt by his nephew, Bernard Balliol, after 1150. The castle eventually passed to Royal Control in the 15th century. Of the romantic ruins on this amazing site, the most striking surviving feature is the cylindrical, early 13th century, round tower. The castle, a dramatic focal point of the town, is in the care of English Heritage and is open to the public.
Barnard Castle holds the building famous as the home of one of the country's finest art collections, the Josephine and John Bowes Museum. This extraordinary property is built in the style of a French chateau, to a design by Jules Pellechet. The museum opened in 1892 after the couple, he the son of the Earl of Strathmore and she, Josephine, a French actress, had died. Both were dedicated collectors of paintings, furniture and ceramics and visitors can see countless beautiful things, in the setting that was the dream of this celebrated husband and wife. Found west of the town, this important museum is a visit not to be missed, it has paintings by El Greco, Goya, Courbet, Boucher and other noted artists, superb tapestries, French 18th century furniture, costume, religious art and objects of art arranged in period rooms. One of the most delightful rooms is a children's room, here you can see wonderful dolls and doll's houses.
In the town centre there is an impressive Butter Market or Market Cross from 1747. This has served a variety of purposes, including usage as the town's lock-up! Dairy produce has been sold from here and it has also served as Town Hall and Court House.
This delightful town has been visited by many noted persons including Charles Dickens who stayed at the King's Head Hotel in 1838 whilst he was writing Nicholas Nickelby.
In the broad thoroughfares and old streets of Barnard Castle, visitors may note a rich variety of architecture and cobblestones. At the corner of the Market Place is St. Mary's Church dating from Norman times.
One and a half miles south-east of the town, on the eastern bank of the Tees, visitors can see the ruins of Egglestone Abbey, founded as a Premonstratensian Abbey in the late 12th century. The abbey flourished until the Dissolution of 1540, after this Henry VIII granted the lands to Robert Strelley who turned some of the buildings into an impressive private house. The house was abandoned in the 19th century and today the remaining buildings are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the care of English Heritage. Hauntingly atmospheric, evocative of the time when religion, King and country where all, these magnificent ruins are well worth seeing.
Barnard Castle is not just a place for lovers of history, its location in the Upper Teesdale Valley makes the town a perfect base for the enjoyment of country pursuits such as walking, cycling and birdwatching. It is ideal for lovers of peace and tranquillity, and has immense appeal for botanists and archaeologists.
Please upload your photos of Barnard Castle or see below for towns & villages near Barnard Castle and a list of other nearby attractions to visit.
Planning a visit? We have thousands of Hotels, Bed & Breakfast and Holiday Cottages to choose from at highly competetive rates when booked through the Pictures of England website. Click here for accommodation near Barnard Castle
Add attraction to favourites
Submit a history of Barnard Castle
Recommended towns & villages near Barnard Castle | (0.3 miles, 0.5 km) .. Information | Pictures (38) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages |  | (11.7 miles, 18.9 km, direction NE) Lying in a prominent position ringed by the River Wear, Escomb is best known for its magnificent Saxon Church reputed to be built from stones brought from the near-by ruined Roman Fort at Binchester... Information | Pictures (7) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages |  | (12.2 miles, 19.6 km, direction SE) Richmond is a lovely old market town on the River Swale in North Yorkshire... Information | Pictures (117) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages |  | (12.7 miles, 20.4 km, direction NE) This was the busy social and commercial centre of the south-west Durham coalfield, but the town is actually much older than the Industrial Revolution, although that historic..... Information | Pictures (115) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages |  | (13.0 miles, 20.8 km, direction SW) This is an attractive village lying at the heart of a landscape made famous in the TV series "All Creatures Great and Small"... Information | Pictures (4) | Hotels | Holiday Cottages | All towns in County DurhamComplete A to Z of towns in EnglandRecommended attractions near Barnard Castle | (0.3 miles, 0.5 km) Josephine Bowes, wife of John Bowes was a Parisian actress, and perhaps this shows in the choice of building they chose as a..... Information | Pictures (9) | Hotels |  | (1.1 miles, 1.7 km) .. Information | Pictures (7) | Hotels |  | (5.6 miles, 9.0 km, direction NE) Arriving close to Staindrop from almost any direction the view of Raby Castle, built by the powerful Nevill family in the..... Information | Pictures (24) | Hotels |  | (7.4 miles, 12.0 km, direction N) Hampsterley Forest encompasses over five thousand acres, it is a combination of parkland and forest, giving access to some of the..... Information | Pictures (12) | Hotels |  | (9.2 miles, 14.8 km, direction S) A picturesque dale on the east side of the Pennines in North Yorkshire, and once the centre of a thriving local lead mining..... Information | Pictures (8) | Hotels | All attractions in County DurhamComplete A to Z of attractions in EnglandHotels near Barnard CastleHotels near Barnard Castle Cottages near Barnard Castle Bed & Breakfast near Barnard Castle  |  The Redwell InnBarnard Castle, County Durham, England (0.7 miles, 1.1 km) Situated in the historic market town of Barnard Castle, The Redwell Inn offers free Wi-Fi, free on-site parking and en suite rooms. The town centre can be reached within a 10-minute walk and is lined ... More info and book online.. Price from £55.00 |  |  The Jersey Farm Country HotelBarnard Castle, County Durham, England (1.0 miles, 1.6 km) Situated on the outskirts of picturesque Barnard Castle, this former working farm, with animals still in the fields, has been turned into a contemporary, unique and quirky hotel.... More info and book online.. Price from £60.00 |  |  The Morritt HotelBarnard Castle, County Durham, England (2.7 miles, 4.4 km, direction SE) Located in the picturesque hamlet of Greta Bridge, this traditional and peaceful 4-star AA hotel is in a beautiful location close to the Tees Valley and Yorkshire Dales.... More info and book online.. Price from £90.00 |  |  The Rose & CrownRomaldkirk, County Durham, England (5.1 miles, 8.2 km, direction NW) Set in an 18th-century coaching inn, The Rose and Crown offers period features and luxury bedrooms with traditional charm. With free parking and free internet, The Teesside Way is close by.... More info and book online.. Price from £76.00 |  | High Dalton Hall CottageRichmond, North Yorkshire, England (5.7 miles, 9.2 km, direction SE) High Dalton Hall Cottage is situated on a working family hill farm in an elevated position overlooking the breathtaking countryside of North Yorkshire and Teesdale. 6 miles from Barnard Castle a... More info and book online.. Price from £303.00 | All Accommodation near Barnard Castle.. |
User LoginPicture Tours
Search Site:
|