Name: The Old Well Inn
Address: 21 The Bank, Barnard Castle, DL12 8PH, GB

8/10

Excellent

15 Jul 2026

Steven

Perfect location & surprisingly large room

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

11 Jul 2026

Tracy

Clean room but very dated
Bed extremely uncomfortable
Didn't sleep a wink due to bed and street lights outside of the bedroom
Breakfast looked good but didnt eat it due to flies in the restaurant

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Jul 2026

Charmi

I had a lovely big room and bathroom. Both rooms were clean, the only comment I could make about the bathroom is that a simple spray of mould and mildew remover would get rid of the black line along the bath. The breakfast was excellent and well cooked, the girl who served was pleasant and chatty. Only downside, for someone who is just over 80, I found the stairs difficult to negotiate with my case, it would have been helpful if the young man who checked me had asked if I needed help. I would certainly stay there again.

Self

8/10

Excellent

25 Jun 2026

Janet

Nice central place it’s very old and very quirky but we enjoyed our stay here and we would come again

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jun 2026

Nigel

Room quirky but clean, staff very friendly and helpful, breakfast good quality, bar with good choice of drinks

Partner

8/10

Excellent

01 Jun 2026

Hilary

The only downside was breakfast only one staff member to take order and cook as well which meant the self service area was not restocked so there was no juice or cutlery left so had to improvise. Area very small had to move table backwards and forwards to get legs under table from both sides. Long wait for breakfast and only one piece of toast would be better with 2. Plus side excellent coffee machine fresh coffee flavoured syrups and able to choose type of coffee. Bar well equipped friendly staff and very reasonable on price

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 May 2026

David

clean room, staff helpful, quiet no traffic noise, nice breakfast

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

20 May 2026

John

Very spacious room and bed. I had only two issues: it overlooked a busy road and had no double glazing - maybe it's in a conservation area; the second was that the heating was off and the weather chilly. Perhaps if I'd asked that could have been put right. In every other respect it was an excellent place.

Self

8/10

Excellent

13 May 2026

Adrian

Good breakfast and competitively priced, building is very old and has character, however it’s a little dated.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 May 2026

brian

Lovely place to stay, staff were welcoming and friendly, breakfast was delicious and luckily we got room number 7 ( the haunted room) unfortunately no ghosts.....we are definitely going back

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2026

Lisa

Lovely place to stay room was spacious bed was comfortable even if a little squeaky breakfast was huge and delicious bar meals were lovely and very reasonably priced the staff were all lovely highly recommended

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

29 Mar 2026

Alan

Breakfast quality of ingredients wasnt great, but selection good

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2026

Jayne

Lovely stay .lovely room .lovely breakfast

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Janet

Friendly staff. Warm room . Great breakfast. Will come again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2025

Steven

The room was big and clean, location was perfect and the staff were brilliant, our stay was great

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Dec 2025

Thomas

Room was quirky as is the hotel, it could have done with a touch of paint and some nice cushions. The radiator struggled to get warm.

8/10

Excellent

19 Oct 2025

John

Breakfast was very nice and although I only scored overall as good this was really because of age of property which could do with sympathetic refurb back to its former glory.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

14 Oct 2025

Audrey

Bar closed at 9pm on a Friday nite

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Oct 2025

D

The breakfast was magnificent - cooked and delivered with care and attention

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2025

Dawn

Staff were friendly. Only downside was hot water ran out after one bath.
Had to wait over 20 minutes for breakfast but was worth the wait.

6/10

Pleasant

25 Oct 2024

Gladys

Well placed in Bernard Castle

Hotel very tired but clean. Nice bar and good Indian food. Very good breakfast , freshly cooked

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2024

Andrew

Nice Room

Nice place. Room was good - quite a decent level of fixtures and fittings

Self

8/10

Excellent

21 Jul 2024

Michael

Lovely hotel, food very tasty and plenty of it.
Typical old hotel with creaky floors but also a creaky bed!
Breakfast cooked fresh and excellent

Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Jul 2024

Kath

Very nice on the whole but facilities require attention.
Very old building with lovely atmosphere.
Dogs made very welcome.
Interesting menu in the inn, had lovely spicy samosas then a naanza, which is a combination naan and pizza with a choice of toppings.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2024

Julie

Very polite excellent service

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jun 2024

Beverley

Check in do easy . Wonderful staff , so friendly and attentive , went over and above to make our stay memorable . Excellent breakfast .

