Barnard Castle

Barnard Castle, town, unitary authority and historic county of Durham, northern England. It lies on the northeast bank of the River Tees (there crossed by a medieval bridge).

A settlement developed around a Norman castle built in 1178 by Bernard de Balliol, who gave the town its first charter. The castle was the birthplace of John de Balliol, founder of Balliol College, Oxford, and father of John de Balliol, king of Scotland (1292–96). The town retains many Georgian buildings, including the town hall. The Bowes Museum, completed in 1892 in the style of a French château, has a notable art collection. In 1838 Charles Dickens was inspired to write Nicholas Nickleby (1839) while staying at the local King’s Head Inn. Manufacture of stockings and carpets, the principal local activity in the early 19th century, has been superseded by other industries, including pharmaceuticals. Pop. (2001) 5,189; (2011) 5,495.