River Greta

The River Greta is a small river in County Durham. It starts in the Pennines on Stainmore and flows east through Bowes Moor and Stainmore Forest. The name comes from the Old Norse word for ‘stony stream’. It joins the River Tees after passing through Bowes. Sleightholme Beck, its main tributary, rises between Bog Moss and Sleightholme Moor. Artists such as John Sell Cotman and J. M. W. Turner once painted the Greta’s banks. Nearby are cup and ring carvings on Barningham Moor. Scargill has an early Norman keep and a Roman shrine site now in the Bowes Museum. A 17th-century watermill at Brignall has been turned into a holiday cottage. The river passes through villages like Spital and Greta Bridge. It is crossed by the Pennine Way near Bowes. Historic sites line its course, including Roper Castle and Beldoo Moss. The Greta’s stony waters and quiet surroundings make it a place of quiet interest.