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

02 Apr 2024

Constance

Enjoyed our visit. Hotel is full of character. Bedroom was huge, clean and comfortable. Staff were friendly and the breakfasts good.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

19 Feb 2024

Scott

Staff are great, Indian chef is excellent. Location is great, we would stay again. Extremely good with dogs and good set up with a seperate area for families if they choose to use it.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2024

Verified traveler

Well done the Old Well Inn

Very welcoming Roy and his staff were lovely . The Old well is very old ,so quirky and unusual. The beds were very comfy and the bedding and towels were of excellent quality. Toiletries provided and the food was also excellent .Breakfast had local ingredients and was very good.
We had the four poster room at the front and it was huge and well furnished . Will definitely be back

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

21 Dec 2023

John

Good value stay in historic pub

Nice historic old pub near centre of town. The room was very spacious with a massive bathroom. However, I found the bed far too soft for me and uncomfortable. Breakfast was good. Overall reasonable value.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2023

Sally-ann

Lovely welcome, great breakfast, room was an excellent size as we had two dogs.
There was no food available on the night of our stay but the staff recommended an alternative

Business

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2023

JACQUELINE

Barnard castle overnight stay brilliant

Marvellous .We stayed there numerous times now
Its old fashioned but it has all the amenities
Bedrooms and bathrooms are huge
The breakfasts are lovely. They cant do enough for you.I have intolerances which they catered for. The only downside is the breakfast is 9am and earlier, 10am would be brilliant but i will still go again without a doubt x

Partner

4/10

Poor

01 Dec 2023

SHARON

Be careful what you book

Booked a family room from the images did not get either of the pictures room was a tiny shower which was not a relaxing experience. Spoke to the person that booked me in and they responded by saying that the hotel was fully booked so no alternative. Complained to the manager through hotel . Com and they responded by saying that the pictures are random and it was unfortunate that I got that room and if I was to visit again to ring them first to see if a different room was available! No thank you not a good experience and I don’t like to complain but when you expect something like a picture it’s disappointing when you get something far less than expected

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2023

Donna

Lovey little quirky place. Spacious, comfortable and friendly atmosphere.
Breakfast was outstanding. Will definitely stay again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 Nov 2023

Simon

Recommended, including the Timothy Taylors!

We were in a spacious, well-appointed room and bathroom. Dog-friendly, for an extra charge per dog. Excellent real ale; I loved the Timothy Taylors Landlord. Excellent Indian food, and breakfast. Friendly landlord. Recommended and would stay again!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Nov 2023

Ray

Great stay. It’s not quite within pub oven hours but didn’t bother me at all. Will stay again.

Leisure Pet

8/10

Excellent

17 Oct 2023

Krisztina

Lovely place

Staff very friendly
Really nicely furnished
Spacious room and bathroom
Good location

Business

6/10

Pleasant

07 Oct 2023

A

In need of a refresh

It is a very old building so obviously the stairs are narrow and steep which would be difficult for some people.

The fixtures are very tired. Whilst the bedding was spotless the heater in the room was covered in thick dust and I was scared to use it in case it caught fire.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

10 Sep 2023

Christine

Breakfast was really good however the room we stayed in was nothing like the photos. We booked 2 double rooms and were given rooms 4 and 5, room 5 had a bathroom however room 4 was basically just an old shower base with a curtain, and a toilet fitted into a space the size of a cupboard, the door was a struggle to open and close and the height was so low (im 5.3 and felt i needed to duck) my husband did bang his head several times, the sink was in the bedroom. I fully understand that old buildings are uneven and quirky amd i think that adds to the charm however the photos misrepresent the room we had been allocated.
We also felt it odd that the pub was closed at 9.30 pm both on the Friday and Saturday evenings.
The beer garden was also a bit neglected, the place just needs a bit of TLC.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

19 Aug 2023

Ian

Hungry

I ordered 2 evening meals mine never came the staff couldn't apologise enough and eventually gave me the meal free I have stayed here a lot and normally have my dog ( The owner loves him ) This is the 1st time we have had anything negative to say

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jun 2023

Malcolm

Lovely accommodation in the centre of Barnard Castle. Massive room, friendly staff and very comfortable bed. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Jun 2023

Sheila

A comfortable stay

A very characterful hotel. I loved the old traditional furniture in the room , it suits the old building . I think the bathroom could do with a kick of paint & the chair in the bathroom needs a very big clean !!
Overall very pleasant .

