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The Ancient Unicorn

2.0 star property
Guesthouse in Barnard Castle with free breakfast and a bar

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Photo gallery for The Ancient Unicorn

Classic Twin Room, Ensuite | Lounge
Bar (on property)
Classic Twin Room, Ensuite | Private kitchen
Classic Double Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom
Bar (on property)

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Pet friendly
  • Parking included
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
The St, Bowes,, The Street, Barnard Castle, England, DL12 9HL
  • Barnard Castle
    ‪6 min drive‬
  • Bowes Museum
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Yorkshire Dales National Park
    ‪21 min drive‬
  • Durham (MME-Teesside Intl.)
    ‪37 min drive‬

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Room options

View all photos for Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite

Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Classic Twin Room, Ensuite

Classic Twin Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Classic Twin Room, Ensuite

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Basic Triple Room, Shared Bathroom, Courtyard View (Mini Unicorn)

Basic Triple Room, Shared Bathroom, Courtyard View (Mini Unicorn) | 1 bedroom

Basic Triple Room, Shared Bathroom, Courtyard View (Mini Unicorn)

  • 194 sq ft
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Twin Bed and 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Family Triple Room, Ensuite

Family Triple Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Family Triple Room, Ensuite

  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for Comfort Cottage, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Charles Dickens Cottage)

Comfort Cottage, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Charles Dickens Cottage) | Lounge

Comfort Cottage, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Charles Dickens Cottage)

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

View all photos for Classic Double Room, Ensuite

Classic Double Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Classic Double Room, Ensuite

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Comfort Double Room, Ensuite

Comfort Double Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Comfort Double Room, Ensuite

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Basic Twin Room, Shared Bathroom

Basic Twin Room, Shared Bathroom | 1 bedroom

Basic Twin Room, Shared Bathroom

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Basic Double Room, Shared Bathroom

Basic Double Room, Shared Bathroom | 1 bedroom

Basic Double Room, Shared Bathroom

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

About the neighborhood

Barnard Castle

The Ancient Unicorn is located 0.8 mi (1.3 km) from North Pennines and within a 10-minute drive of Barnard Castle. This 17-room guesthouse welcomes guests with conveniences like free breakfast, a bar/lounge, and free self parking.
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What's nearby

  • Barnard Castle - 6 min drive - 4.8 miles
  • Bowes Museum - 7 min drive - 5.4 miles
  • Eggleston Hall - 16 min drive - 12.2 miles
  • Raby Castle - 19 min drive - 13.2 miles
  • Yorkshire Dales National Park - 21 min drive - 19.7 miles

Getting around

  • Kirkby Stephen Station - 21 min drive
  • Durham (MME-Teesside Intl.) - 42 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Babul’s - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Coach & Horses - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Redwell Inn - ‬9 min drive
  • ‪Golden Lion - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Costa Coffee - ‬7 min drive

About this property

The Ancient Unicorn

Guesthouse in Barnard Castle with free breakfast and a bar
Guests of The Ancient Unicorn enjoy features like free WiFi in public areas. You can take advantage of free parking if you drive.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Languages

English

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Free breakfast available
  • A bar/lounge

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (weekly)

Accessibility

  • No elevator

More

  • Smoke-free property

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Guests will receive lockbox information

Access methods

Lockbox

Pets

  • This property welcomes pets for GBP 10.00 per pet, per stay
  • Dogs only
  • Service animals exempt from fees

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

These fees and deposits will be charged at check-in, check-out, or the time of service.

  • Pet fee: GBP 10.00 per pet, per stay
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

This list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits might not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit/debit cards
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and outdoor lighting
This property is professionally cleaned
  • Check-in: 3:00 PM
  • Check-out: 10:00 AM
  • Minimum check-in age: 18
Driving? This property offers free parking.

We should mention

Details about charges, deposits, or other important information:

  • Charges for extra guests may apply and vary depending on the property's policy.
  • A cash deposit, credit card, or debit card for incidental charges, as well as a government-issued photo ID, may be required at check-in.
  • Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in and can't be guaranteed. Certain requests may come with additional charges.
  • This property accepts credit/debit cards.
  • Onsite safety features include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and outdoor lighting.
  • The property is professionally cleaned.

Additional information about polices, regulations, and more:

  • The guesthouse can refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, which include pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties.
  • There are no elevators.

Property is also known as

Ancient Unicorn Inn Barnard Castle
Ancient Unicorn Barnard Castle
Ancient Unicorn
Ancient Unicorn Barnard
Ancient Unicorn Inn
The Ancient Unicorn Guesthouse
The Ancient Unicorn Barnard Castle
The Ancient Unicorn Guesthouse Barnard Castle

Frequently asked questions

What's there to see close to The Ancient Unicorn?

This guesthouse is located in Barnard Castle within a short 16-minute walk of North Pennines. You'll also find Barnard Castle and Bowes Museum within a short drive.

Will I be able to park at The Ancient Unicorn?

Yes, self parking is offered for free at the guesthouse.

Does The Ancient Unicorn feature a casino on the premises?

No, The Ancient Unicorn doesn't have a casino.

Will I find an indoor pool at The Ancient Unicorn?

No, there is no indoor pool at this guesthouse.

What do couples enjoy most about The Ancient Unicorn?

Couples staying at this guesthouse will appreciate amenities like a bar plus some accommodations include soaking tubs and kitchens.

Are there hot tubs at The Ancient Unicorn?

No, there isn't a spa tub at this guesthouse.

Does The Ancient Unicorn have a restaurant that serves breakfast?

The Ancient Unicorn offers free breakfast though there is no restaurant.

Will The Ancient Unicorn allow pets to stay for free?

Although they can't stay for free, dogs are welcome at The Ancient Unicorn for a fee of GBP 10.00 per pet, per stay.

