Local Attractions

There are many great places to eat and drink nearby. The nearest is the  19th century Milbank Arms in Barningham (due to reopen soon); a reasonably long but beautiful walk from Scargill or a short car ride. Coghlans also in Barningham has a cafe, delicatessen and does take away food. Cross Lanes on the A66 does huge cheese scones, has a daily coffee and lunch menu and has an organic food hall. Dogs can sit in the cafe, but they can’t go shopping in the food hall. They run regular workshops such as cocktail making or wine tasting. The Morritt Arms at Greta Bridge is a 19th century coaching inn built inside a Roman Fort and settlement. All can accommodate dogs.

Barnard Castle has a number of eating places – why not try Babul’s on the Market Place which not only serves delicious Indian cuisine, but also has a cocktail bar upstairs?  The cheese scones at Moments Cafe are pretty special  and they do a wide range of vegan food here. If you have nimble knees go downstairs for another historic building experience.   Further afield, the picturesque village of Romaldkirk has the Rose and Crown for delicious lunches and evening meals (dog friendly) or just enjoy a drink in front of the roaring fire. The Teesdale Hotel (dog friendly) and The Forresters in Middleton in Teesdale are also both worth a visit. Check the folder in the living room at Scargill for more suggestions.

A little further afield is Middleton Lodge. The Coach House here does breakfasts, brunches, lunches and evening meals. They use produce from their own walled gardens. Their cocktails are the best in the country (we think). For a more special occasion, try their tasting menu at The Forge on the same estate. It will set you back a princely sum and you’ll probably want to book a taxi, but if you have a celebratory event, it will be fabulous.

For an extra special treat why not get local cook Rachel Markham to make you a Tudor meal at Scargill? To find out more about Tudor Dining click here.

The Bowes Museum is situated in a beautifully ornate 19th century building modelled on a French Chateau. It houses some of the nation’s best fine art, but it also sells some of the town’s best coffee in the attached cafe which also does delicious food. Entrance into the cafe and gift shop is free.

Hopetown opens in July 2024 and celebrates Darlington’s role in the growth of the railways. It was here that the modern railway network was first conceived which opened in 1825 and the world never looked back. Locomotion at Shildon is also a railway museum with free entry. It has the largest undercover selection of railway vehicles in Europe. It was here that the Stockton & Darlington Railway housed its locomotives from 1825. If steam trains are your thing, you might like to shop at our online shop that sells hand made and designer gifts that celebrate our railway heritage. Look out for the S&DR 200 Festival from April 2025 to November 2025 marking 200 years since the start of our modern railway network.

Further afield there is the Beamish Outdoor Museum and the castle and cathedral World Heritage Site in Durham and a wide range of museums and galleries in Newcastle (and another castle!).

Rokeby is just on the other side of the A66 and is the home to a nationally important collection of tapestries and was the location of Sir Walter Scott’s poem of the same name. It is still a private house, but is open during the summer months for guided tours. Within the Rokeby Estate but now under the Guardianship of English Heritage is the medieval Egglestone Abbey set amidst spectacular countryside and free for all to visit. Lord Barnard has just invested gazillions of pounds at Raby Castle. Much new landscaping, new cafes and restaurants and of course the castle itself which is just a little bit bigger than Scargill!

If staying in a castle is not enough, why not visit Barnard Castle’s castle which is under the care of English Heritage (free to members) or Bowes Castle, also under the care of English Heritage, but free to all. Raby Castle is the picturesque home of Lord Barnard and has the castle, walled gardens, parkland, a gift shop and cafe.  At Christmas it has a Christmas shop and Santa’s grotto. The gardens are beautiful and the wider parkland has deer roaming – see if you can spot the albino ones! All within a few miles of Scargill.

Horse riding takes place at East Layton just along the A66. Barnard Castle has a sports centre and swimming pool (closed in the summer of 2024 for renovations) or if you are feeling particularly brave there are wild swimming spots at Eggletone Abbey, Whorlton and Gainford. Or try the spa and swimming pool at Headlam Hall for a lot more luxury or the spa at the Morritt just down the road (no swimming pool though).

A two screen cinema is located in Richmond’s Old Station buildings where there is also a restaurant and cafe, and local produce shops selling beer, cheese and ice cream as well as an art gallery displaying local works of art for sale. You can take your drink in with you to the two cinemas. Large cinemas are also located in Darlington and Stockton (Teesside Park).

Once a month, Barnard Castle hosts the Funny Way To Be Comedy Club where you can watch some of the best rising new stars in stand up comedy while enjoying a drink in the parish hall or a local pub. Details are posted on Scargill Castle’s Facebook page or in the folder in the castle.