If ever you want to get under the skin of a place and find out what makes it tick, I find the two best ways to do it are get a copy of the local newspaper or dig into the history of the place. Barnard Castle Town Council have made it easy with the Blue Plaque Trail through the town.

Barnard Castle is a market town at the eastern end of Teesdale and thanks to its mixture of independent shops, it is a bustling place, even when it’s not market day. However, there is so much more to the town and all you need to do to find that out is keep your eyes open for the Blue Plaques that have been placed there.

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