County Durham - Barnard Castle
Romp around the ruins at Barnard Castle
Set on a high rock above the River Tees, Barnard Castle takes its name from its 12th century founder, Bernard de Balliol. It was later developed by the Beauchamp family and then passed into the hands of Richard III.
With fantastic views over the Tees Gorge, this imposing fortress sits on the fringe of an attractive working market town known locally as 'Barney'. Try and spot Richard's boar emblem carved above a window in the inner ward or play on the extensive lawns planted with sapling fruit trees.
The castle looks down to the River Tees below, popular with canoeists and anglers and for the scenic riverside walks along the Teesdale Way, Deepdale and Flatts Wood. After a fierce siege in 1569, when the castle was bombarded by rebels, the castle went into decline and was mostly abandoned by the early 17th century.