Business

8/10

Excellent

28 May 2023

David

Decent stopover find.

Staff were helpful, no meals to be had as they stopped serving at 8:30pm on a quiet Friday night, however the helpful staff permitted us to buy Indian takeout and eat it in their restaurant space, even provided plates & cutlery. We stayed in room 4, the family room. Comfortable enough but tiny shower cut into what once would have been a cupboard. Functional but not luxury, good all round value for the price as included breakfast for 3!

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

27 May 2023

David

Disappointing .

Continual Fried Food Smell in the bathroom when the fan was on .

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2023

Srividya Gopalakrishnan

Quaint , old world look. clean. Friendly service.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2023

Jane

The welcome we got was above kind,breakfast was amazing.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Feb 2023

Graham Andrew

The property is a quaint old Inn that has kept its period pieces like fire places in the rooms. The staff are really friendly and helpful. The only down side was the shower which wasn't up to much at all. But it was a super big bath. If you decide to eat in the bar the portions are big and don't make the same mistake as me and order the fish platter for yourself. There is enough for at least two maybe even three people

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

30 Oct 2022

j

Room 5 please tighten the bed. Squeaking at the slightest move. Awake all night.

All it needs it tightening up

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

10 Oct 2022

Rob

Great stay. Thank you.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Aug 2022

Marie

A lovely quirky pub room staff were friendly helpful breakfast freshly cooked and hot on service.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Aug 2022

Michael

Clean and comfortable, apart from shower room and toilet where the door is very small more like a cupboard, husband banged his head on numerous occasions forgetting to duck as he walked in and out .

Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Aug 2022

Peter-John

Would stay again

Lovely pub, rooms great only issue was that the bathroom requires some TLC.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Jul 2022

John

Characterful old inn situated in the heart of a lovely northern market town. Spacious room with ensuite, and a large comfy bed. Lots of on road parking available.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Apr 2022

Anna

Rambling Inn with olde-worlde charm

Lovely big, bright, olde worlde room with four-poster bed and two bay windows with window seats. Sofa, TV, tea-making facilities. Huge ensuite. Good breakfast in beautiful sunny room. You definitely feel you are staying in a pub, not a hotel, and it's quite a rambling, quirky place, but that was part of the charm.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

24 Apr 2022

Verified traveler

Would not recommend

Poor condition room, not very clean, bathroom was a converted cupboard. The price was a joke for the quality of the room. Would not stay here again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2022

Susan

Great place to stay

We had a lovely 2 night stay. The room was warm, spacious, comfortable and clean with a 4 poster bed and large bathroom. Attentive and friendly staff, great food and great atmosphere. We will definitely be back.

Partner

4/10

Poor

19 Oct 2021

Verified traveler

Save your money.

This is an old building, so not expected to be perfect, however the bar area is cleaner than the bedrooms. Bedding was spotlessly white and crisp, but that's about it. Cobwebs on light fitting and in corners of walls, thick dust and filth under radiator, stained sealant and paintwork in bathroom, dirty shower. Lots of noise from main road. Breakfast is acceptable but poor compared to other places. 3 couples were having breakfast whilst we were there and 2 sent there's back, i left half of mine on plate. My partner opted for just tea and toast and got just one small slice. We paid for 2 nights B&B and paid again for breakfast elsewhere on second morning. This is something I would expect to get for £20 in Blackpool. One good thing is staff were nice, but wouldn't come back.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

