Bill's Walks

The Sweeter Side of Teesdale

Distance: 12 miles

Start: Holwick Village (GR 905270)

Click to view start position on Google Maps

Map: OS Explorer 31 – Teesdale and Weardale

When you look at a map of the area around Holwick and the Cronkley area this walk shouts out at you to do! Indeed the Rambler’s Association magazine for recently has virtually this walk as one of its walks, possibly for the same reason as myself, in that this is a great walk to do in spring due to the wealth of both flora and the bird life back on the hills after the winter. The title is taken from the fact that on this walk we will pass outcrops of sugar limestone so named because of its appearance which resembles granules of sugar.

Holwick is a straggling settlement at the end of a cul-de-sac road on the south bank of the Tees. It has a good pub named the Strathmore Arms and there is also a camping barn at Low Way farm which is useful for Pennine Way walkers. The area is owned by the Strathmores from which the Queen Mother was descended and the road terminates at their shooting lodge of Holwick Lodge where Prince Charles is a regular visitor for the grouse shooting.

Holwick Scars

On the way up to Holwick you cannot fail to note the crags of Holwick Scar on your left. Further down towards Middleton these have been extensively quarried and indeed there was also some quarrying activity at Holwick. The rock is whinstone which is a hard igneous rock much used for roadstone and here it occurs in some places as columns. Streams descending from above make a series of small waterfalls, the best of which is Crag Force to the east of Holwick. Where the road turns off right to Holwick Lodge we continue straight ahead. The scar near its end just after here and has some detached parts which are known as ‘The Castles’.

The track we are now on is called the Green Trod which gradually ascends the flanks of Holwick Fell on a track also used for access to the grouse moors. In former times it was a much used droving route where cattle were driven down from Alston to the Vale of York before climbing up on to the Drove Road along the ridge of the Cleveland Hills now used by the Cleveland Way. Most of the cattle were from Scotland emanating from the Tryst at Falkirk where the Scottish cattle were mainly gathered from the Highlands. All of this information can be found in the definitive book “The Drove Roads of Scotland” by A.R.B. Haldane ,published some time ago but still widely available. Most of the stock on this route had arrived at Alston via the South Tyne Valley. There is no comparable book on drovers roads for Northern England which is a pity as there is also a very good book on the Welsh drove roads by Fay Godwin and Shirley Toulson called “The Drovers Roads of Wales”.

After about 2 miles on the Green Trod you get fine views down to the Tees at Dine Holm Scar (which you will pass on the return) and a further mile shows the waterfall of White Force on your left. This waterfall disappears into the rock and emerges about 400 metres away at Cawbank Spring. Shortly after you reach the first of the fenced off areas of sugar limestone. The fencing is to prevent erosion caused by sheep grazing and rabbit burrowing. The sugar limestone was created about 300 million years ago when molten dolerite (whinstone) came into contact with the carboniferous limestone which was then metamorphosed into a type of marble which then crystallised into granules which resemble sugar. The resultant soil created a niche for certain plants. Dominant is Blue Moor Grass which also occurs on other limestone areas but the sugar limestone also provides two very rare sedges called Hair Sedge and False Sedge. Also found hereabouts is the Teesdale Violet. Further on we pass another two fenced off areas. Much of the other sugar limestone areas were lost when Cow Green Reservoir was created.

Outcrops of Sugar Limestone in the Thistle Green area.

The path now descends quite steeply to join a path alongside the south side of the Tees at GR827282. Across the river is Falcon Clints and the Pennine Way. The scenery here is excellent and as the name implies this is a good area for birds of prey with kestrels, buzzards and occasionally peregrine seen. We now turn right and follow the path downstream alongside the river. Much of the path here has been improved with boardwalks. The soil is acidic and supports juniper trees which can have a variety of shapes both tallish and spreading out. This is a relatively rare tree/bush and the last few years has seen much planting on restoration sites on the upland heaths of County Durham such as at Sacriston as well as in Teesdale. Nearer High Force is to be found the largest area of juniper in England. (The second largest l believe is also in the North Pennines in the South Tyne Valley). The berries have a familiar smell as they are used to flavour gin but in earlier days the wood was thought to have medical properties and was burnt in houses to fumigate them during epidemics. This area is a good area to see ring ouzels which often shelter in the juniper bushes.

Teesdale is internationally famous for its flora and there are many plants found here which are at the extremities of their existence. The sugar limestone areas have already been passed as has one of the other special areas which is the rough pastures where the wet flushes have specific flora but this persists for much of the rest of the walk and orchids can be found as well as gentians such as the spring gentian. On this walk in mid May they may well have come and passed their best. The other area for which Teesdale and also the North Pennines are visited are the traditional hay meadows which are visited on our other walks in Baldersdale etc. There are several very useful publications produced by the North Pennines AONB on these plants as well as others on themes such as geology, lead mining etc. which can be found in the local Information Centres.

The foothpath continues for 3 miles looking over to Widdybank Farm and later Langdon Beck, before reaching High House. There is a population of black grouse in this area. This species has recently seen much effort being put into arresting their population decline. There is a place near here where they conduct their leck in the mating season which may be visited on special walks run by the AONB. At High House we enter an area of productive pasture and a haven for waders such as curlew, lapwings, oystercatchers and the occasional snipe and golden plovers. The latter can be heard with their plaintive whistle standing on a tussock, normally on higher ground whereas the lapwings and curlew often nest close to farms. From here onwards for the rest of the walk can be found other Teesdale flowers such as globeflowers, birds eye primrose and the shrubby cinquefoil. The latter is rare in the British Isles only occurring in the Lake District and The Burren in Eire.

We ignore the bridge crossing the Tees and continue across to Cronkley Farm where we join the Pennine Way, passing to the right of the farm, and continue over High Crag to Bracken Rigg (where there are further juniper bushes) and then drop down to the riverside opposite Dine Holm Quarry (whinstone). The waterfall of Bleabeck Force can be very attractive in flood and this prepares you for a highlight of the walk when you reach High Force a short distance on. This is the biggest waterfall in England but it is not the highest. l believe the highest is Hardraw Force near Hawes which is 96 feet high compared to High Force which is 69 feet high. A great place to be but take care near the edge!

High Force Waterfall

The Pennine Way continues alongside the river but well above it. This section of the Pennine Way has recently had a major upgrade funded by Natural England and the Heritage Lottery Fund due to its heavy use. A further mile takes you to Low Force. In my youth this was known as Salmon Leap and l guess the pollution at the mouth of the Tees stopped the salmon. I have never seen a salmon here whereas they are now common on the Tyne where at the right time scores can be seen leaping over the waterfall downstream from Hexham bridge. That’s how times change!

At Low Force we are also at Winch Bridge, built in 1830. A previous bridge of 1704 was built to take miners over the river which had only one handrail. It was possibly the earliest suspension bridge in Europe but collapsed in either 1802 or 1820, when overloaded, causing a fatality or possibly two depending where you read about the event. Here we leave the Pennine Way, which continues along the river, and head on a clear path south back to Holwick, noting the fine building of Holwick Lodge on your right.

Again l would draw your attention to the fine book called “The North Pennines ” by Iain Brown which is very much recommended by those who want to read more about this super area. Recommended walking books are “Teesdale” by Paul Hannon (Hillside Books), “The Teesdale Way” by Martin Collins (Cicerone) whilst the older Dalesman book “Walking in Teesdale” by Keith Watson, although written in 1978, has some merit. For those who want a bit more history and accounts of the Pennines fifty years ago you cannot beat “Wandering in the Pennines” by William T Palmer. A great nostalgic read for older walkers and cyclists!