Wearhead, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, DL13

“A Historic Schoolhouse with Cinema Past, in the Heart of the North Pennines AONB”
Tucked into the rugged beauty of Upper Weardale and wrapped in dry-stone walls and moorland skies, Barrington Hall is no ordinary country home.
Built in 1819 at the instruction of Bishop Shute Barrington, this handsome stone-built residence began life as the village schoolhouse, educating generations of local children through the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the 1930s, its high-ceilinged hall became the village cinema, a gathering place for stories, laughter, and warmth through the war years. Today, beautifully restored and full of soul, it offers something increasingly rare: a home with genuine depth of character, quietly updated for modern living.
A Place of Character and Comfort
The house opens into an elegant interior of over 1,560 sq. ft, arranged across three levels and finished to a move-in-ready standard.
At its heart is the cathedral-ceilinged living room, a breathtaking space flooded with light from the original arched window, crowned by exposed beams and a 12kW log burner that anchors the space with warmth and presence.
The bespoke kitchen offers a classic country feel, with painted units, open shelving, and a traditional AGA Rayburn range cooker. There's a lovely outlook to the side garden – where deer and pheasants often pass by – and a calm, intimate atmosphere for cooking or conversation.
Tucked off the hall is the principal bedroom, complete with the original school caretaker’s fireplace, a rare and evocative detail. In total, the house offers three bedrooms, a family bathroom with thermostatic shower over bath, and a stylish cloakroom WC with concealed utility area.
A sunroom opens directly onto the front garden, providing the perfect transition between indoor and outdoor life.
Recent Upgrades
– New flooring to approx. 75% of the house, including a bespoke stair runner
– Eight new column radiators and a recent Grant oil boiler, all Nest-controlled
– Secondary glazing to key windows, preserving warmth without compromising character
– Full redecoration throughout
– Bespoke hardwood windows and three new external doors
– Live full fibre broadband connection – ideal for homeworking or a creative retreat
Outside Space
The house sits within securely enclosed gardens to the side and rear with additional front garden and driveway, with stone walls, fencing and wooden gates. A small stream meanders through the rear garden, creating a seasonal waterfall in the wetter months – a soothing soundscape for those craving nature and stillness.
There’s off-road parking in front, with scope to create a wider driveway if desired (subject to simple landscaping).
Abundant local wildlife – deer, grouse, pheasants, owls and more – can be spotted from the windows or on the many footpaths just outside the gate, leading to Burnhope Reservoir, the River Wear, and the long-distance trails around Cross Fell and the Pennine Way.
Location
Located in Wearhead, a quiet Pennine village on the edge of County Durham and Cumbria, the property sits in the North Pennines AONB – a designated landscape of outstanding natural beauty, with dark skies, wild fells, and a strong sense of community.
There’s a local school (Ofsted Good), café a mile away, and community life, yet the setting feels profoundly untouched, offering solitude, inspiration and stillness – yet with fibre broadband ready when needed


PART A
Local Authority – Durham County Council
Council Tax Band – E
Tenure – Freehold

PART B
Property Type – detached
Property Construction – Stone
Number & Types of Rooms – Please refer to the details and floorplan, all measurements taken being the maximum dimensions available between internal walls
Electricity supply – Mains
Water Supply - Mains (unmetered)
Sewerage – Mains
Heating - Oil fired boiler with radiators
Estimated Mobile phone coverage – Please refer to the Ofcom Website -

Estimated Broadband Download speeds – please refer to the Ofcom Website –
Parking: off road parking - Scope to create a driveway with clever landscaping

PART C
Building Safety – The Vendor is not aware of any Building Safety issues. However, we would recommend that the purchaser engages the services of a chartered surveyor to confirm
Restrictions - None
Rights & Easements- An Easement is noted on the title dated 1976
Flood risk – very low
Coastal Erosion - NA
Protected Trees – no
Conservation area – Yes and within the North Pennines area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Planning Permission – no
Accessibility – The property has not been altered for accessibility
Mining Area – no
Selective License Area – no

No other Material Information disclosures have been made by the vendor. This information has been compiled in good faith using resources readily available online and by enquiry of the vendor prior to marketing. However, such information could change after compilation of the data, so J W Wood cannot be held liable for any changes post compilation or any accidental errors or omissions.
Furthermore, J W Wood are not legally qualified and conveyancing documents are often complicated, necessitating judgement on our part about which parts are “Material Information” to be disclosed. If any information provided, or other matter relating to the property, is of particular importance to you, please do seek verification from a legal advisor before committing to expenditure.
HMRC supervises the legal obligation for all estate agents to conduct identity checks on their customers, this includes buyers when their offer is accepted. This must be completed, per purchaser, who in the transaction will result in being the legal owner(s) of the property. There is a £30 (inc VAT) administration fee per individual purchaser, for these checks