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 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

Pub Jukebox:

Alcohol themed music to listen to while you browse.

alcohol - Brad Paisley

 The Old Well ★

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 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 ★

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

Barnard Castle

“Burgandy makes you think silly things; Bordeaux makes talk about them; Champagne makes you do them.”

— Jean Brillat-Savarin

ANSWER: Venezuela