The lovely area in and around Barnard Castle is ideal for a caravan tour, with plenty to see and do, says Nigel Hutson
A COUPLE OF years ago, Barnard Castle, in Co Durham, attracted public attention for all the wrong reasons… although many people had probably never heard of the place before, let alone visited there.
Barnard Castle, or Barney as it’s known locally, is a thriving (and ancient) market town, a charming place, and it does indeed have a castle. The upside of the publicity is that business is booming. The downside is also that business is booming!
Let me explain. For many years, Kay and I had rented a cottage in nearby Baldersdale for a short break, but when we tried to book this year, the owner said that bookings had “gone bonkers since you know when”.
Luckily, both of the major touring Clubs have campsites near the town, and there are quite a few privately owned sites, too, so we decided to take our caravan this time. Viewforth Meadow, a new CL run by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, located just a couple of miles outside Barnard Castle, caught our eye, so the booking was made.
Campsite welcome
After an easy drive, we arrived at the CL and were met by Phil, the friendly owner, and allocated our pitch.
Our first impressions couldn’t have been better – for example, the site facilities were spotless, and the pitches were a good size and separated by newly planted bushes.
The rest of the day was spent enjoying our surroundings, and the superb views from one of the strolls around the site that Phil and his wife Clare have devised (with strategically placed garden seats!).
We spent the next morning stocking up with provisions and reacquainting ourselves with Barnard Castle (there’s a Morrisons supermarket in the centre of town, as well as the local shops). We planned a ‘proper’ visit to the town later in the week.
One of our nieces had bought us a gift voucher for afternoon tea, and we saw that The Morritt Hotel & Garage Spa, at Greta Bridge ( just off the A66), was on the list of venues. So this was our destination.
And what a splendid time we had. Even though I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth, we enjoyed every delicious sandwich and cake – and then a good walk around the hamlet to burn off some calories!
Our route back to the caravan took us past the picturesque ruins of Egglestone Abbey, a medieval monastery located above a bend in the River Tees.
We didn’t stop there this time, but have done in the past, and it’s well worth a look if you enjoy exploring historic ruins
