Barnard Castle

Situated along the River Tees in County Durham, Barnard Castle was originally a modest structure created by Guy de Balliol in the 11th century. Some 100 years later, Guy's small earthwork castle had been replaced by a massive stone fortress at the hands of Bernard de Balliol and his son. Consequently, not only was the castle named after these two great builders, but the town also. By the end of the 12th century Barnard Castle had become one of the largest castles in the North of England, and it is the extensive remains of this work that can be seen today.

Until the 17th century, Barnard Castle had been in the possession of the Crown, the Church, and back to the Crown. Subsequently, the estate was purchased by Sir Henry Vane in the 1630s and it was his decision to dismantle the huge decaying castle to provide sufficient material for the re-building of his preferred, smaller residence at Raby. The site was further quarried for local building, and ultimately abandoned, leaving it standing as nothing more than a ruinous shell given over to the ravages of nature.

For today's visitor, Barnard Castle is quite a complex site to understand, and its medieval plan has become swallowed up by the developing town. It is divided into four baileys or wards, each having separate defence measures. The Town Ward's function was as a place of refuge, and possibly the administration centre of the castle. A smaller section known as the Middle Ward served as a barbican, having a tower and a moat that formed part of the defensive system during the 14th century. But the Inner Ward was the best protected part of Barnard Castle, containing the main living accommodation and the Keep. Even now, the Keep (or Round Tower) dominates Barnard Castle and has survived remarkably well. The Great Chamber, although rebuilt at a later date, still retains much of its original 12th century stonework. Remains of other features in the Inner Ward that are visible to a lesser degree are the Demi-Bastion, the Prison Tower, the Postern Tower, the Mortham Tower and the Headlam Tower. Occupying an area similar in size to that covered by the other three wards together is the Outer Ward, a part of Barnard Castle no longer accessible to the public.

Although Barnard Castle cannot be said to dominate the town - in fairness it is quite easy to miss unless you know where to look for it - the ruins themselves are an impressive sight. From the fragments of the many buildings that were once enclosed by the curtain walls, it is possible to gain some measure of the grandeur and scale that the Balliol's and their successors enjoyed for over 400 years.