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The Ancient Unicorn

3.0 star property
Barnard Castle guesthouse with bar/lounge

Choose dates to view prices

At The Ancient Unicorn, you'll find a warm and inviting atmosphere with free WiFi in public areas. Enjoy easy parking and a smoke-free environment that lets you focus on your stay.

Reviews

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Pet friendly
  • Non-smoking
  • Free parking
  • Free WiFi

Main amenities (5)

  • Weekly housekeeping
  • Bar/lounge
  • Coffee shop/cafe
  • Coffee/tea in a common area
  • Garden
The current price is CNY690
CNY828 total
includes taxes & fees
Nov 21 - Nov 22

Room options

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Showing 9 of 9 rooms

View all photos for Classic Twin Room, Ensuite

Classic Twin Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Classic Twin Room, Ensuite

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(2 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Refrigerator
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Microwave
Stovetop
Coffee/tea maker
Oven
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite

Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Digital channels
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Basic Double Room, Shared Bathroom

Basic Double Room, Shared Bathroom | 1 bedroom

Basic Double Room, Shared Bathroom

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
  • 1 bedroom
  • 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

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Digital channels
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Comfort Double Room, Ensuite

Comfort Double Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Comfort Double Room, Ensuite

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(3 reviews)

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Pet friendly
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Classic Double Room, Ensuite

Classic Double Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Classic Double Room, Ensuite

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Pet friendly
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Family Triple Room, Ensuite

Family Triple Room, Ensuite | 1 bedroom

Family Triple Room, Ensuite

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Digital channels
  • 1 bedroom
  • 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)

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)

Highlights

Separate dining area
Heating
Kitchen
Refrigerator
Separate bedroom
Blackout drapes/curtains
Hair dryer
Private bathroom
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

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)

Highlights

Heating
Blackout drapes/curtains
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Digital channels
Pet friendly
  • 18 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Twin Bed and 1 Double Bed

Similar properties

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The Fox Hall Inn
  • Free breakfast
  • Pet friendly
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  • Free WiFi
9.4 out of 10, Exceptional, 49 reviews
The price is CNY538
CNY645 total
includes taxes & fees
Nov 23 - Nov 24
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About the neighborhood

Map
The St, Bowes,, The Street, Barnard Castle, England, DL12 9HL

What's nearby

  • Barnard Castle - 6 min drive - 7.7 km
  • Bowes Museum - 7 min drive - 8.7 km
  • The Garage Spa - 8 min drive - 11.8 km
  • Egglestone Abbey - 9 min drive - 10.4 km
  • Eggleston Hall - 15 min drive - 14.9 km

Getting around

  • Durham (MME-Teesside Intl.) - 42 min drive
  • Kirkby Stephen Station - 21 min drive
  • Bishop Auckland Station - 26 min drive
  • Darlington Station - 27 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Cricketers Arms - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Cross Lanes Organic Restaurant - ‬4 min drive
  • ‪Ancient Unicorn Inn - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Coach & Horses - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪The Rose & Crown - ‬12 min drive

About this property

The Ancient Unicorn

When visiting Barnard Castle, The Ancient Unicorn is a great choice to consider. You can grab a bite to eat at the coffee shop/cafe or wind down at the end of the day with a drink from the bar/lounge.

At a glance

DONE

Hotel size

    • 15 rooms
DONE

Arriving/Leaving

    • Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime
    • Contactless check-in available
    • Minimum check-in age: 18
    • Check-out time is 10:00 AM
    • Contactless check-out available
DONE

Special check-in instructions

    • Guests will receive lockbox information
DONE

Required at check-in

    • Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
    • Government-issued photo ID may be required
    • Minimum check-in age is 18
DONE

Pets

    • Pets allowed (dogs only)*
    • Service animals welcome
WIFI

Internet

    • Free WiFi in public areas
LOCAL_PARKING

Parking

    • Free onsite self parking
DONE

Other information

    • Smoke-free property
    • No stag/bachelor or hen/bachelorette parties

Property amenities

Food and drink

  • Free breakfast
  • Bar/lounge
  • Coffee shop
  • Coffee/tea in a common area
  • Free daily reception

What to do

  • Hiking/biking trails nearby

Facilities

  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture

Room amenities

More

  • Weekly housekeeping

Fees & policies

Renovations and closures

The following facilities are closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday:
  • Bar/lounge
  • Dining venue(s)

Pets

  • Service animals exempt from fees
  • Pets are allowed for an extra charge of GBP 10.00 per pet, per stay

Policies

This property's policy is to refuse certain bookings for the purpose of group events or parties, including pre-wedding stag/bachelor and hen/bachelorette parties.
This property does not have elevators.
Guests can rest easy knowing there's a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and outdoor lighting on site.
This property accepts credit/debit cards.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard
This property is professionally cleaned.

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

Are pets allowed at The Ancient Unicorn?

