A COUPLE OF years ago, Barnard Castle, in Co Durham, attracted public attention for all the wrong reasons… although many people had probably never heard of the place before, let alone visited there.
Barnard Castle, or Barney as it’s known locally, is a thriving (and ancient) market town, a charming place, and it does indeed have a castle. The upside of the publicity is that business is booming. The downside is also that business is booming!
Let me explain. For many years, Kay and I had rented a cottage in nearby Baldersdale for a short break, but when we tried to book this year, the owner said that bookings had “gone bonkers since you know when”.
Luckily, both of the major touring Clubs have campsites near the town, and there are quite a few privately owned sites, too, so we decided to take our caravan this time. Viewforth Meadow, a new CL run by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, located just a couple of miles outside Barnard Castle, caught our eye, so the booking was made.
Campsite welcome
After an easy drive, we arrived at the CL and were met by Phil, the friendly
