Piercebridge

Five miles west of Darlington is the attractive village of Piercebridge, where there are the substantial remains of a Roman fort. The artefacts found within the remains of the fort suggest that there were Romans at Piercebridge as long ago as 70AD, where there was probably a ford across the Tees.

Continue west and you will reach Raby Castle at Staindrop. The building that survives today was started in the 14th century by John Nevill and stands as a testament to the wealth, power and ambition of the mighty Nevill dynasty. The interior is equally impressive and features several period styles along with artworks by painters such as Van Dyck and Reynolds.