Barnard Castle, known locally as 'Barney', is a small market town with a wealth of history attractively set beside a castle on the banks of the River Tees in County Durham, England. The Castle, built in the 12th Century and now a ruin has one of the finest examples of the round tower.

Historic Barnard Castle is full of character with its cobbled Market Place and attractive shop fronts. The many buildings of interest include the Market Cross. Built by Thomas Breaks and given to the town in 1747, it has been used as a 'lock up' and town hall. Under the verandah was a market for dairy produce. Two bullet holes in the weather vane are said to have been made in 1804 by a gamekeeper and a volunteer soldier contesting their marksmanship.

Bowes Museum 0.25 miles east of Barnard Castle town centre. A French Chateau in an English rural setting, it houses a beautiful and fascinating display of furniture, paintings and ceramics of the second Napoleonic Empire period. One of the best loved exhibits is the Silver Swan, first mentioned in 1774 and recorded as "A Swan large as life" in the museum of John Cox, a goldsmith. At one time it was coin operated but the complicated workings which made the bird move its head, appear to take a fish from the water and swallow it, are now operated by the  museum staff at certain times of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High Force Waterfalls England's largest waterfall with a dramatic 21 metre drop over Great Whin Sill at the end of a wooded gorge. Afterwards relax in the warmth and friendly High Force Hotel where you can sample some of their own brewed beers or home cooked bar meals.

 

Raby Castle. The first historic mention of Raby is early in the 11 th century when the Manor of Rabi was one of the lands belonging to the township of Staindrop (then a provincial capital) which was gifted to the Prior of Durham by King Cnut, who reigned over England, Denmark and Norway from 1016 to 1035. It has long been thought that, at the time of the Conquest, Raby was in the possession of Sigum, reputedly Cnut's niece. The Nevills were responsible for building the 14th century Castle which still stands today. They continued to live at Raby until 1569 when, after the failure of the Rising of the North, the Castle and its lands were forfeited to the Crown. In 1626, Sir Henry Vane the Elder, Member of Parliament and important member of Charles I's household, at first his Governor, later his Treasurer, purchased Raby from the Crown. His family still own Raby, the present owner being the 11th Lord Barnard.

Hadrians Wall is the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain. It is the best known frontier in the entire Roman Empire and stands as a reminder of past glories of one of the world's greatest civilisations. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1987, Hadrian's Wall ranks alongside the Taj Mahal and other treasures of the great wonders of the world

 

Beamish Museum. One of the leading tourist attractions in the region, Beamish vividly recreates life in the North of England in the early 1880s and 1900s. Costumed staff welcome visitors to the turn of the century Town with shops, houses, working pub, newspaper office, garage, sweetshop and sweet factory.

Guided tours are given underground at a real "drift" mine in the Colliery Village and a row of pit cottages shows how the pitmen and their families lived. There is a Methodist chapel and village school here too.

Home farm has traditional breeds of livestock and poultry and a large farmhouse kitchen, with dairy and bailiff’s office. The Railway Station is complete with goods yard, signal box, locomotives and rolling stock.

Newly opened in 1995 - Pockerley Manor and Horse Yard - based on a Mediaeval fortified manor house, illustrating the life of a yeoman farming family almost 200 years ago. An average visit to Beamish takes 4 hours in summer, 2 hours in winter.

Durham Cathedral

 

 

 

 

 

Magnificent building dating from the 11th century, considered by many to be the world's finest Norman cathedral.
Shrine of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede,Bishop William of St Calais started the building of the Cathedral in 1093 to replace the 'White Church', itself a replacement for the wooden structure originally built to protect the holy relics.
Open all year,