Barnard Castle is, head and shoulders, the best market town in historic County Durham. It plays all the right notes.

Topography first: A gradually sloping site steepens then ends in cliffs and a perilous drop to the River Tees. Not that you would know it if you enter gently from the east, as from there even the castle that dominates from the west is quite invisible.

The medieval town was laid out around the castle walls, east and south, with curving, rising streets of stone buildings widening into the Market Place, using all the classic townscape tricks that contain, entice and funnel space. There are little visual surprises round every corner, down many of its narrow alleys or yards…and one very big one on the edge of the town.

If all that visual delight wasn't enough, its individual buildings are sufficiently interesting, or so little understood, as to make the town fascinating for the architectural historian. Besides its well-known major monuments, the wide range of vernacular buildings includes 16th and 17th century town houses, polite high-status 18th century mansions, and the legacy of an early 19th century building boom with an unusual take on the Greek Revival.

Transport to and from Barnard Castle was by public transport or members' own means. We met at 2.00pm at Scar Top, the open green space at the west end of Galgate, next to the castle entrance, marked by a ring on the map included in the flyer (already circulated to members).

Amongst other places to leave your vehicle is a large car park behind Galgate and Market Place. Members were encouraged to make a day of it and perhaps visit the castle and/or The Bowes Museum in the morning (neither of which was included in the walking tour), either bringind a picnic lunch or fightind for a place in one of the town’s several excellent eating places, all tending to be busy on a Saturday.

There was a charge of £2.00 per head for this tour to cover the cost of organisation and of the tour guide notes which will be handed out on arrival.