Standing tall and proud on a rocky cliff along a bank overlooking the River Tees, Bernard Castle is an impressive and breathtaking sight and was once the primary residence of the Baliol family. Named after the men who first built the castle and founded the town it was heavily damaged in1630 when Sir Henry Vane bought it to re-use its stone to build Raby Castle. Now managed and maintained by English Heritage, Barnard Castle is an imposing sight and was at one stage one of the largest castles in the North of England.