Yes, dogs are welcome. There's a charge of GBP 10.00 per pet, per stay. Service animals are exempt from fees.

Is parking offered on site at The Ancient Unicorn?

Yes, there's free self parking.

What are the check-in and check-out times at The Ancient Unicorn?

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: anytime. Check-out time is 10:00 AM. Contactless check-in and check-out are available.

What is there to do at The Ancient Unicorn and nearby?

Have fun during the warmer months with activities nearby such as hiking. The Ancient Unicorn also has a garden.

What's the area around The Ancient Unicorn like?

The Ancient Unicorn is located a short 16-minute walk from North Pennines.

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Reviews

The Ancient Unicorn Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

9.0

Cleanliness

9.2

Location

9.0

Staff & service

8.2

Eco-friendliness

8.8

Property conditions & facilities

What guests liked

  • Breakfast was consistently praised for its quality, variety, and deliciousness, with many guests enjoying their meals. (13 reviews)
  • Breakfast was nice with various options and evening meals were also good. (3 reviews)
AI Sparkle IconFrom real guest reviews summarized by AI.

Popular mentions

Room
Food
Service staff
Bar
Pub
Restaurant
Ambience
Breakfast
Accomodation Type
Bathroom

Reviews

10/10 Exceptional

Northern Break

It was the perfect place for a stopover. The room was lovely, the food was good, and the service was good too.
1-night trip

8/10 Very good

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?
David, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

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
jennifer, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

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.
Jac, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

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!
Bill, 1-night trip

4/10 Fair

Unfortunately our stay was ruined by the repulsive smell contained within the property (Charles Dickens Cottage). When we arrived the smell of damp dogs was overwhelming. We were offered a tokenistic can of air freshener to spray around the property. This failed to eliminate the smell which remained all week. This was compounded by a number of soft furnishings containing dog hair. The property is defined as pet friendly on their website but be warned (certainly within the Charles Dickens Cottage) that if you have sensitive smell you would be advised to book a different cottage!
clive, 5-night trip

4/10 Fair

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.
Matt, 1-night trip

4/10 Fair

Not great

No WiFi available in our room even though it is stated on the website. You had to go down to the door of the bar in the pub to pick up the WiFi. I contacted the number given and they sent the WiFi password a couple of hours later after they obviously didn't read my message properly. I measured back but heard nothing else. The hairdryer in the room turned on, got hot without blowing air and then shut down, I left a note saying this may be a fire hazard.
Nicola, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

No one to greet on arrival. Evening food not available. Room floor was very cold and room not pre-heated. Malc was very sociable and made a very good breakfast. Set in wonderful countryside.
Andrew, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Lovely overnight stay, comfortable accommodation and facilities. Food lovely breast and evening meal. Great parking for motorcycles
Carolyne, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

Room was lovely with a very comfy bed. Please add a reading light as the main light was very 'soft'. However the food was NOT good. I'm pretty sure our evening meal choices of scampi+chips and sausage+mash were both microwaved ready meals, not freshly prepared. The scampi+mushy peas were hard/overdone but the chips soggy & limp. The sausage+mash meal fared better but the sausages were really poor quality meat and not tasty. Overall, we would happily sleep there another night if we're in the area but it's not somewhere we want to eat again.
Alison, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

A little basic but comfy, very quiet, delicious breakfast and friendly and accommodating staff.
Louisa, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Two night stay in the small village of Bowes. Double room was comfortable with en suite. Tasty English breakfast included. We used the pub for our evening meal on both nights - there is no other option nearby for dinner without a short drive. Bar food was cooked really well. The bar itself was functional but lacking a bit of character.
Julian, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

didn't like the price differential between booking direct with the hotel to booking with you.
George, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Wonderful trip away

Such a lovely stay property was lovely very clean inviting and cosy and great for our dogs too. The staff were so lovely friendly helpful and made us feel very welcome. I am coeliac and they were fantastic with the food for me would highly recommend loved it
paula, 2-night trip

8/10 Very good

Quality accommodation/ disappointing dinner.

Charming olde world inn. Beautiful room and nice original features. Very friendly staff. Superb breakfast (even did me porridge as can't manage a full english). Lovely views from our second floor room which was very spacious. Evening meal disappointed. Steak was too well-done - no pink in the middle/ sticky toffee pudding was very dry.
Sue, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Excellent staff and well positioned for a stop over.
Hayley, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

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
Deirdre, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

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.
Markus, 3-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Great Stay !

Lovely rooms , comfy bed & comfy pillows , great shower. Service & hospitality was fantastic ! Would highly reccomend.
Lilly, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Lovely and GF breakfast

Lovely stay with lovely hosts. If you’re gluten free, the landlord is coeliac so you get a fabulous breakfast!
Ruth, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Lovely stay Very cosy
Tracy, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

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.
Lorna, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Very friendly, helpful staff.
Jean, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Fabulous room . Helpful, friendly staff . Lovely food .
Angela, 1-night trip