Greta Bridge
Encyclopedia
Greta Bridge is a village on the River Greta in County Durham
, England
.
near to Barnard Castle
. The bridge (now bypassed by the A66 trunk road
) is over the River Greta just south of its confluence with the River Tees
.
Greta Bridge lies within the historic county boundaries
of the North Riding of Yorkshire
, but along with the rest of the former Startforth Rural District
, Greta Bridge was transferred to County Durham
for administrative
and ceremonial
purposes on 1 April 1974 pursuant to the Local Government Act 1972
.
name for Greta Bridge was Concangium.
'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 inn
s in or near Greta Bridge.
The link here is the publican "George Martin" who first of all ran the inn called the "George and Dragon" to the West of the River Greta, he then moved to the original "Morritt's Arms" built on the East bank of the River Greta as a coaching inn by the Morritt family of Rokeby,in approx 1756, and he renamed it "The George" as recorded by Dickens (maybe having left his "dragon" behind at the present Morritt Arms!) Later, Martin moved to be landlord of The New Inn a mile to the east of Greta Bridge and re named that "The George and New Inn". Source; Peter Gilbertson of The Coach House, Greta Bridge.
The famous painting Rokeby Venus by Diego Velázquez
was originally housed at Rokeby Hall
, near Greta Bridge.
1 mile north is Mortham Tower, a fortified manor house dating from the 14th century, with a 15th century tower.
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Geography and administration
Greta Bridge lies in the Pennine hillsPennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
near to Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle
Barnard Castle is an historical town in Teesdale, County Durham, England. It is named after the castle around which it grew up. It sits on the north side of the River Tees, opposite Startforth, south southwest of Newcastle upon Tyne, south southwest of Sunderland, west of Middlesbrough and ...
. The bridge (now bypassed by the A66 trunk road
A66 road
The A66 is a major road in northern England which in part follows the course of the Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith. It runs from east of Middlesbrough in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire to Workington in Cumbria...
) is over the River Greta just south of its confluence with the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
.
Greta Bridge lies within the historic county boundaries
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of the North Riding of Yorkshire
North Riding of Yorkshire
The North Riding of Yorkshire was one of the three historic subdivisions of the English county of Yorkshire, alongside the East and West Ridings. From the Restoration it was used as a Lieutenancy area. The three ridings were treated as three counties for many purposes, such as having separate...
, but along with the rest of the former Startforth Rural District
Startforth Rural District
Startforth Rural District was a rural district in the North Riding of the historic county of Yorkshire in the Pennines of northern England.It was formed in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894...
, Greta Bridge was transferred to County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
for administrative
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England
Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of subdivisions of England used for the purposes of local government outside Greater London. As originally constituted, the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties each consisted of multiple districts, had a county council and...
and ceremonial
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
purposes on 1 April 1974 pursuant to the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
.
Etymology
The village is named after the river and is Norse in derivation, from grót + á meaning "stony stream". The RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
name for Greta Bridge was Concangium.
History
Greta Bridge is mentioned in Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
's novel The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Nicholas Nickleby; or, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is a novel by Charles Dickens. Originally published as a serial from 1838 to 1839, it was Dickens' third novel....
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 inn
Coaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
s in or near Greta Bridge.
The link here is the publican "George Martin" who first of all ran the inn called the "George and Dragon" to the West of the River Greta, he then moved to the original "Morritt's Arms" built on the East bank of the River Greta as a coaching inn by the Morritt family of Rokeby,in approx 1756, and he renamed it "The George" as recorded by Dickens (maybe having left his "dragon" behind at the present Morritt Arms!) Later, Martin moved to be landlord of The New Inn a mile to the east of Greta Bridge and re named that "The George and New Inn". Source; Peter Gilbertson of The Coach House, Greta Bridge.
The famous painting Rokeby Venus by Diego Velázquez
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a Spanish painter who was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV. He was an individualistic artist of the contemporary Baroque period, important as a portrait artist...
was originally housed at Rokeby Hall
Rokeby Park
Rokeby Park is a country house in the Palladian style in Northern England. It is located close to the confluence of the River Tees and River Greta, close to Greta Bridge in what is now County Durham. It was historically located in the North Riding of Yorkshire...
, near Greta Bridge.
1 mile north is Mortham Tower, a fortified manor house dating from the 14th century, with a 15th century tower.