Ideas for Durham/Barnard Castle area...

v5076

Hi everyone

My OH and I are off to Durham/Barnard Castle for the week after Easter and would like ideas of where to go and what to see.

Also, if there are any recommendations for nice farm shops or nice (but MSE please) to eat that would be helpful.

Thanks
Vanessa:D

NeverAgain_2

Mainsgill Farm Shop and Tea Room is not far from Barnard Castle.

http://www.mainsgillfarm.co.uk/

Durham City is an obvious destination.

The cathedral and castle is one of a handful of World Heritage Sites in the country.

Durham City itself is not very big, a day is usually considered enough.

There is parking in the city centre, about £8 a day in a multi-storey.

Cheaper to use the park and ride, unless there are a few of you, because it's £1.50 each.

Parking and shopping: http://www.princebishops.co.uk/

Parking and riding: http://www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/Service.aspx?ServiceId=6952

More shopping in Durham Indoor Market, and the mezzanine cafe is a good place for a value lunch.

They do some of their own baking, and most of the rest of the food is made on the premises.

http://www.durhammarkets.co.uk/

A final thought, the Bowes Museum is only a mile or two from Barnard Castle.

Look out for the mechanical silver swan:

http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/

kittykarate

My Granda rates the cafe at the Dales visitor centre in Stanhope http://www.durhamdalescentre.co.uk/home.asp

I was here at the weekend (between Willington and Durham) http://www.lowfieldsfarmshop.co.uk/ the farm shop is quite small now as the cafe seems to be very popular.

For a day out you could go to http://www.beamish.org.uk/ which is a drive from Durham, but it is pretty big.

Do you fancy doing some walks around the area? I don't know Barnard Castle so well as I'm more Weardale, but there are some good walks in Weardale around Wolsingham, for example a circular walk to Elephant Trees. http://northernpies.blogspot.com/2009/11/elephant-trees-again.html (not affiliated with me). The Durham ramblers group list some of their favourite walks here http://ramblers.durhamcity.org.uk/favourites.html

High Force probably isn't too far to visit, lovely on a sunny day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Force

Catty212

If you go to Durham - Vennels Cafe is a lovely cafe

jnrm24

NeverAgain wrote: »

A final thought, the Bowes Museum is only a mile or two from Barnard Castle.

Look out for the mechanical silver swan:

http://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/

To help with your planning - if you come to Bowes (4 miles from Barnard Castle) we have a castle, but the Bowes Museum is actually IN Barnard Castle - walking distance from the town centre or you can park at the museum.

charis18uk

Beamish museum is excellent. Also the northymberland coast is not a ridiculous trip from there. Don't forget Newcastle quayside and all the attractions in Newcastle.

DevilsAdvocate1

For something a bit different, you could try The Forbidden Corner.

http://www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk/

You do have to ring and book as they were taken to court and the result was that the number of visitors each hour is limited. Much better to ring and book as this way you pay on the day. If the weather is bad and you decide not to go, you do not pay anything. Online, you pay upfront and if you decide not to go you still get charged.

We usually follow a visit to the Forbidden Corner to an dairy farm which makes fabulous ice cream. It is called Brymors.

http://www.abmoore.co.uk/

While Durham and Newcastle are great places to visit, they are probably a good hour from Barnard Castle. If you want something nearer, you could try Richmond.

http://www.richmond.org/events/index.html#apr


I hope you have a lovely time.

HTH.

Torry_Quine

Beamish is an amazing day out and if wet would recommend the Bowes museum. Durham cathedral is an absolute must

jinky67

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Durham cathedral is an absolute must

It definitely is, it is stunning:T

happierdaystocome

An hour away from Durham is Alnwick Castle and gardens

http://www.alnwickcastle.com/, this is were a lot of the early harry potter movies where filmed along with the Cathedral.


Someone on another forum had been here earlier in teh week and was raving about it http://home.btconnect.com/glassdesignuk/

and OH and I always have breakfast here, when we visit his parents, it a lovely farmshop and cafe http://www.broomhousedurham.co.uk/

Mark_Hewitt

As others have said Durham itself is a very nice. Go about 6 miles north and you get to my house

If you want a bit futher afield, then try Corbrdige (nice little village) or if you want a good trip out then try the Northumberland Coast. Holy Island is worth a day in itself but if tides aren't good then start in Bambrugh and work your way south through Seahouses, Craster, Warkworth, Amble and Cresswell, all worth a visit in themselves!