town, Teesdale district, administrative and historic county of Durham, England, on the north bank of the River Tees (there crossed by a medieval bridge). It developed around a Norman castle built by Bernard de Balliol (Balliol family), who gave the town its first charter in about 1178. The castle was the birthplace of John de Balliol, founder of Balliol College, Oxford, and father of John de Balliol, king of Scotland (1292–96). The town retains many Georgian buildings, including the town hall. The Bowes Museum, a former residence completed in 1892 in the style of a French château, has a notable art collection. In 1838 Charles Dickens was inspired to write Nicholas Nickleby (1839) while staying at the local King's Head Inn. Manufacture of stockings and carpets, the principal local activity in the early 19th century, has been superseded by other industries, including pharmaceuticals. Pop. (2001) 5,189.