Walking the Pennine WayPaddy Dillon
Walking guide
Walking the Pennine Way
Paddy Dillon · 2025
The Pennine Way follows the Tees right past High Force; this guide details that stretch through Teesdale.
United Kingdom · County Durham, England
High Force
One of England's most powerful waterfalls pours over the edge of the Whin Sill, a slab of hard volcanic rock that also underlies Hadrian Wall further east. The peaty upland water runs amber-brown, a natural tannin stain rather than pollution, most striking after heavy Pennine rain.
England's largest waterfall by volume Essentials guide
Checked September 2026 by David Bussell
High Force drops 21 metres (69 ft) on the Tees, inside North Pennines AONB. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Middleton-in-Teesdale, with NCL the closest airport. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at High Force itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Middleton-in-Teesdale are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Spring and autumn rains give the fullest flow over the resistant dolerite sill.
Entry: Small car park fee
Getting there
- Base town Middleton-in-Teesdale
- Airport NCL
- Country United Kingdom
- Region County Durham, England, British Isles, Europe
- Access Easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
How it compares
This waterfall
High Force
United Kingdom
Height21 mWidth—
Most similar
Jajce Waterfall
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Height22 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
21 m
22 m
108 m
330 m
979 m
High ForceJajce WaterfallVictoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
Angel Falls is 47× taller than High Force. Victoria Falls is 5.1× taller. We don't have a reliable crest width for High Force yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Videos from High Force
8:47
4:21
13:10
Chosen from YouTube; videos belong to their creators and play from YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
Books worth packing
Walking guide
Walking in the North Pennines
Paddy Dillon · 2012
50 walks in the North Pennines incl. Upper Teesdale circuits taking in High Force, Low Force and Cauldron Snout.
Lonely Planet EnglandLonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet England
Lonely Planet · 2025
Current Lonely Planet England covering Teesdale and Ullswater, the settings of High Force and Aira Force.
Lonely Planet ScotlandLonely Planet
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Scotland
Lonely Planet · 2025
Current Lonely Planet Scotland covering Glen Nevis, Kintail and the Moffat area.
On the map
54.6503, -2.1876
Quick answers
Where is High Force?
High Force is in United Kingdom (County Durham, England), inside North Pennines AONB. The nearest base is Middleton-in-Teesdale and the closest airport is NCL. Its coordinates are 54.6503, -2.1876.
How tall is High Force?
High Force drops 21 metres (69 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall on the Tees.
When is the best time to visit High Force?
Peak flow is March to May and October to November. Spring and autumn rains give the fullest flow over the resistant dolerite sill.
What can you do at High Force?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
How do you get to High Force?
The usual base is Middleton-in-Teesdale, and the closest airport is NCL. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there. Small car park fee.
Nearby
Closest to High Force
Cauldron Snout
United Kingdom · 6 km away
Cauldron Snout is a cascade on the upper reaches of the River Tees in Northern England, immediately below the…
Kisdon Force
United Kingdom · 500 m · 30 km away
Kisdon Force is a series of waterfalls on the River Swale in Swaledale, England. The falls are situated…
Cautley Spout
United Kingdom · 198 m · 40 km away
Cautley Spout is England's highest waterfall above ground. . The broken cascade of falls tumbles a total of…
Hardraw Force
United Kingdom · 91 m · 40 km away
Hardraw Force is a waterfall on Hardraw Beck in Hardraw Scar, a wooded ravine just outside the hamlet of…
Swimming