We leave Darlington on the A67 west over the A1 Highway
towards Piercebridge where we turn south for a short distance on 'Dere Street'
which was the main supply road used by the Romans to support their Frontier Wall
built by Emperor Hadrian.
Turning west again towards Eppleby we pass
Stanwick Camp an Iron Age Fort built by King Venutius of
the
Brigantes
a Celtic tribe who resisted the Roman Occupation after
they invaded in 43 AD.
They are the largest remains of an
Iron Age Camp in England with over 6 km of defensive ramparts and was their
Capitol until Venutius's wife Cartimandua
defected and made peace with the Romans leading to it's capture before the camp
was completed.
To control the Brigantes the Romans
located a garrison nearby at
Aldborough which became their capitol after the Romans left 4 Centuries
later.
Turning north we rejoin the A67
Highway at Winston and continue east to Barnard Castle, where John Bowes the son
of the 10th Earl of Strathmore founded his museum in 1869. It was completed in
1892 and houses a remarkable collection of paintings, furniture, dolls houses
and toys to name a few of the categories exhibited.
Barnard Castle which stands
impressively over 100 feet above the river Tees is maintained by
English Heritage, built by in 1122 by
Bernard Balliol whose descendant founded Balliol College, Oxford.
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