High Force

The River Tees cascades over a hard, vertical band of igneous rock known as the Whin Sill, creating a powerful plunge into a deep basin below. Over thousands of years, the river has eroded the softer rock downstream, leaving this resilient sill to form the impressive 21-meter vertical drop.

While it is one of the most spectacular and powerful waterfalls in England, it does not hold the record for the highest overall single drop in the country. However, its impressive volume of water rushing over the Whin Sill makes it arguably the most dramatic waterfall in northern England.

There is a small fee required to access the main, official viewing path that leads down to the bottom of the waterfall, which helps maintain the local nature reserve. Alternatively, there is a free public footpath on the opposite side of the river that offers a more distant, higher view of the falls.

High Force is situated in County Durham, England, within the stunning landscape of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It sits along the upper course of the River Tees, not far from the borders of Cumbria and North Yorkshire.