Facility Lettings

During term time Barnard Castle School is a thriving, busy boarding and day school. However, during school holidays and at certain other times, the school’s outstanding facilities are available for hire for a variety of events and functions. Set within 50 acres of immaculate grounds and easily accessible, our facilities can meet a range of event requirements from business to hospitality, social to sporting, community to cultural.

As a boarding school, we can offer high quality overnight accommodation for delegates and our experienced catering team is able to support any function, providing a diverse range of food and beverage menus to suit all occasions and budgets with the capacity to meet a range of dietary requirements. Our extensive grounds provide ample on-site parking and all our facilities are disability accessible.

Our dedicated Events and Lettings Co-ordinator, Mrs Judith Pepper, will oversee your arrangements and be on hand should you need assistance at any time during your event. We recommend that you contact Judith in the first instance to discuss your requirements, tel: 01833 696078 or email jlp@barneyschool.org.uk

Our facilities comprise:

The Kenneth King Centre
Our state-of-the-art study and learning centre opened in 2016 and is Teesdale’s only conference facility. Providing an outstanding study and social space for our Sixth Form during term time, its versatility in layout and function can be adapted to meet a range of needs, from small private meetings or round-table board meetings to seminars, presentations with break-out areas, arts events requiring exhibition space and social gatherings.

Blending traditional character with high-tech features, the centre is flooded with natural light, is spacious and airy, boasts excellent acoustics.Its features include:

  • 3 high specification, air-conditioned meeting rooms with the option of theatre-style, classroom-style or boardroom configurations
  • Central area for open plan function, reception or presentation area with sociable booth seating
  • Ground and first floor mezzanine break-out areas
  • Touch screen projectors
  • Ceiling-mounted projectors and audio visual facilities in all spaces
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Ground floor work area – 8 PC work stations, printer and photocopier
  • First floor mezzanine work area – 14 desk areas and central work table
  • Intelligent lockers with biometric security for storing and charging laptops and mobile telephones
  • Integrated sound system with the option to link to the main space with meeting rooms
  • USB charging ports on every power point
  • Fully-fitted kitchen facilities with servery
  • Disabled access including a lift to first floor
  • Private entrance and courtyard that can be used for drinks receptions and/or break-out area
  • Ample free parking.

Room configurations and features:

Meeting Room 1 & 2 combined
Lecture style – 50 with interactive white board
Boardroom including centre seats – 30
Formal boardroom – 22
Classroom style – 24

Meeting room 1
Lecture style – 20 with interactive white board
Formal boardroom – 16
Classroom – 8

Meeting room 2
Lecture style – 20-25
Formal boardroom – 16
Classroom – 8

Meeting room 3
Classroom – 18
Solid boardroom – 18
Lecture style with interactive white board – 40

Central area
100-120 lecture space
50 soft seating
75 for table study (approx. 16 per table)
Reception area
Large, drop-down projection or TV screen
Public access IT workstations
Distributed sound
Access to kitchen and servery
Radio mic

Kitchen area
Cold water fountain
Fridge/freezer/commercial dishwasher with 3-minute cycle
3 kitchen stations – one with combi-oven, microwave and separate hob; two with oven, hob and microwave
Zip boiler
Glass-front fridge for bar service
Servery to central area.

Victorian panelled dining room – capacity 200
Located within the oldest part of the school building dating back to 1883, our magnificent dining room offers a unique and atmospheric setting for functions such as a drinks reception, buffet lunch or sit-down dinner. The room can be laid out to suit specific requirements and our experienced serving staff can be available to support your event.

The Estate and Grounds
Our 50 acres of gardens, fields, pitches and both indoor and outdoor sports facilities offer the ideal venue for office or industry ‘away days’ for team building, coaching or simply to meet in a peaceful and inspiring environment.

Our sports and leisure facilities include:

  • Sports hall
  • Outdoor tennis courts
  • Heated indoor swimming pool
  • Grass rugby, football, rounders pitches
  • Astro-turf pitches
  • Cricket pitch, nets and pavilion
  • Fitness suite
  • Dance studio

We are lucky to be based in one of the most beautiful areas of Britain with the River Tees and the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on our doorstep. Our events team can provide information and recommendations on all that our area has to offer should you wish to extend your stay or make use of the natural landscape and leisure pursuits around us.

Overnight Accommodation – capacity 190
With a range of single, double, triple and dormitory-style bedrooms – some with en suite bathrooms – we are uniquely placed in the area to be able to offer overnight accommodation to large numbers of delegates or guests. The school works especially well for those wishing to consider a residential course; many educational visits have enjoyed Barnard Castle School’s facilities over the years.