Barnard Castle is situated at the eastern end of the Stainmore
gap across the Pennines. It is about 16 miles west of Darlington,
11 north-west of Richmond and 25 miles south-west of
Durham.
The place has all the charm associated with its ancient history It is set in the most delightful countryside with
the Tees flowing on the south, at times angrily and at others
sparkling over its rocky bed, giving delight to eye and ear.
Its banks are clad with lovely woods, precipitous rocks and pleasant
walks open to all. Beyond, to the south, is the Greta, the inspiration of poets and of artists, and on the horizon is the Stang and
the Yorkshire hills forming the watershed between the Tees and
the Swale.
North west, along the valley of the upper Tees, is
delightful wooded country leading to Middleton, High Force
waterfall Cauldron Snout, magnificent in its loneliness, and
Mickle Fell towering on the horizon.
West is Deepdale
through which flows Deepdale beck from its source on Stain-more and approaching Barnard Castle through a densely wooded
and rocky ravine.
Beyond this again is Bowes with its Norman castle and church
standing on a Roman fort lying athwart the pass into Westmorland, impressive by its wild vistas and its associations with the
rugged features of early school life made unpleasantly famous by
Charles Dickens.
To the north-west are the wild fells on which at
one time were seen trains of pack-horses carrying the lead
and other ores from the mines which gave so much wealth to the
district in bygone days.
To the north are the ancient villages of Stainton and Staindrop
which preserves the general features of one of our finest examples
of a medieval stronghold.
To the east are the ruins of Egglestone
Abbey and Rokeby, made famous by Sir Walter Scott in his
epic poem of the latter name, and, near where the idyllic Greta
meets the Tees, is Mortham Tower, the latest and one of the most
southerly of border pele towers.
Beyond this again is Wycliffe with its ancient church stilt
retaining Anglo-Saxon carvings, and on the north bank of the
Tees is the pleasant village of Whorlton with its memories of
strenuous battle-training in preparation for the fighting which
eventually had its success in the surrender of the German Army
in 1945. Farther to the east is another charming village, Winston,
and beyond this again is Gainford with its village green, ancient
church and fine old houses.
Barnard Castle and its neighbourhood possess charm and
interest for the most varied tastes. Nature, helped in the 18th
century by men of vision and industry, has produced one of her
outstanding masterpieces.
What the countryside looked like
before the river valleys and becks were formed we cannot clearly
describe. We know that in the remote past seas covered the area
and at other times volcanic eruptions outlined the main masses
of the landscape. Over half a million years ago great glaciers
spread over the country, and in their later stages the flood waters
from the melting ice cut through the main masses of rock to form
the river beds.
These glaciers left behind great boulders of granite
which had been carried from Shap far away to the west. In cutting through the rock the different strata have been exposed,
especially the limestone which gives that wonderful tone of green
to vegetation and the delightful hues of wild plants.
