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76%

would recommend

Barnard Castle, County Durham

See all 36 photos

Thorpe Farm Centre is a lovely family-friendly camping and caravan park on the County Durham and North Yorkshire border. Conveniently located on the A66, a busy dual carriageway, so you might hear traffic noise. it's just minutes from Barnard Castle, Richmond and more. On site, you'll find spacious grass pitches for tents and tourers and hard standing pitches with optional electric hook-ups for tourers. Plus, there's a shop, park, and cafe.

Why choose Thorpe Farm Centre


Convenient location on A66, 15-20 minutes from Barnard Castle and Richmond

Great facilities include onsite two tier indoor soft play (o-8yrs), playground, farm shop, gift shop, cafe and garden centre.

Spacious pitches in the Durham countryside - dogs, campfires and BBQs welcome!

About the site


Located on the border of County Durham and North Yorkshire, this family friendly park offers convenient touring and camping for all! Within metres of the A66, it's an ideal location to explore Richmond, Durham, Darlington, the North East and beyond. On site, indulge in many activities, including playing at the on-site playground, browsing the gift shop, and dining at the cafe and restaurant. Located on a large field, there are grass pitches for tents and tourers, all of which enjoy plenty of space to spread out. All pitches have optional access to electric hook up! Caravans, motorhomes and campervans can choose the generously-sized hardstanding pitches that come with electric hook-ups and ample space for large awnings, ensuring visitors never need to worry about power and space. Dogs are welcome, with plenty of open space for visitors to explore. With walking routes through grassy dells, woodland areas, and along the banks of the River Greta, visitors can enjoy the great outdoors and take in the beautiful scenery. Raised BBQs and fire pits are also allowed, meaning visitors can toast as many marshmallows as they like! You'll also find a range of seasonal pitches here, and a function room onsite is the perfect space for parties and events. Please note, the camping and caravan pitches are located within 20-50 metres of the A66, a busy dual carriageway. If you require electricity during your stay, you will need to top up your electric card with a minimum of £10. Any unused credit upon departure will be refunded to your card, provided the credit has been successfully reallocated. Instructions for use will be given upon arrival.

"Beautiful views and lovely walks. All round fantastic place to stay"

Jane G

Thorpe Farm Centre is open from 28/02 to 03/11.

BH & HPA

Facilities and amenities

Accessible facilities

Allow commercial vans

Allow pets on site

Café / restaurant / takeaway

Drinking water

Family friendly

Shop

Showers

Toilets

W.C. disposal

Electric hookups

Fires allowed

Kids playground

Laundry

Near pub

RV pitches

Facilities include a heated block with five toilets and five showers for men and women, plus two accessible toilet/wet rooms. There is a washing machine and dryer which require a £1 coin to operate. The facilities are located approximately 100 yards from the touring pitches.

There's also an outdoor children's play area. The Farm Shop stocks all the essentials and much more. They also offer a pre-order shopping service where visitors can pre-order their groceries in advance and collect them on arrival.

The Courtyard Café and Restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and delicious daily snacks. The Smallways Country Inn is also just five minutes down the A66.

Fishing is available at the Wetland Nature Reserve here.


A note from the site themselves...

Thorpe Farm was purchased by Percy Barkes back in 1936, the Great Grandfather of the youngest generation of Barkes' today. Deryk Barkes, Percy's son, farmed here thereafter. It was a mixed farm consisting of suckler cows and sheep with an arable operation too. He later expanded into dairy cows, one of only a few farmers in the area to have, at the time, a state-of-the-art milking parlour.

In 1982 Paul Barkes, Deryk's son, returned back from agricultural college. He slowly moved away from cows and into pig production, expanding the arable area and keeping the sheep flock. He later added a commercial grain drying operation and a small contracting business.

2012 was the year the site expanded into holidaying and have been loving it ever since. We then opened the farm and gift shop in 2019 and continue to look to develop to make the site even better for all of our guests!


Map and address

Park address

Thorpe Farm Centre,

Greta Bridge, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 9TY

Coordinates

54.5101, -1.8579 | NZ 9 12

View on Google Maps

Thorpe Farm Centre is ideal for...

