BARNARD CASTLE

County Durham

County Durham's most magnificent ruin is also one of its oldest Castles.  A ringwork, which today forms the basis of the inner ward, was built around 1095 by Guy de Balliol.  This was rebuilt in stone by his nephew Bernard de Balliol around 1125 (hence the name "Bernard's Castle" which has become over the years Barnard Castle, the name it shares with the pretty little town which it graces).

The de Balliol's continued to work on the Castle and expand it over the next 100 years, until the reign of Edward I.  He made John de Balliol "King of Scotland" in 1292, but de Balliol soon fell from favour both in Scotland and England and in 1296 the Castle was confiscated from the de Balliol family.  The previous year Bishop Bek of Durham has seized the Castle.

The King took it from him in 1306 at which time Bek put in a claim for the "considerable amounts spent on repair and renovation".  The King granted Barnard Castle to Guy Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, in 1307.  Bishop Bek's successor, Bishop Ralph Nevill, took the Castle by force in 1440 but was soon forced by the King to return it to the Beauchamps.  In 1449, however, the Nevills finally took possession of the Castle legally.  In 1471 the Castle passed to Richard, Duke of Gloucester - who subsequently became King Richard III and the Castle passed to the Crown once more.

In 1536 and 1569 the Castle was besieged during rebellions.  In the latter case an eleven day siege left the Castle with a 58 metre gap in its curtain wall.  Nothing was done to repair the Castle and it began its slow descent into ruination.  In 1630 the Castle passed to Sir Henry Vane who removed some of its stonework to repair Raby Castle.  Further damage resulted during the Civil War when it was briefly held for the King.  By 1803 the Castle was being used as a farmyard.

In 1952 Lord Barnard put the Castle into the hands of the Department of the Environment and it is owned today by English Heritage and open throughout the year.

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© Text copyright - Raving Loony Productions, Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
© Photos and Artwork - Andrew J. Müller and Roy Barton
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2001