The Caravan Club – September 2019

http://www.camc.com

5

“There are lots of lovely towns

around – Barnard Castle itself

and Middleton-in-Teesdale – as

well as places of interest. But

mainly we get people who

want to make the most of the scenery and the

excellent walking across The Teesdale Way.”

Kevin and Karen Greenwood

Site staff view

You can just about manage to explore

Durham Cathedral and the neighbouring Castle

(both of which were granted World Heritage

Site status in 1986) in a day. The 1,000-year-old

c a s t le i s now p a r t of D u rh a m Un i ve r s i t y a nd

students have replaced the lords and ladies who

o nce w a l ke d i t s h a l lowe d h a l l s. A s p e ople

actually live here, visitors must join one of the

organised tours – visit dur.ac.uk/durham.castle/

whatson/tour to reserve your place.

After all that walking we headed down to

the riverbank in search of more restful activity.

Although you can paddle down the river

yourself – Browns Rowing Boats has been hiring

out vessels for more than 100 years

(brownsboats.co.uk) – we opted for a cruise

as the weather was mixed to say the least.

The Prince Bishop embarks on 60-minute

trips taking in the cathedral, castle and bridges.

Onboard commentary is provided and there is

TOURING UK SITES

Teesdale Barnard

Castle

On the outskirts of the pretty market town of

Barnard Castle, this compact site sits amid

acres of glorious countryside.

Pitches: 7 6 | Open: 2 2 F e b - 3 0 O c t 2 019

Club Site

“We came for the walking

and there are plenty of

riverside paths to explore

as well as High Force

[waterfall]. We also enjoyed

the mini-golf course at the base of the castle.”

Rachel Nicholson and Kitty Fleming,

campervanners

Member view

Food & drink

Darlington Railway

Museum, Station

Road, Darlington

DL3 6ST

Contact: head-of-steam.co.uk, 01325 405060

Culture

Bowlees Visitor Centre, Bowlees, Newbiggin

DL12 0XF

Contact: northpennines.org.uk, 01833 622145

Outdoor fun

Teesdale Alpacas, Jock House Barn,

Boldron, Barnard Castle DL12 9SP (postcode

for sat-nav)

Contact: teesdale-alpacas.co.uk,

07976 423258

For the family

The Three Horseshoes Hotel, 7 Galgate,

Barnard Castle DL12 8EQ

Contact: three-horse-shoes.co.uk,

01833 631777

Illustration: Louise Turpin

a covered lounge should you need to shelter from

the elements.

O ld B r id ge E nd C L i s le s s t h a n 15 m i nu te s’ d r i ve

from this impressive city, although, as you sit

outside the caravan, drinking in the quiet

meadowland scenery, you would never know it.

Energetic types could leave the car/motorhome on

site and walk the three miles into Durham, or take

a shorter stroll to Witton Gilbert, where you will

find a couple of pubs and a handy newsagent. For

cyclists, the village’s decommissioned railway line

is now navigable as part of National Cycle Route 14.

TIME FOR TEES...

It was time for us to hit the road again and head

south in search of our third main site, Teesdale

Barnard Castle, which sits on the edge of the lovely

North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural

Beauty. The nearby market town of Barnard Castle

is pretty attractive in its own right – frequented by

32 September 2019 Caravan and Motorhome Club Magazine