Visits to Barnard Castle have hit an all-time high after it was made famous by Dominic Cummings’ lockdown-breaking car trip.
In fact, 2021 was the “best year” ever for the castle, according to English Heritage, which says it welcomed 30,721 visitors, marking a 20 per cent increase compared with 2019.
The castle made headlines during the pandemic when the prime minister’s former adviser said he visited the attraction to test his eyesight after experiencing loss of vision due to coronavirus before making the journey to London to return to work.
During the furore, Mr Cummings said he believed he had acted “reasonably” and within the law after making the 260-mile journey from London with his family to the same-named town.
Durham Police investigated the matter and took no further action. He later left his role at Downing Street.
Barnard Castle, in County Durham, is a 12th century fortress set above the River Tees and once belonged to Richard III.
But that wasn’t the only attraction that saw a boost since Covid-19 restrictions ended.
English Heritage said many people have taken the opportunity to visit “hidden local gems”.
Boscobel House in Shropshire saw its visitor numbers up by 82 per cent compared with 2019.
The site was made famous by King Charles II, who took refuge there after defeat in the Civil War. He famously hid in an oak tree while Cromwell’s soldiers searched for him.
“In the past, those lesser known, more intimate local sites in our care have often been overlooked in favour of our more iconic ones, despite having just as rich and important a history,” said English Heritage’s chief executive, Kate Mavor.
“This has been a long and hard pandemic but one silver lining appears to be that with people staying closer to home, they have discovered historic places nearby.”
Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, a 19th century stateley home, also recorded its best year.
Meanwhile, Elizabethan Kirby Hall in Northamptonshire lured its most visitors since 2001.
English Heritage is responsible for looking after more than 00 historic buildings, monuments, and sites across the country.
It said 372,000 people joined last year, taking its membership to more than one million.
