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13. A circular walk to Cotherstone from Barnard Castle on the banks of the River Tees This page illustrates Walk 9 "Cotherstone" in Paul Hannon's Walking Country "Teesdale" Places to find refreshment in Barnard Castle
The main high street of the market town of Barnard Castle - the Market Place.
The walk starts opposite Galgate and you turn down towards the Castle at Scar Top and turn right down the path signposted Cotherstone and onto the Riverside Walk. Galgate is on the site of a Roman road which crossed the River Tees at a ford from what is now the Riverside Walk. In medieval times Galgate lead to the pastures for cattle grazing and the gallows, hence the name Galgate!
The first part of the walk follows the eastern bank of the Rive Tees, do not cross the 1893 Tees Aqueduct and footbridge.
The route passes by the remains of the great railway viaduct built in 1861 and carried the railway line from Barnard Castle to Kirkby Stephen via Stainmore.
This is a beautiful river walk at any time of the year, in fact in the winter you see much more of the River Tees with all the leaves long gone in autumn.
Just occasionally you come right down the river's edge and then inland through woodland and farmland in the region of East Holme and West Holme.
East Holme House?
Looking down on Cotherstone Mill.
Just north-east of the village of Cotherstone you turn around via several footbridges to head south-east on the western bank of the River Tees.
You can miss out Cotherstone (as we did) and take a path nearer the river but you can see the spire of Cotherstone's St Cuthbert's Church built in 1881.
After passing an array of large stones beneath a sandstone cliff you head for Cooper House Farm.
After this there are wide ranging views of the River Tees before once again coming across the magnificent and impressive ruins of the railway viaduct, the former Deepdale Viaduct.
Further on your return to the banks of the River Tees and in the distance you can see the aqueduct footbridge and beyond it Barnard Castle's walls and towers.
You can cross via the aqueduct-footbridge to make your way back up to the town centre, or, as we did, continue on the road to get a better view of Barnard Castle across on the opposite bank of the River Tees. The castle was founded in the 12th century by Bernard Balliol (Bernard de Balliol), hence the name of the castle and town.
The castle is built on the rocky cliff over the fast flowing River Tees hence very good defensive southern and western flanks.
You can then cross over the Tees via the two span County Bridge and up into the Town. The stone bridge dates from 1569 and repaired and strengthened in 1771.
The walk up to the Market Place is a most enjoyable architectural trip on its own merit with lots of fine Georgian buildings to admire. On the left are some of the buildings in Thorngate and on the right more fine buildings on The Bank.
The lovely and idiosyncratic Blargrave House (Blargraves) is the oldest house in Barnard Castle, which is now a restaurant and once an inn. It is on 'The Bank' the street which in past times was the hub and commercial centre of Barnard Castle.
The Old Well pub uses a fine building.
At the top end of Market Place is the site of the Market Cross or Buttercross (Buttermarket, Butter Mart) is characterised by the octagonal tower over where the medieval cross was. In the middle is the tower and nave of St Mary's Parish Church founded in the 12th century.
Looking down the Market Place towards the Buttercross where you can still see some Georgian buildings and some original Victorian shop fronts.
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