Gainford

Greta Bridge – Prehistoric carved stone

Currently in the grounds of the Bowes Museum, this stone was found at Greta Bridge, during improvement work to the A66. The stone was used to cover a Roman burial and was close to the site of a Roman fort. The carvings on the slab are prehistoric, it has been suggested that it originally covered a prehistoric cist burial, the stone was later re-used by the Romans. Another prehistoric carved stone The Gainford Stone is on display inside the museum. This stone was also used to cover a prehistoric cist burial.

Stan Laurel

Stan Laurel went to school in Gainford, that’s more than enough of a reason to have a wander around.

Stan

Lovely Medieval cross slabs line the church porch walls

Inside the church, a pair of carved stones

AD stones

AD stone

There is a dragon carving on the opposite face of the second stone, it is almost impossible to see the carving as the stone is close to the wall and fixed into the floor. A photograph of it can be seen here

Pillar

The house next to the church has an impressive piece of garden architecture.

A path from the churchyard leads down to the Tees, its waters stained with Pennine peatShap Granite

 A boulder, transported from the Shap Fells.

Peg Powler

Peg Powler patrols the banks

A wall blocks access to a broken Bailey Bridge, many of its boards are missing, one of the supporting columns has been washed away.

Dovecote

With no convenient river crossing, the distant dovecote will have to wait

Returning to the village, I stop to admire this lovely Festival of Britain bench.

Illustration of Gainford Carved Stones from The Antiquities of Gainford. J.R Walbran 1846

The Gainford Stone

The Barforth Bailey Bridge