04 Oct 2021

Carolyn

Great location, near to the Butter Market and a short walk from the Bowes Museum. The only parking available nearby was on-street, which was limited due to many residents holding permits. The room we had was spacious and overlooking the main street. No problems with sound as the town doesn’t get very lively. The bathroom was ‘cosy’ as the toilet was shoehorned next to the bath. The bath itself, had a hand-held shower but no shower curtain or screen to stop users from soaking the toilet seat. To get to the taps, you have to lean over the toilet seat, not great. There was a TV in the room and WiFi was available (password is listed in the bar, although no information was available in the room regarding this). The Smart TV was ‘connected’ to the system, although there was no signal, so it was unusable. Luckily, we were able to cast from our smartphones onto the TV so that we could watch something. As the demographic of visitors to the area is largely over 50, this may have been something most people would have known to attempt. The room rate included breakfast. Breakfast was minimal. A ‘full English’ consisted of 1 sausage, 1 small rasher of bacon, 2 fried eggs, ½ grilled tomato, a small spoonful of mushrooms, a ramekin of baked beans and 2 slices of toast. Our room cost £100 per night, so this was a derisory effort for the money we paid. Cereals were available, great if you want Fruit & Fibre, Cornflakes and Weetabix.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

22 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

Worst room we have ever stayed in

The room my wife and I stayed in was one big dust ball.Cobwebs all over the room and the draws were that dusty we just left our cloths in the bags.The hot water was so hot you could have scolded your self , there was no very hot water notice. Overall the room was a big disappointment to use. My wife and I have stayed in meany hotels over the UK and this was the worst one we have ever stayed in for housekeeping .

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

really nice old hotel building. on main street, so central to sites for visiting. Castle backs onto garden.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

30 Jun 2021

graham

Poor

Well I was expecting better, very poor for the price, had lots of issues including not having the room cleaned for 2 days.
Think again before booking this!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2021

Virginia

Historic real ale pub

Fascinating old pub with real ales, stunning history and most welcoming hosts.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jun 2021

Ian

great place to stay

It was only 1 night and it was great the room was big and very clean. The staff where all very friendly. And the breakfast was fabulous. Top marks all round

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jun 2021

Verified traveler

Relaxed and Friendly with good beer

A very comfortable and relaxing stay with very attentive and friendly staff.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

31 May 2021

Steven

Old well bank hol

Very welcoming stay, room bit dated but clean brekky very good.
Good bar service order on app delivered to table.
Parking limited to street parking.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 May 2021

Alison

Nice place, good breakfast, friendly staff. Cd do with bathroom improvements and an update but fine for one night.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2020

Jennifer

Excellent.

Thank you for accommodating my late arrival.
Excellent breakfast and very comfortable room. A few minutes drive away from the AssuredScreening “fit-for-travel” private COVID testing centre, that was the purpose of my visit.

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

04 Sep 2020

Jane

Convenient and friendly

Right in the middle of town. Parking right outside the door free of charge. It was a bit dated and run down but apart from that it was fairly clean comfy and convenient. Service was friendly. Breakfast was alright. We didn’t eat or drink in the pub as there are nicer places locally and we wanted to explore the area.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2020

Lindsay

Value for money!!

Very friendly, old Inn with quirky spacious rooms - the twin had really comfortable beds, fresh white sheets and lovely fluffy towels!! Had the homemade curry in the bar - great value and huge portions! Breakfast was freshly cooked and served with a smile through the COVID face shield!! Decor is dated but price is great value for money. Stones throw from the lovey river and Buttercross

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Aug 2020

Lynn

Lovely unique character room. Clean and very comfy bed. Owners and staff really friendly, helpful and chatty. I cannot recomend this place enough.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

02 Aug 2020

Glynn

Quite enjoyable

Cant fault most aspects of stay. Didnt get our kingsize bed as requested.the roomdidnt have a shower but the bath was nice. Unfortunatly the bar facilities didnt come up to our expectations . It shut really early at night so our evenings ended very abrubtly. The breakfast was delicious and fullsome. The owners were pleasant and apart from the things memtioned all was ok

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

25 Jul 2020

Margaret E

One night stay - Barnard Castle

The Old Well Inn is situated in a convenient location, close to shops, bars, restaurants and the castle. Staff friendly and accommodating and the Full English breakfast recommended.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2020

COLLETTE

WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Despite the fact that the pub and accommodation were only a few hours into the new regulations, everything was superb. Very happy with the social distancing in place. Lovely room, excellent host. Would not hesitate to recommend

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

We had a great time at the Old Well Inn. The owners and staff couldn’t do enough, warm clean room with a small garden and the breakfast was to die for!!

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Great value place to stay. Staff ok. Definitely will return though. Rooms clean and pleasant.

Leisure Partner