Exclusive-use castle
Scargill Castle
Barningham, County Durham
Level 3 Tower, Fort & FollyLevel 3: a three-storey gatehouse tower rebuilt around 1550 on an earlier medieval site, now a small holiday let. Guests sleep inside the historic tower itself.
Sleep inside the walls
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Scargill Castle is a small, restored Tudor gatehouse tower near Barningham, County Durham, first built in the 12th century and rebuilt around 1550. It is a Level 3 tower house, let as an exclusive-use holiday stay for two, suiting couples wanting to sleep inside a genuine historic tower rather than a large castle hotel.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 3: Tower, Fort & Folly
- Where you sleep
- Sleep inside the walls
- Built
- Originally 12th century, rebuilt around 1550
- Architecture
- Three-storey gatehouse tower with an extra mural stair, built as a Tudor dowager house
- Heritage status
- Listed building
- Rooms
- 1
- Sleeps
- 2
- Bedrooms
- 1
- Catering
- Self-catering, with a welcome hamper of food and wine provided
- Dogs
- Pets are welcome, and the welcome hamper includes treats for visiting dogs, according to the property's own website. (hotel policy)
- Restaurant
- No (hotel website)
- Exclusive use
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- Free wifi
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Scargill Castle
Scargill Castle stands near Barningham in County Durham, in Teesdale. According to the property's own website, the site was first built in the 12th century by Warren de Scargill, who also worked on nearby Bowes Castle, before being rebuilt around 1550 as a Tudor dowager house for Mary Scargill.
The surviving building is a three-storey gatehouse tower with an extra mural stair, which once gave access to buildings arranged around a central courtyard, according to the same source. A Channel 4 Time Team excavation investigated the site's archaeology, uncovering the medieval barmkin, or defensive enclosure wall, that once surrounded it, along with medieval walls beneath the later Tudor fabric.
The gatehouse spent years on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register before it was bought and restored, starting in 1999 and completed by 2012, according to the property's own website, which now lets it as a small holiday stay.
The sleep
Rooms at Scargill Castle
The tower has one bedroom and sleeps two guests, according to the property's own website, which describes it as a small self-catering retreat.
Guests sleep inside the historic gatehouse tower itself, reached by its original mural stair, rather than in any modern extension.
The table
Eating at Scargill Castle
There is no restaurant on site. The property is self-catering, with a well-equipped kitchen and a banqueting-style dining hall inside the tower, and guests receive a welcome hamper of food and wine on arrival, according to the property's own website.
The grounds
Around Scargill Castle
The tower stands on its original medieval site near Barningham, close to Barnard Castle, in the Teesdale area of County Durham.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- This is a very small property, one bedroom sleeping two, so it does not suit larger groups.
- The building runs on renewable energy sources, according to its own website, which may affect some modern comforts compared with a larger hotel.
Who it's for
Who Scargill Castle suits
Scargill Castle suits couples who want to sleep inside a genuine restored medieval and Tudor tower, in a quiet rural part of County Durham, and who are happy to self-cater.
It does not suit groups larger than two, or anyone wanting on-site dining, since the property has only one bedroom and no restaurant.
Nearby castles to visit
Where Scargill Castle is.
Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
Also on these lists
Similar stays nearby
Level 5 True Castle
Walworth Castle Hotel
Darlington, County Durham
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- Dogs allowed
- EV charging
- Restaurant
Level 3 Tower, Fort & Folly
The Water Castle
Wall Houses, near Corbridge, Northumberland
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- EV charging
Scargill Castle: questions
Is Scargill Castle a real castle?
The site has a real medieval history, first built in the 12th century, though the surviving building is a three-storey gatehouse tower rebuilt around 1550 as a Tudor dowager house. Guests sleep inside this historic tower rather than a larger castle complex.
How many people does Scargill Castle sleep?
It has one bedroom and sleeps two guests, according to the property's own website, making it one of the smallest historic stays of its kind.
Is Scargill Castle self-catering?
Yes. It is let as a self-catering stay with a well-equipped kitchen, and guests receive a welcome hamper of food and wine on arrival, according to the property's own website.
Are dogs allowed at Scargill Castle?
Yes. The property's own website says pets are welcome and that the welcome hamper includes treats for visiting dogs.
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- scargillcastle.com: history, restoration dates, room count, sleeps, catering, dogs policy