| Population: 5495 | Grid Reference: NZ047166 | Co-ordinates: 54.550,-1.920 |
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is a market town and the main settlement in Teesdale, Co. Durham. The town takes it's name from the castle around which it was built.
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the market place is an interesting market cross or Butter Market.
This is a covered area where butter and other dairy products
were
once traded. The main employer in the town is GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical company. An annual carnival, The Barnard Castle Meet takes place over the Spring Bank Holiday and features a procession through the town centre on the bank holiday Monday which is the last Monday in May. The Barnard Castle Band dating from 1860 is a brass band based in the town. The band is well known for it's rendition of the march, "Barnard Castle" by Goff Richards. Notable residents and former residents include 18th century historian, William Hutchinson, Aston Villa footballer, Bob Chatt and Bananarama/Shakespeare's Sister member, Siobhan Fahey who lived here for a short time as a child. The Butter
Market
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The most impressive building in Barnard Castle is the Bowes Museum, a chateau-like building which houses paintings, textiles, arts, tapestries and ceramics. The museum was founded by John Bowes, a racehorse owner and art collector. The illegitimate son of John Bowes, the 10th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, he did not inherit the title from his father. The Bowes-Lyon family included Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, consort of King George VI.
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BACK Barnard Castle town centre
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