Today Barny is the main market town for Teesdale, in addition to the medieval castle from which the name is derived, Barnard Castle has some of the best antique shops in the North of England most within the area known as The Bank. The town is the home of the Bowes Museum, with its unrivalled collection of 15th-19th Century European art, and the mechanical silver swan, which has to be an attraction in its self.

Barnard Castle sits above the River Tees dominating the approach over the Tees into the town. Barny is regarded as the capital of Teesdale and has to be one of the most attractive and most historic towns in the North.

Today Bernard's Castle is a ruin, but a very pretty ruin situated on a high bank overlooking the Tees. The castle has witnessed plenty of history and has been a home to many famous historic characters, including Richard III, Henry VII, Warwick the Kingmaker, and the Prince Bishops.

Barnard Castle's Market Place stands at the centre of the town, the area is mainly used as car parking, though the market is still in use on Wednesdays and the occasional Farmers Markets. The street is dominated by an intriguing octagonal building called the `Market Cross', or locally as the Butter Mart, which was built by a Barnard Castle resident called Thomas Breaks in 1747. At various times in history this building has served the purpose of court, gaol, Town Hall and buttermarket. A weather vane sits on top of the building marked by two bullet holes reputedly made by a soldier and a gamekeeper in a competition of shooting abilities.At the northern end of the market place, a street called Galgate runs north-east following the ancient course of a Roman road that ran from Stainmore to join Dere Street near West Auckland. The name Galgate originates from post Roman times and is so called because it once led to the gallows where public hangings took place.

Newgate leads us into what is arguably Barnard Castle's biggest attraction; the Bowes Museum. Visitors are surprised to find this huge and magnificent building, in such a small north country town. Built in the style of a French chateau, it has one of the most impressive collections of pictures, ceramics, textiles, tapestries, clocks and costumes in the north of England. Its exhibits include a famous life size, silver swan, which can delicately lift a fish from a salver to swallow it. The Bowes Museum developed from the collection of John Bowes, Earl of Strathmore, who with his French actress wife Josephine purchased most of the wonderful items displayed in the museum. Sadly both died before the completion of the building in 1892.

Charles Dickens visited Barnard Castle in February 1832 and stayed at the Kings Head in the market place, of which he wrote. "There is good ale at the King's Head. Say you know me and I am sure they will not charge you for it." While in the town Dickens visited the shop of a clockmaker called Thomas Humphreys, where a particular time-piece caught his attention. Enquiring further he found that the clock had been made by the clockmaker's son, William who unwittingly provided inspiration for the Dickens novel Master Humphrey's Clock. Dickens was visiting Teesdale to undertake research for his novel Nicholas Nickleby and the material for this book was collected at the nearby village of Bowes. Dotheby's Hall, the fictional school portrayed in the novel, was based on the Bowes Boys Academy and the building can still be seen in Bowes village today. A proprietor of the school, William Shaw was the model for the character Wackford Squeers. His grave can be seen in a local churchyard.