Barnard Castle, a bustling market town that feels both homely and vibrant - County Durham
Barnard Castle is now famous as the place where the then Prime Minister's Chief of Staff went to get his eyes tested. Before you ask, yes I did look for a Specsavers
The Castle
It is impressive, just like Richmond Castle it is perched upon a precipice and looks down onto the River Tees.
It is of course an English heritage site and comes with a hefty £8.50 entrance fee.
I do suggest heading down towards the river to get the full experience of how imposing the castle is from this vantage point. It really does help explain why the castle is there and why the castle is the way it is.
A neat little slice of County Durham history to take in before getting yourself a nice tea and cake on the high street.
The Town
What I really liked about the town was the disposition of the shops on the high street with the castle just off the high street and the old ordinal buildings gave the town a nice feel. Firstly, it made the pavements feel busy, full of life and worth traversing.
It was a Saturday when we visited there was a farmers market, and it was refreshing that the farmers market had 1) farmers and 2) homemade goods that clearly were not bought from Asda and repackaged.
After looking around some of the lovely shops we popped into Nobia & Sons and picked up a lovely beetroot and chocolate cake and black pudding scotch eggs.
Both were delicious.
As you wonder around it feels alive. Which is rare these days.
Final Thoughts
Barnard Castle is worth a visit, even if you do not need your eyes tested. It seems that is it one of those high streets that is bucking the trend. Seeing multiple butchers was a really positive sign.
Overall pop along when the farmers market is on. Just make sure to wrap up warm if you are visiting during the winter.