The site is about 2 miles to the west of Barnard Castle, adjacent to a farm, with yet more fields (paddocks?, what’s the difference?) of horses and a beautiful gorge walk through trees to the River Tees at Barnard Castle. So with brilliant weather forecast for the first full day, we cycled the 13 miles UP to the highest pub in the British Isles, the Tan Hill Inn, at a height of 1732ft above sea level for a very much needed pint of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. The route included a couple of miles along a steep dirt track across a desolate moor with distant glimpses of the A66. The only contact being at one of the track’s locked (to vehicles) gates meeting a young game keeper with responsibility for rearing Grouse, telling us what a poor year it had been for the wild chicks because of bad spring weather. Cycling back was a bit easier! We additionally took advantage of free entry (via the CSSC) to the Castle in BC, although would have felt very ripped off had we had to pay even half the advertised £6.90 entrance fee. The visit wasn’t helped by the very heavy downpour! However, despite the rain BC is a lovely small town, full of old buildings, lots of character, at least one excellent coffee shop (Moments Cafe) , and as we discovered on Sunday, a superb Sunday Roast at the Three Horseshoe’s Hotel, although interestingly served without roast potatoes. Oh, and we didn’t get our eyes tested!
