Weekend Away in Teesdale, 19th -21st September 2014

This year's walks were centred on the County Durham market town of Middleton-in-Teesdale which is surrounded by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The four walks made extensive use of the Pennine Way, the Tees Valley Way and parts of the disused railway line from Barnard Castle to Middleton.

Middleton in Teesdale

Friday - Low Force and High Force

The path by the River Tees from Low Force to High Force and beyond is one of the best-known in the Pennines, providing the best viewpoint for some of the most spectacular British waterfalls. 

Start of the weekend


Low Force
A wonderful place to be a walker - on the Pennine Way
High Force




Dine Holm Quarry - not an AONB but still part of the landscape

The return to the start at Bowlees Visitor Centre was on little-used paths and byways through farmland along the north side of the valley.

An interesting description of the flora and fauna in Upper Teesdale can be found in the Telegraph's Walk of the Month, April 2008.


Saturday - Cauldron Snout

Today half the group walked in the Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve, the largest and probably the remotest in England.  The route descended the unfenced road from the Cow Green Reservoir round Widdybank Fell to the Tees itself on a good track.  The going then was tricky in sections, over two or three 200m sections of boulders beside the river. 

Upper Teesdale
After lunch we then had a short scramble up the Whin Sill beside the Snout and back to the car park.

Looking down Cauldron Snout
Top of Cauldron Snout below the dam

Saturday - Down the Tees to Eggleston and Romaldkirk

The other half of the group walked down the Tees passing through the pretty villages of Eggleston and Romaldkirk in time for lunch at the Rose and Crown.  The return made use of the old Tees Railway back to Middleton.


Sunday - Lunedale 

This walk took us up the Lune Valley to Grassholme Reservoir and then used the Pennine Way to climb up Harter Fell and back to Middleton.

Highest point, Harter Fell, 440m
End of the weekend