River Twiss

The River Twiss rises in the Yorkshire Dales from Kingsdale Beck, formed where Back Gill and Long Gill meet. Near Keld Head it takes its name, then plunges over Thornton Force and Pecca Falls. The river winds through Swilla Glen’s steep limestone gorge before joining the River Doe at Ingleton to form the River Greta. Turner sketched Thornton Force in 1816, a work now held by Tate. The waterfalls expose a striking geological boundary where Carboniferous limestone meets older Ordovician greywackes. Pecca Falls drops thirty metres in three tiers into deep pools, while Thornton Force falls fourteen metres in a single leap. Walkers follow the river along the Ingleton Waterfalls Walk, crossing footbridges at Ravenray, Pecca and Manor. Swilla Glen’s narrow gorge shows how the river has cut through the rock over centuries. At Ingleton the clear waters meet the Doe, marking the start of the Greta’s wider course.