Low Force and High Force

I had a drive over Hartside Pass to Alston and then up to High and Low Force waterfalls back in September. It was a toss up whether I came there or went on the South Tynedale Railway but I decided to leave that one for a day when Sal was up in the Lakes. There had been a fair bit of rain over in the Lake District so I plumped for the waterfalls, hoping they would be plenty of water flowing down the River Tees. Unfortunately most of the rain must have dropped in Cumbria as the waterfalls were a bit of a let down. The two previous times I'd been, they had been very impressive and been in spate.

I parked near Low Force and just walked along the Pennine Way (which follows the river) to the viewpoint overlooking High Force and then back. High Force is always impressive no matter what time of year or whatever the weather is like.

The waterfall is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and European Geopark. Despite popular belief that it is the highest waterfall in England, at 71 feet (22 m), others have a longer fall: Cautley Spout, in Cumbria's Howgill Fells, is almost 590 feet (180 m) high, and Hardraw Force, in North Yorkshire, has an unbroken drop of 98 feet (30 m).

It is still spectacular though and well worth a visit.