Editing Barnard Castle (section)

==Governance==
[[File:Barnard Castle Post Office - by Francis Hannaway.jpg|thumb|Barnard Castle Post Office]]
Barnard Castle is for all purposes ([[Historic counties of England|historic]], [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial]] and [[County Durham (district)|unitary authority]]) located in County Durham. Barnard Castle has a Town Council governing a [[civil parish]]. The Town Council elects a ceremonial Town Mayor annually.

It is part of the [[Bishop Auckland (UK Parliament constituency)|Bishop Auckland]] [[United Kingdom constituencies|parliamentary constituency]], which, as of 2024, is represented in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|parliament]], by [[Sam Rushworth]] of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. All four Durham County Councillors, whose wards (Barnard Castle East and Barnard Castle West) include part of Barnard Castle, are Conservative.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Your Councillors |url=https://democracy.durham.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |access-date=16 September 2019 |website=Durham County Council |date=17 August 2010 |archive-date=8 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308045711/https://democracy.durham.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=WARD&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The local [[British Police|police]] force is [[Durham Constabulary]]. The town is the base for the Barnard Castle division, which covers {{convert|300|sqmi|km2}}.  This division is within the force's south [[Basic Command Unit|area]].
===Former===
Between 1894 and 1974, the town was, administratively, part of [[Barnard Castle Urban District]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Barnard Castle UD|url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10003106|access-date=3 August 2021|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain]]|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803160937/https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10003106|url-status=live}}</ref> The administrative and ceremonial county boundary was adjusted in 1974. Barnard Castle became the administrative centre of the [[Teesdale (district)|Teesdale]] [[Districts of England|district]] of County Durham [[non-metropolitan county]], until its abolition, on 1 April 2009, and the county council became the unitary authority of [[County Durham (district)|County Durham]].