The Castle
The castle at Barnard Castle is one of the largest
castles in the north of England, set
high above the River Tees.
Guy de Baliol was granted land here by William Rufus and built a wood and earthwork fortification. This was soon replaced by a stone castle. When John Baliol, King of Scotland was defeated by Edward I, ownership of the castle passed to the Nevilles, Dukes of Warwick and then by marriage to Richard III. The estate was forfeited to the crown after the unsuccessful Uprising of the North in the C16th. It eventually passed into the ownership of the Vane family who used stone from Barnard Castle to rebuild Raby Castle, leaving it a ruin.
The castle is made up of four wards and surrounded by a curtain wall with towers.The oldest buildings are in the Inner Ward and had a protective ditch. Outside this was the smaller Middle Ward with the Constable Tower acting as a gateway. To the east of the Inner Ward was the larger Town ward. These were separated from the Outer Ward by another massive ditch. The castle was protected to the west by the cliff above the river. To the east, there was another protective ditch outside the curtain wall.
The Outer Ward to the south was the largest and contained the Market Gate which was the main entrance from the town. This contained the manorial farm and the chapel containing the tombs of the Baliol family. In the mid C14th the outer ward was abandoned apart from the chapel, making the castle smaller and cheaper to run. Now all that remains are a few bumps in the ground and views across to the town.
The main entrance now is through the north gate into the Town Ward. This originally had a barbican with drawbridge and guard house, with another room above.
The Town Ward is still surrounded by the curtain wall which stands to nearly its full height.
This was a place of refuge for the townsfolk and contained the well and a number of permanent buildings, connected with the running of the castle. All are now ruined foundations along the side of the walls, apart from the late C12th Brackenbury Tower that was used both as a living area and also as a store room. It had a fireplace as well as a latrine set into the walls.
On the far side of the north gate and by the ditch is the remains of the Dovecote Tower still with the rows of nesting holes for doves or pigeons. The floor level was dug out below the level of the surrounding ground to allow for the accummulation of droppings, feathers etc. This was used as a fertiliser and also for tanning.
A stone wall separated the Town Ward from the Outer Ward.
The Great Ditch dates from the C12th and separates the Middle and Inner Wards from the Town Ward. The modern wooden bridge is on the site of the original C14th one.
There was a small sally port with a portcullis in the curtain wall that allowed access to the river. The purpose of the small archway in the wall separating the Town and Middle Wards is unclear and it has been suggested it might have been used during ditch maintenance.
The Middle Ward was reached by a bridge across the Great Ditch and linked the three other wards of the castle.
It served as a fortified entry area or barbican through which all visitors to the castle had to pass. It also contained stables and accommodation for the castles officials. The Town and Outer Wards were semi-public areas and used by castle and town to conduct business. Middle Ward controlled access to the Inner Ward and Lord’s residence. Entry from the Town Ward was controlled by a tower. All that remains of this are the latrine shafts which emptied into the moat
The Constable Tower controlled entry from the Outer Ward. It was originally three storeys tall and overlooks the river.
The Inner Ward was the first part of the site to be built. It was protected on two sides by a steep cliff dropping down to the river. On the other sides, it was protected by the ditch.
It has been extended and altered over the years.
In the early C12th, the castle was surrounded by a wooden palisade and entered through a gatehouse tower. There were few buildings.
By the mid C12th the wooden palisade had been replaced by a stone wall and a stone keep had been added.
By the early C13th, the internal buildings were now all stone built . The round tower had been added along with Chamber Block and Great Hall.
By the late C14th, a barbican had been added to the entrance and the Mortham Tower built,
It contained the keep built on top of an earthen motte, on top of a motte, great chamber, great hall and the kitchens. Little now remains of the original gate tower and barbican.
Little now remains of the original gate tower and barbican. Immediately on the left on entering is the remains of the kitchen range - a few foundations and a drain.
Immediately behind these is the remains of the Mortham Tower, which was built in the C14th as a lookout tower. The ground floor was service rooms with buttery, pantry and servery. The upper floors were living quarters with a latrine.
The Mortham Tower abutted onto the Great Hall., which was built over the original timber hall. This was a tall single story building which served as the communal living and dining area and would have had a central open hearth. All that remains now is the outer wall with two large windows.
Next to the Great Hall was the Chamber Block, which was the private family quarters. Again little remains of this. The ground floor rooms would have been dark and may have been used for storage with the private rooms above, reached by an external wooden staircase. The large oriel window is a later addition.
The Round Tower dominates the Inner Ward.
The Undercroft with its stone ceiling and well was mainly used for storage. It has a latrine in the wall near the entrance from the Chamber Block. Steps lead up to the first floor.
The Round Tower is now a roofless shell, with a stone stair up through the wall leading to the top. There are good views down onto the rest of the castle from here, as well as the surrounding area.
Beyond the Round Tower was the Bakehouse and Postern Tower.
The Bakehouse was kept separate from the other buildings to reduce the risk of fire. The stone lined pit was either a cold store or a water cistern. The archway gave access to the Prison Tower. Near this was the Postern Tower which gave access to the sally port leading out of the Inner Ward.
This is a splendid castle and well worth visiting. It is tucked round the back of Horse Market and not visible from the town itself. The best views are from the bridge across the River Tees.
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