Greta Bridge Walk
This walk visits the picturesque village of Greta Bridge in County Durham.
The bridge sits in a lovely scenic spot at the confluence of the River Greta with the River Tees. On the walk you will also pass the historic Mortham Tower, a fortified manor house dating from the 14th century, with a 15th-century tower. The route then reaches the Meeting of the Waters where the two rivers join. At this point you can pick up the Teesdale Way long distance footpath and follow the trail west along the river to visit Egglestone Abbey. Here you can explore the fascinating site of the 12th century abbey ruins which are run by English Heritage.
The walk continues into the interesting town of Barnard Castle where you can explore the historic castle. The 12th century castle ruins include fine views over the Tees Gorge, a sensory garden of scented plants and remains of the medieval chapel of St Margaret.
The walk can be started in Greta Bridge village from the Morritt Arms Hotel with more details below.
To continue your walking in the area you could follow the River Greta south east towards Rutherford Bridge via Brignall. See the video below for views of this walk.
Postcode
DL12 9SE - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsGreta Bridge Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Greta Bridge Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Greta Bridge OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Greta Bridge Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Walks near Greta Bridge
- Egglestone Abbey - This circular walk visits the remains of the 12th century Egglestone Abbey near Barnard Castle in County Durham.
- Barnard Castle - Enjoy a walk around the historic castle and along the River Tees on this walk in County Durham
- Teesdale Way - Follow the River Tees from Dufton, in Cumbria, to Redcar on the North Yorkshire coast
- Tees Railway Walk - This walk runs along the old trackbed of the Tees Valley Railway, from Cotherstone to Romaldkirk
- Piercebridge - This walk visits the interesting Piercebridge Roman Fort before following the Teesdale Way along the River Tees to nearby Gainford
- Middleton in Teesdale - This market town in County Durham is positioned in a scenic area in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- Romaldkirk - This picturesque village in County Durham is surrounded by some beautiful Teesdale countryside
- Gainford - This Durham based village is located in a nice position on the River Tees just to the west of Piercebridge.
- Barningham Trail - Travel through the beautiful Yorkshire Dales National Park on this circular walk around the pretty village of Barningham in County Durham
Pubs/Cafes
The Morrit Arms is a fine place for some post walk refreshment. The inn dates back to the 17th century when the mail coach passed through the village bringing with it a considerable number of visitors. The association of art with The Morritt is demonstrated with a unique mural of Dickensian characters in The Dickens Bar. Dickens visited the area to research Dotheboys School for the novel Nicholas Nickleby.
They serve good quality food and have lovely gardens to relax in.
Dog Walking
The riverside paths and woodland trails are ideal for a dog walk. The Morrit Arms mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
Head south to the neighbouring village of Barningham and you could pick up the circular Barningham Trail. The long distance walk visits several pretty villages and takes you through Arkengarthdale - the northernmost of the Yorkshire Dales where there are stunning views of the Pennine Hills to enjoy.
Photos
Morritt Arms Hotel , Greta Bridge. Greta Bridge is mentioned in Charles Dickens's novel The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby as the site of Dotheboys School. Dickens mentions the "George and New Inn, Greta Bridge". This is thought to be a conflation of two coaching inns in or near Greta Bridge.
Greta Bridge village. A view of Greta Bridge village, the old coaching station, from the west. The road on which Greta Bridge stands has now been bypassed by a short length of dual carriageway on the A66, Scotch Corner to Penrith road.
Greta Bridge. The inns adjacent to the crossing of the River Greta provided the traditional second overnight stop of the mail coach from London to Carlisle. At one time there were three inns, two of which were mentioned by Charles Dickens in Nicholas Nickleby. The Roman station nearby is evidence that the river has been crossed here since Roman times.
Mortham Tower
The Meeting of the Waters
River Greta from the Dairy Bridge
Egglestone Abbey
Barnard Castle