Are there connecting rooms at The Ancient Unicorn?

No, there aren't connecting guestrooms at this guesthouse.

How far is the airport from The Ancient Unicorn?

The closest major airport to The Ancient Unicorn is Durham (MME-Teesside Intl.), which is 29.4 mi away (42 minutes by car).

Are there rooms with balconies at The Ancient Unicorn?

No, there aren't any accommodations with balconies at The Ancient Unicorn.

The Ancient Unicorn Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 76 out of 125 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 37 out of 125 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 125 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 125 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 125 reviews

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Hayley

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Excellent staff and well positioned for a stop over.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Deirdre

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Overnight Stay in Room 5 The Ancient Unicorn

We only were there for 1 night but it was a very comfy and enjoyable one. We had dinner there and it was very good also breakfast next morning was cooked as you ordered and a very good choice of cold items we had room 5 and it was a beautiful room with tea and coffee making facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Markus

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Fantastic place

We had a fabulous stay in the Ancient Unicorn. We were a family of 4 and also had our dog with us. We stayed in the Charles Dickens Cottage and it was outstanding. When we arrived, the cottage was warm and welcoming. The kitchen was well-equipped. The breakfast was delicious and the staff were super friendly. The location is great for exploring the area. We look forward to coming back in the future.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Irene

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Nicole

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

8/10 Good

Michael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Stop-over

Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Lilly

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great Stay !

Lovely rooms , comfy bed & comfy pillows , great shower. Service & hospitality was fantastic ! Would highly reccomend.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ruth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely and GF breakfast

Lovely stay with lovely hosts. If you’re gluten free, the landlord is coeliac so you get a fabulous breakfast!
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Tracy

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely stay Very cosy
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

8/10 Good

Lorna

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Lovely historical property and good value for money. Quiet location, great stop off for travelling on the A66, with Barnard Castle just a short drive. Easy check into cosy courtyard cottage. Nicely decorated and furnished, though the bed would benefit from a better quality mattress. Friendly staff and good breakfast. Evening pub menu satisfactory but not exceptional.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jean

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very friendly, helpful staff.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Angela

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fabulous room . Helpful, friendly staff . Lovely food .
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The pub/hotel has evolved from a traditional coaching inn which has being doing basically the same job for over 400 years. Our room was basic, but had character (window seats) and the main facilities were fine (good bed, plenty of heating and lots of hot water). There is parking in the old cobbled coaching yard and the town of Bowes is quiet, but conveniently close to the A66.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Alastair

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Landlady was amazing. I arrived in a sorry state coming off the Pennine way. An hour later showered and fed I was on my way into BC in a taxi she organised. Room was clean and the whole place had been been repainted and felt looked after.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Mickie

Traveled with family
Liked: Amenities
Loved our first experience at the ancient unicorn wonderful staff beautiful food I would highly recommend anyone to stay or visit you won’t be disappointed A****
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

jakub

Traveled with family
Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great little cottage.

Charles Dickens cottage was great for a family of 4 on a short break. Comfortable and convenient location just off A66 without braking the bank. Great to have a fully equipped kitchen as well if you have kids to feed.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Bill

Traveled with pets, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We (couple adult daughter dog) stayed at the Ancient Unicorn to break the journey between East Anglia and Scotland. We arrived at the charming inn located in the centre of the lovely Pennine village of Bowes to be told that we had been upgraded to the Charles Dickens Cottage(!) because there was a problem with our booked room. The Cottage was immaculate and comfortable with a fantastic shower. Despite the fact that the staff were very busy because there was a folk group getting set up to play in the bar nothing was too much trouble for Karli and her staff to make us welcome. We had an excellent dinner of home-made food (made earlier in the day by Karli!) in the dog-friendly restaurant and then enjoyed a pint of real ale in the bar. And the cooked breakfast in the morning was fabulous. A perfect stay and so, so much better than a generic motorway hotel. The area is full of attractions in its own right (we had a quick look at the ruin of Bowes Castle just up the road) and we will be back!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jac

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

lovely little hideaway

I stayed with 2 female friends in a small but comfy courtyard room. We stayed for tea on the night and it was gorgeous, the staff were friendly and accommodating swapping the meal to suit our needs. Next morning breakfast was included so we all had a large full English, veg option available. We will definitely be back. Small issue re damp smell in bathroom but loved the place.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly, helpful staff. Modern, very clean en-suite room with comfortable bed. Evening meal and breakfast good. Great to meet Gus the dog!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

4/10 Poor

Matt

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service

An unpleasant experience

The hotel is self service. I received a text with a code to open a key box. The latch and lock on the bedroom door were broken on the inside, meaning that I could unlock the door from the front but could not latch or lock it. I had to push the sofa against the door overnight for security as I had a lot of expensive camera equipment in the room. There was no internet available despite being promised and sent a WiFi password. The walls were paper thin and I was woken up by drunken guests at 1am followed by another wake up at 3am due to a man loudly vomiting.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sharon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely place to stay

We loved our stay. The staff were lovely and the whole place was cute and friendly
Stayed 1 night in May 2024

8/10 Good

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Relaxing stay in historic inn.

Nice stay in an historic inn, with clean room, good pub food and a hearty breakfast. Reasonable price too - what's not to like?
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brenda

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We loved the quaintness of the hotel - it was beautiful too. The area is perfect for walking/rambling and was very quiet. The staff we encountered were lovely, kind, helpful and polite. And we particularly loved Gus, the resident doggie. Checking in was easy when we realised it was a staff-free experience and had to use codes and lock boxes to get the keys - simple and effective.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

jennifer

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was in a quiet wee village but if you have a car you can go to town I upgraded to a cottage and it had a microwave and kettle also a hob was very clean and there’s parking the breakfast and food was lovely would go again
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024