10/10 Exceptional
A little basic but comfy, very quiet, delicious breakfast and friendly and accommodating staff.
Louisa
Louisa, 1-night trip
The Ancient Unicorn
Barnard Castle guesthouse with bar/lounge
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.
Wonderful
Popular amenities
- Pet-friendly
- Free parking
- Free Wi-Fi
- Bar
- Non-smoking
Main amenities (5)
- Weekly housekeeping
- Bar/lounge
- Coffee shop/cafe
- Coffee/tea in a common area
- Garden
Room options
Check availability for these dates
Showing 9 of 9 rooms
Classic Twin Room, Ensuite
Wonderful
Highlights
Heating
Fridge
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
Oven
Stovetop
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 2
- 2 Single Beds
Deluxe Double Room, Ensuite
Highlights
Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Hairdryer
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Digital channels
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 2
- 1 Double Bed
Basic Double Room, Shared Bathroom
Highlights
Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 2
- 1 Double Bed
Basic Twin Room, Shared Bathroom
Highlights
Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Digital channels
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 2
- 2 Single Beds
Comfort Double Room, Ensuite
Excellent
Highlights
Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Hairdryer
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Pet friendly
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 2
- 1 Double Bed
Classic Double Room, Ensuite
Very good
Highlights
Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Hairdryer
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Pet friendly
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 2
- 1 Double Bed
Family Triple Room, Ensuite
Highlights
Heating
Separate bedroom
Premium bedding
Hairdryer
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Digital channels
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 3
- 1 Double Bed and 1 Single Bed
Comfort Cottage, Ensuite, Courtyard View (Charles Dickens Cottage)
Exceptional
Highlights
Separate dining area
Heating
Kitchen
Fridge
Separate bedroom
Blackout curtains
Hairdryer
Private bathroom
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 4
- 1 Double Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed
Basic Triple Room, Shared Bathroom, Courtyard View (Mini Unicorn)
Highlights
Heating
Blackout curtains
Premium bedding
Separate bedroom
Digital channels
Pet friendly
- 18 sq m
- 1 bedroom
- Sleeps 3
- 1 Single Bed and 1 Double Bed
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About the area
The St, Bowes,, The Street, Barnard Castle, England, DL12 9HL
About this property
The Ancient Unicorn
The Ancient Unicorn is a great choice for a stay in Barnard Castle. 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
Property amenities
Room amenities
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The Ancient Unicorn Reviews
Wonderful
9.0
Cleanliness
9.2
Location
9.0
Staff & service
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)
From real guest reviews summarized by AI.Popular mentions
RoomFoodService staffBarRestaurantPubAmbienceBreakfastAccomodation TypeBed10/10 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.
Verified traveller
1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Very friendly establishment. Great service and good dinner menu and breakfast. The cottage could of done with a deep clean as there was loads of spiders and cobwebs. Would definitely stay there again but maybe in the pub next time
Sarah
Sarah, 2-night trip
8/10 Very good
Lovely overnight stay, comfortable accommodation and facilities. Food lovely breast and evening meal. Great parking for motorcycles
Carolyne
Carolyne, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Excellent staff and well positioned for a stop over.
Hayley
Hayley, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Lovely stay
Very cosy
Tracy
Tracy, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Great Stay !
Lovely rooms , comfy bed & comfy pillows , great shower.
Service & hospitality was fantastic !
Would highly reccomend.
Lilly
Lilly, 2-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
paula, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Lovely place to stay
We loved our stay. The staff were lovely and the whole place was cute and friendly
Sharon
Sharon, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
.
Timothy
Timothy, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Very friendly, helpful staff.
Jean
Jean, 1-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
Ruth, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
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****
Mickie
Mickie, 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
Julian, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Fabulous room . Helpful, friendly staff . Lovely food .
Angela
Angela, 1-night trip
8/10 Very good
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.
jakub
jakub, 2-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
Markus, 3-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
Deirdre, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Happy visitors
We were delighted by this place, we had a very warm welcome and very well appointed, spotlessly clean rooms; which were very comfortable. The food was good and the atmosphere very relaxing. Cheerful friendly staff made it a good place to stopover on our travels.
suzanne
suzanne, 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
David, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
didn't like the price differential between booking direct with the hotel to booking with you.
George
George, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Friendly, helpful staff.
Modern, very clean en-suite room with comfortable bed. Evening meal and breakfast good.
Great to meet Gus the dog!
Verified traveller
1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Rooms feel very comfy and the colour style was lovely
Steven
Steven, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Fantastic experience
Booked the Deluxe double as a stop over, and had a lovely night's sleep.
Andrew
Andrew, 1-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
jennifer, 2-night trip
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