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The
North Pennines is a huge rural area which varies between wild moorland
to green farmland.
Farming
is the life blood of the area, but tourism is increasingly important.
Chief among its tourist attractions is the Pennine Way.
Opened
in 1965, the Pennine Way was the first of Britain's long-distance
paths.
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| Walkers
on the Pennine Way. |
It
stretches 268 miles from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in
the Scottish Borders.
The
highest point on the walk, at 2902 feet, is the summit of Cross
Fell.
And
it is on the eastern slopes of Cross Fell that the Tees has its
source, and that Teesdale begins.
Walkers
pass just a few hundred yards from the area of marshy ground that
marks the spring.
From
here the Tees flows into Cow Green Reservoir, a product of the river's
industrial heritage.
High
and Low Force
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| High
Force. |
A few
miles below the reservoir lie Teesdale's most famous beauty spots:
High Force and Low Force waterfalls.
"Force"
is a Viking word for a waterfall, a hangover from the dark ages.
At
High Force the Tees plunges down 70 feet, making it the largest
waterfall in England.
In
1880 two men became trapped on a rock in the middle of the fall.
One
was pulled to safety, but the other died when the rope snapped.
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| Low
Force |
Low
force is smaller - and is often navigated by experienced canoeists.
Return
to Tees Trail page.
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The
source of the Tees is Tees Head.
