{"id":626,"date":"2013-05-18T01:40:17","date_gmt":"2013-05-18T00:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=626"},"modified":"2013-04-21T16:20:38","modified_gmt":"2013-04-21T15:20:38","slug":"greta-bridge-and-the-river-greta-co-durham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=626","title":{"rendered":"Greta Bridge and the River Greta, Co. Durham"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sunny day, clear and cold, had settled over Teesdale.<script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.onload = setupZoom; function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; varwalkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=660,width=1140,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script><br \/>\nFirst published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('GretaBridge.gpx');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8508\/8570946667_b61a2eaf3c.jpg\" title='IMG_0177 copy'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8508\/8570946667_b61a2eaf3c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8236\/8572043676_84f0a5c92d.jpg\" title='IMG_0178 copy'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8236\/8572043676_84f0a5c92d_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8089\/8572045300_1332e2f26c.jpg\" title='IMG_0184 copy'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8089\/8572045300_1332e2f26c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8244\/8570951067_d68287f31e.jpg\" title='primrose\/cowslip hybrid'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8244\/8570951067_d68287f31e_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8525\/8572048008_694993144d.jpg\" title='IMG_0186 copy'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8525\/8572048008_694993144d_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8388\/8570954353_be4c8f779c.jpg\" title='IMG_0191 copy'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8388\/8570954353_be4c8f779c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8091\/8571004109_6acca6227c.jpg\" title='John Coats tombstone, St Mary&#039;s Church graveyard 1'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8091\/8571004109_6acca6227c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8524\/8572101914_dc8ec15083.jpg\" title='St Mary&#039;s Church graveyard'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm9.static.flickr.com\/8524\/8572101914_dc8ec15083_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=626\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><br \/>\nThe leaves of the beech trees along the River Greta shone a sharp acid green as they filtered the morning sunshine. We followed a field path up the noisy Greta from Greta Bridge, walking against the flow of the river that sparkled over its bed of rocky slabs in the narrow west-east dale it has carved for itself.<\/p>\n<p>A brief climb to the lip of the dale \u2013 seas of yellow rape rolling away to pale purple moors on the northern skyline \u2013 and then we were dipping down into the wooded cleft where the ruin of St Mary\u2019s Church lay in its walled graveyard. A wonderful peaceful spot to idle and wander among the old slanting gravestones, unsteadily lettered by local masons &#8211; \u2018Christopher Thwaites Postmaster of Greata Bridge 1693\u2019, \u2018Julian &#038; Jane Sutton Bless ye The Lord Praise Him &#038; Magnifie Him\u2019, and a low stone for a child, simply inscribed \u2018EH 1699\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>The path wound on, increasingly narrow and crumbly, through Tebb Wood, a world of white, blue and green with bluebells and wild garlic, bugle and wood anemones. Neither of us could remember any riverside walk so bright with wild flowers \u2013 the dusky purple nodding bells of water avens, false oxlips with multiple primrose heads on cowslip-like stalks, bold pink campion, white stars of stitchwort, early purple orchids. Blackcaps burbled musically in the scrub hawthorns, and wrens chattered. The sun poured over everything like a warm bath for the senses, just edged enough with cold fingers of breeze to remind us that we were in the Durham dales in springtime.<\/p>\n<p>Down by stone-built Brignall Mill we crossed the Greta, splodged through the muddy caterpillar tracks of a logging operation, and turned back along the south bank of the river. What a contrast! These north-facing slopes of the gorge were at least a month behind those facing south only just across the river, with bluebells not yet bloomed and celandines and delicate white wood sorrel still out in glory.<\/p>\n<p>The path climbed to a precipitous ledge above the Greta, then turned south through the woods high over Gill Beck. At Gillbeck Bridge we took to a silent country lane and field paths through open uplands where young calves kicked and capered in the meadows. A stretch of road with far moorland views and then the homeward path through Mill Woods and by the water-sculpted churn holes of the Greta\u2019s gorge.<br \/>\nStart &#038; finish: Morritt Hotel, Greta Bridge, Co. Durham, DL12 9SE (OS ref NZ 085133) <\/p>\n<p>Getting there: Greta Bridge is signposted off A66 between Scotch Corner (A1) and Bowes. Park near Morritt Hotel \u2013 please ask permission, and give hotel your custom!<\/p>\n<p>Walk (9\u00bd miles, moderate, OS Explorer OL30): Leaving Morritt Hotel, turn right along road. Just before bridge, right over wall (fingerpost) follow riverside path towards Brignall Mill. In 2 miles you pass opposite the confluence of Gill Beck (062113). In another \u2154 mile path rises to go through gate (051112; yellow arrow\/YA); in 150m fork right over cattle grid and down to Brignall Mill (047112).<\/p>\n<p>Follow YAs around mill and across footbridge; dogleg right and left along higher track; in 100m bear left down to path downstream beside River Greta. In \u2153 mile cross footbridge at Hening Scar (051111) and continue beside Greta. In another \u2153 mile on Bleak Scar, path climbs high above river. Near top it forks (057112); don\u2019t go right uphill to gate, but keep ahead along fence and above river. In \u00bc mile, at post with 2 YAs (061112), keep ahead (not left), to bend sharply right along gorge of Gill Beck. Continue for \u00bd mile, crossing 3 footbridges, to reach Gillbeck Bridge (062105).<\/p>\n<p>Left up Cowclose Lane. In \u00be mile, at end of Primrose Gill Plantation, left (072101; \u2018Byway\u2019 fingerpost) along stony lane. Pass limekiln (073104); in 300m, left through gate (075106, blue arrow) up fields to Crook\u2019s House (075115). Ahead down left side of barn; right across farmyard; along drive to Wilson House farm (083118). Ahead along road; in \u00bd mile, left (085125, fingerpost) over stile; right through Mill Wood. Over meadow to Greta Bridge; through gate and farmyard (087131) to road; left to Morritt Hotel.<\/p>\n<p>Click on Facebook &#8220;Like&#8221; link to share this walk with Facebook friends.<\/p>\n<p>Conditions: For surefooted walkers \u2013 riverside paths are narrow, slippery and eroded in places<\/p>\n<p>Lunch: Picnic<\/p>\n<p>Accommodation: Morritt Hotel, Greta Bridge (01833-627232; <a href=\"http:\/\/themorritt.co.uk\">themorritt.co.uk<\/a>) \u2013 family-run, very friendly, helpful and well-kept<\/p>\n<p>More Info: Durham walks\/accommodation \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/thisisdurham.com\">thisisdurham.com<\/a><br \/>\n<A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.ramblers.org.uk\/\">www.ramblers.org.uk<\/A> <A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.satmap.com\/\">www.satmap.com<\/A> <A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.LogMyTrip.co.uk\/\">www.LogMyTrip.co.uk<\/A><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sunny day, clear and cold, had settled over Teesdale<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/626\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}