Name: The Ancient Unicorn
Address: The St, Bowes, The Street, Bowes, England, United Kingdom, Bowes, Durham, United Kingdom
Rating: 8.8

Guest reviews

8.8

Fabulous

Based on 122 verified reviews

What guests think

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

At The Ancient Unicorn, guests describe a friendly, characterful country inn in quiet Bowes near the A66, with handy parking and a welcoming, dog-friendly atmosphere that suits stopovers and exploring the surrounding countryside.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

Was this helpful?

6

Andrew

29 Oct 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

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.

10

Sarah

8 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

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

10

Timothy

7 Sept 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

.

8

Carolyne

28 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely overnight stay, comfortable accommodation and facilities. Food lovely breast and evening meal. Great parking for motorcycles

6

Alison

20 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

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.

The St, Bowes, The Street, Bowes, England, United Kingdom

Location

Located in Barnard Castle, The Ancient Unicorn is a 2-minute drive from North Pennines and 5 minutes from Barnard Castle. This guesthouse is 16.5 mi (26.6 km) from Yorkshire Dales National Park and 29 mi (46.6 km) from Durham University.

North Pennines(0.8 Miles)

Barnard Castle(4.1 Miles)

Bowes Museum(4.8 Miles)

The Garage Spa(6.3 Miles)

Raby Castle(11.8 Miles)

Swaledale Museum(11.9 Miles)

More location info

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Everything you need to know for a smooth check-in.

Check-in

Check-out

From 15:00 to 23:59

Before 10:00

Good to know

Additional policies and info about this property.

Optional extras

Additional paid services you can request.

FAQs

Yes, free self-parking is available on-site.

A complimentary breakfast is included, and it is served daily.

Yes, pets are allowed with a fee of GBP 10.00 per pet, per stay. Service animals are exempt from fees.

Check-in is from 15:00 to 23:59, and check-out is at 10:00. Early or late check-in/check-out may be available upon request.

The property offers step-free entrances and wheelchair-accessible facilities.

The property is located in Barnard Castle, just a 2-minute drive from North Pennines and 5 minutes from Barnard Castle. It is also 16.5 miles from Yorkshire Dales National Park and 29 miles from Durham University.

Children are allowed at the property, and there is no minimum age specified for children to stay for free.

The Ancient Unicorn

Amenities

Property description

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