- High Force
type = Plunge
height = 20 m / 70 ft
height_longest =
number_drops =
average_flow =
world_rank =High Force is a
waterfall on theRiver Tees , nearMiddleton-in-Teesdale ,Tees Valley ,England . [ [http://www.rabycastle.com/high_force.htm High Force, Tees Valley] ] Despite popular belief, it is not, at 20metre s (70 ft), [ [http://www.picturesofengland.com/England/County_Durham/Forest-in-Teesdale/High_Force High Force Falls profile] ] the highest waterfall in England:Cautley Spout , inCumbria 'sHowgill Fells , is almost 180 metres (600 ft) high; andHardraw Force , inNorth Yorkshire , has an unbroken drop of 30 metres (100 ft).High Force is, however, undeniably stunning,Fact|date=October 2008 with the whole of the
River Tees plunging over aprecipice in two stages. In former times flooding created two separate falls, but after the completion ofCow Green Reservoir in the upper dale this seldom happens now. Also, in harsh winters the falls would freeze, creating cathedral-like ice formations. Again, this very rarely happens nowadays.High Force was formed where the River Tees crosses the
Whin Sill - the rock system followed byHadrian's Wall . Thewaterfall itself consists of two different types of rock. The upper band is made up ofwhinstone , a hard rock which the waterfall takes a lot of time to erode. The lower section is made up ofcarboniferous limestone , a softer rock which is more easily worn away by the waterfall. The wearing away of rock means that the waterfall is slowly moving upstream, leaving a narrow, deepgorge in front of it. The length of the gorge is currently about 700 metres. Thebedload (rocks that the river is carrying) is mainly composed of large boulders, which are rolled along the river bed. Upstream of the waterfall, the river is narrow; downstream, it widens and meanders.Notable Visitors
JMW Turner , the celebrated painter, arrived at High Force at 10:00 A.M. on 3 August 1816 to sketch the scene. He then travelled upstream toCauldron Snout and eventually made his way toDufton , across the fells, in inclement weather.Arthur Young came with his wife on horseback fromDurham in 1771::The whole river (no trifling one) divided by one rock into two vast torrents pours down a perpendicular precipice of near fourscore feet: The deluging force of the water throws up such a foam and misty rain, that the sun never shines without a large and brilliant rainbow appearing ...John Wesley described High Force in 1779::After preaching at Cuthberton and in Teesdale, I went a little out of my way, to see one of the wonders of nature. The river Tees rushes down between two rocks, and falls sixty feet perpendicular into a basin of water sixty feet deep ...References
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