Greta Bridge and Brignall Banks
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THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015 The Northern Echo 39 Walks what’son Walks Greta Bridge and Brignall Banks inn with a large stabling block right after a short distance (wooded Walk information and coach arches. Greta Bridge ravine down to your left) then Distance: 10.7 km (6.6 miles) was first settled during Roman continue straight on for 500 metres Time: 3 hours times when a large fort was built alongside the fence to reach another Maps: Ordnance Survey Explorer to protect the Roman Road across stile beside a gate (where the fence OL31 – always carry an OS map the North Pennines between York becomes a hedge). After this stile, on your walk and Carlisle; indeed, the Morritt drop down the hillside and over Arms stands inside the northern a small side-stream, after which Parking: On-street parking around half of the old Roman fort. A small walk straight on across the hillside Greta Bridge. information board can be seen in for 175 metres to reach a large gap Refreshments: Morritt Arms at the porchway of the Morritt Arms, in the corner of a wall and a path left that soon leads out onto a field. Greta Bridge; no facilities en route. and the grassy ramparts of the fort junction just beyond. Turn left here Carry straight on down along can be seen in the field behind. Terrain: Field, woodland and (signpost ‘Brignall Mill’) to reach the track with a small wooded riverside paths and then road The first half of this walk follows the ruins of St Mary’s Church, set rough path for 1.25 km before the stream on your left then, after 100 walking along a quiet country the River Greta along the famous in an enclosure. path sweeps round to the right metres, follow the track bending lane. The path across the steep Brignall Banks, a dramatic gorge then round to the left following the to the right over a bridge across wooded Brignall Banks is narrow, with cliffs and overhanging rocks curves of the river gorge (this is Pass to the right of the enclosed the stream then continue down undulating, rough and muddy that inspired some of Victorian the most precipitous part of the 2churchyard and head straight along the enclosed track with the underfoot, and there are steep drops England’s finest artistic minds gorge passing cliffs and a cave), on to soon reach a stile that leads stream now on your left, to reach to the side of the path in places. including Wordsworth, Turner and after which the path becomes a into woodland. A clear path now a gate. After the gate, follow the How to get there: Greta Bridge Sir Walter Scott who came in search track that climbs gradually up for track straight on then bending of ‘Nature’ at its best. This is a leads straight on through the a further 400 metres to a gate at the lies just off the A66 between Bowes woods alongside the River Greta sharp right then sharp left heading and Scotch Corner. delightful walk on a sunny spring top of the woods (this section of down through woodland to reach a day when the steep wooded slopes for 500 metres to reach a stile at the woodland riverside path from the end of woods. Cross the stile and kissing-gate that brings you back Points of interest are carpeted with wild flowers. You stile that leads into the woodland at the path junction, with the ruins pass the forlorn ruins of St Mary’s carry straight on along the clear all the way to reach this gate is 2.2 path across the rough pasture/ of St Mary’s Church across to your HE small hamlet of Church, which once served the km). Head through the gate and right. Greta Bridge was once thriving market town of Brignall in hillside gently rising up for 85 walk straight on across the field an important stop along medieval times. metres then, where the path levels alongside the fence/wooded ravine T out just before you head through the busy coaching routes on your left for 150 metres to join At this path junction, head from London to Scotland via The walk some hawthorn trees, head up to an unfenced road beside a cattle 5straight on bearing slightly left the Stainmore Gap, particularly From the Morritt Arms (with the right (waymarker post) along grid. through the large gap in the wall during the 17th and 18th Centuries. 1your back to the hotel), turn right an indistinct path (leaving the corner (signpost Greta Bridge) and On either side of the River along the road towards the bridge clear path to head through the then re-trace your steps straight Turn right along the road and Greta, which is spanned by a across the River Greta then, just hawthorns). Follow this indistinct on across the hillside, over the 3follow it up across the field graceful stone bridge high above before you reach the bridge, take path up for a short distance then, small side-stream then back up to for 250 metres to reach a gate the fast-flowing river, are two the footpath to the right over the where the hawthorn trees end on reach the stile beside the gate in across the road, that leads into the wonderful old coaching inns. The stone wall (signpost). Walk straight your left, curve round to the left the top corner of the field. After farmyard of Moor House Farm. Morritt Arms has been providing on across the field, with the river above the hawthorns then head the stile, walk straight on alongside Carry straight on along the road hospitality for travellers since the to your left and Roman ramparts straight on across the field (gorse the fence/woodland on your right passing the farm buildings, then 17th Century and still retains a to your right, to reach the corner bushes on your left at first) for back to reach the next stile beside continue up along the road passing refined atmosphere with roaring of the field (ignore stile in the 250 metres to reach another stile a gate, after which walk straight Moorhouse Cottage, after which fires warming the many bars corner), where you turn right up beside a gate in the corner of the on alongside the fence/woodland carry on along the road for 850 and lounges. The hotel is famed the bank for 50 metres then, where field (waymarker). Cross the stile on your right for 100 metres then, metres to reach a road junction. for the wonderful wall paintings the bank levels out, turn left over and walk straight on across the where this ends, carry straight on Turn right (old sign ‘Brignall’) and that grace the Dickens Bar, which a stile beside a gate in the hedge. next field for 50 metres to reach across the hillside (hedge to your follow this road for 2.25 km (take were painted in the 1940s by John After the stile, walk straight on another stile that leads back into left) back to reach the stile beside care – make yourself visible to Gilroy, more famous for his classic along the level path heading across woodland. Cross the stile, and drop the gate in a hedge (Roman fort in traffic and walk on the verge) to Guinness advertisements. Some say the hillside (hedge on your right down along the path through the front of you). After the stile, drop reach the ‘new’ St Mary’s Church that this was also where Charles and River Greta down across to trees to soon join a clearer path down to the right for 50 metres then in the hamlet of Brignall. Dickens stayed when he visited your left) for 300 metres to reach a (waymarker) which you follow head left across the field with the Greta Bridge whilst researching fence corner and woodland on your to the right, with the river down river on your right back to reach his book ‘Nicholas Nickleby’ in left (waymarker), where you carry to you left. Follow the very clear Take the path immediately to the the road at Greta Bridge. the 1830s. This hotel was known as straight on alongside this fence/ narrow riverside path heading up 4right of the church (signpost) Mark Reid The George until the old Morritt through the wooded gorge of the woodland for 100 metres to reach along a gravel driveway that soon Walking Weekenders 2015 Arms (the coaching inn on the a stile beside a gate that leads out River Greta across the foot of the leads to a gate, after which follow The sociable way to enjoy the other side of the bridge) closed onto a field. Cross the stile and walk steep slopes of Brignall Banks with the enclosed track straight on Great Outdoors. North York Moors, down. This old building stands as a straight on alongside the fence/field the river to your left – follow this alongside the churchyard on your Yorkshire Dales, Lake District superb example of an old coaching edge on your left, curving to the clear undulating and, in places, Countrydiary By Phil GatesBBirdwatch y Ian Kerr UNE is the month when “cuckoo spit” set at less than twice UR largest and most spectacular weekend’s westerly gale blew out a nest – those frothy bubbles produced on their own height. birds of prey are having a mixed from what has always been regarded as a J plant stems by froghopper larvae – O Adult froghoppers sit breeding season, with some doing rather sheltered lowland wood.