Older children (13+)

Rallies

Young children


There are 27 accommodation options on-site

Bookable pitches and accommodation options

8 x Grass Pitches (Optional Electric)

Max 6 people

Grass pitches measuring 9.5m x 14m catering for tents and tourers, optional 10 amp electric hook-up available. Electricity is metered on site at 30p per kWh and must be paid onsite using a pre-paid top-up card.

18 x Hardstanding Pitches (Optional Electric)

Max 6 people

Hardstanding pitches measuring 5m x 8m. Suitable for tourers only with optional 10 amp electric hook-ups. Electricity is metered on site at 30p per kWh and must be paid onsite using a pre-paid top-up card.


Seasonal Pitches

Seasonal hardstanding pitches with electric, for long term stays only. These pitches include access to a fishing lake.


Thorpe Farm Centre reviews

4.35 /5

38 reviews

76%

would recommend

Showing the most recent reviews from guests

Perfect

Michaela L

0

0

Motorhome - Grass Pitches (Optional Electric)Jul 2025

We love it here, the cafe is awesome and the farm shop. Great staff, Simon the grounds man is so helpful and always available. He is a credit to your site.

Site's response

Thank you so much for your kind feedback! We're delighted to hear you love it here and that you’ve enjoyed the café and farm shop. It’s also wonderful to hear your kind words about Simon – we’re very lucky to have him, and we’ll be sure to pass on your comments. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon!

Great site

Mark G

0

0

Roof Tent - Grass Pitches (Optional Electric)Jul 2025

Great site and good location for us.

Site's response

Thank you for your kind words! We're so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the site and found the location convenient for your stay. We hope to welcome you back again soon!

Perfect

Kayleigh F

0

0

Medium Tent - Grass Pitches (Optional Electric)Jul 2025

Really beautiful, helpful staff, peaceful, loads of walks and places to go.

Site's response

Thank you for your lovely review! We're so pleased you enjoyed the peaceful surroundings, local walks, and found our team helpful. We hope to see you again soon!

Share your feedback about Thorpe Farm Centre

Did you stay at Thorpe Farm Centre? Tell us what you thought!



FAQ

Check-in is available between 1pm and 5pm. Check out is due by 11am on your final day.

Yes, dogs are welcome with up to two allowed per pitch. Please note, dogs must be kept on the lead and attended at all times.

Both BBQs and fire pits are allowed, as long as they are raised from the ground. Please note, ground fires are not permitted.

Yes, gazebos are welcome, just add this on when you place your booking.

Electric hooks ups are 10 amp.

Login or sign up to ask us other questions about Thorpe Farm Centre. We're happy to help!



Things to do on site and in the Barnard Castle area

Feed the friendly onsite animals ranging from pigmy goats, alpacas, pigs and more. Plus, the maize maze is open from 26th July until 31st October. It operates daily from 9am to 5pm, with last admissions at 4pm.

For those who love a little bit of retail therapy on holiday, the beautiful Gift Shop and Reclamation Centre are the perfect places to find trinkets, keepsakes, gifts, home accessories, and garden centre.

Heritage Wood is just a stone's throw away, with several walks. In fact, six walks start directly from the site.

For some family-friendly fun, there is a two-tier play area designed for 0-8-year old's, an Adventure Play Park with a zip line, obstacle course, monkey bars, slides and swings.

Located just a 20 minute drive away is the historic town of Richmond. Stroll through the cobbled streets and admire the Georgian architecture, or visit the stunning Richmond Castle, which dates back to the 11th century.

It's also a 40 minute drive to the breathtaking Yorkshire Dales National Park, a must-visit destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. With its rolling hills, dramatic landscapes, and picturesque villages, the park offers many activities for visitors.

Nearby attractions include:

  • Bowes Museum (10 minutes)
  • Raby Estates (20 minutes)
  • Richmond Castle (20 minutes)
  • Richmond Falls (20 minutes)
  • High Force Waterfall (35 minutes)
The listing for Thorpe Farm Centre was last updated on July 22nd, 2025 at 7:03 AM

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