BARNARD CASTLE
Barnard Castle is a market town found off of the A6. There is one long road running in, through and out. Almost all of the pubs are on this road.
Barnard Castle is a market town on the river Tees and as the name suggests it has a medieval castle.
Judged a Sunday Times “Best Place to Live” 20201
The Castle The town The Bowes Museum
The White Swan (now closed) is at the bridge over the river as you come into town down Bowes Road. It has an attached restaurant. The bar is upstairs with pool and darts. Looks newly decorated. There is (was) just something missing. Across the bridge and follow the road round to The Blue Bell at Barnard Castle.
Walk up the hill, called The Bank, and The Old Well is on the left. Continue up the hill and to the right at the round about is The Black Horse. Back on the main road the Raby Arms Hotel is on the right. Along the street is The Turks Head. Across the road is The Golden Lion.
The main road turns to the right at the Castle into a very wide road and on corner is The Three Horseshoes which was closed. However, it has now re-opened after massive refit. Across is The Commercial Hotel and a little further up is the Coach and Horses. Further up the road is the Cricketers Arms. Up the road further still was the Beaconsfield but it is now closed. Walk on up and turn off to the left to find the Red Well Inn.
The White Swan (now closed)
The White Swan is now CLOSED it was at the bridge over the river as you come into town down Bowes Road. It has an attached restaurant. The bar is upstairs with pool and darts. Looks newly decorated. There is just something missing. CLOSED
Have a pint.
Bitter: John Smiths, Magnet Cider: Strongbow
Lager: 1664, Fosters Guinness
The Blue Bell
The Blue Bell at Barnard Castle
The Blue Bell at Barnard Castle is a bit of a long name for a small pub. However, it is a pleasant local. Plenty of locals taking together. Pool and darts.
definitely a pint.
real ale: advertised but not there?? Not available
bitter: John Smiths, Theakstons
Lager: Carling, Stella Guinness
The Old Well ★
The Old Well, Barnard Castle
Walk up the hill, called The Bank, and The Old Well is on the left. Front bar, middle bar, dining area and outside tables at back in walled garden. Very nice pub with great food and good choice of beers.
Regular in The Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) - …..2023, 2024, 2025
Visited by Bill Bryson in "The Road to Little Dribbling". Dog friendly and disabled access
Few pints here.
real ale: Directors, Beechers, Landlord
bitter: John Smiths Cider: Strongbow
Lager: Carling, Fosters Guinness
The Black Horse (closed)
The Black Horse is a pleasant local front bar with pool in back room. Yard to toilet used by smokers (must be desperate).
Dog friendly and disabled access
A pint (just)
real ale: none (now serving one according to CAMRA)
bitter: John Smiths, Magnet
Lager: 1664, Fosters
Cider: Strongbow, Woodpecker Guinness
PLACES TO VISIT WITH PUBTRAILS
The towns and villages highlighted on this web site have a wide variety of pubs and beers in them. All of the places are great to visit, whether for a day or longer, and most have tourist attractions for all of the family.
There is a large variety of pubs throughout the different towns shown below. Some you may wish never to visit again but even discovering these can be interesting. There are pubs that you would not take your wife into. While some you could not take your girlfriend into. A few you would not take either into. However, most of the pubs are very pleasant.
HOME MAP of places visited
Alnwick Ambleside Anstruther Bakewell Bamburgh Barnard Castle Bath Berwick upon Tweed Birnam & Dunkeld Bourton on the Water Bowness on Windermere Bridge of Allan Chester Chichester Dunblane Dunoon Edinburgh Ely Fort William Glasgow Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inverness Kelso Keswick Knaresbourgh Largs Linlithgow Lyme Regis Melrose Montrose Newton Stewart North Berwick Norwich Oban Pebbles Penzance Portree Pitlochry Quorn Richmond Rothesay St Andrews Seahouses Seend Shrewsbury Skipton Stirling Stratford-upon-Avon Stockton Heath Whitby Windemere Whitstable York
The Raby Arms
Raby Arms Hotel is a weekend venue with disco - open weekends 9.30 until late
PUB QUIZ
Which country is named after Italian City ?
Answer at foot of page
The Turks Head
The Turks Head is a large old pub with lots of small drinking areas beyond the bar. No food in the evening 'cause we are too busy'. Good bar to stand at. Lots of locals. Always bustling.
Pint here.
real ale: Theakstons, Old speckled Hen
bitter: John Smiths
Lager: Fosters
Cider: Strongbow, Scrumpy Jack Guinness
The Golden Lion ★
The Golden Lion, Barnard Castle
The Golden Lion has a slope at the entrance to enter front drinking area and servery also serves a rear drinking area as well. The rear bar is the tallest I have stood at - easy to lean against if six foot tall but the vertically challenged will have trouble being seen. Outside area at back.
The Good Beer Guide (CAMRA) - previously
Dog friendly and disabled access
A pint or two - for old and new rockers
real ale: Cumberland Ale
bitter: Marstons creamflow
Lager: Stella, Carling, Fosters
Cider: Woodpecker Guinness
The Three Horseshoes
The Three Horseshoes was closed. However, it has now re-opened after massive refit. Has 11 rooms for staying.
serves Real Ale. Meals all day
Disabled access
The Commercial Hotel
The Commercial Hotel looked like it has seen better days. Lounge through door at side, bar via front door. Very popular with locals. Camra mags but no real ale. Now has one ale.
Disabled access
Worth a pint
real ale: nil (now serving one according to CAMRA) - now on
bitter: John Smiths, Youngers Cider: Strongbow
Lager: Stella, Carling, Fosters Guinness
Coach and Horses ★
The Coach and Horses, Barnard Castle
Coach and Horses a very long lounge with seating area, bar, more seating and then pool, then more seating. Actually, a pleasant little local. Though when real ale was off (only for one day) I was told that the Cumberland creamflow was just the same stuff. Dog friendly. Sheltered beer garden.
Couple of pints here.
real ale: Cumberland Ale
bitter: Marstons Creamflow, Cumberland Creamflow
Lager: Stella, Carling Fosters
Cider: Woodpecker, Scrumpy Jack Guinness
The Cricketers Arms
The Cricketers Arms is nice pub with seating areas either side of a square bar. Looks freshly decorated. Probably the best big screen viewing in town.
A pint here (if it has real ale now, then stay longer).
Dog friendly and disabled access. Evening meals
real ale: nil (now serving one according to CAMRA)
bitter: Cumberland Creamflow, Banks
Lager: Cobra, Carling, Stella Fosters
Cider: Strongbow Guinness
Beaconsfield (now closed)
Red Well Inn
The Red Well Inn, Barnard Castle
Red Well Inn has a good sized bar some of which is obviously for meals. It is a hotel but does seem to have locals and standing at bar is comfortable and dog friendly.
Have a pint
real ale: Hampshire real ale
bitter: John Smiths
Lager: Amstel, Stella, Fosters
Cider: Bulmers Guinness
-
Books on Beer
-
Books on Pubs
-
Durham CAMRA
Local CAMRA site
“Burgandy makes you think silly things; Bordeaux makes talk about them; Champagne makes you do them.”
— Jean Brillat-Savarin
ANSWER: Venezuela