Teesdale

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Teesdale
Pasture south of Middleton in Teesdale (edited, cropped).jpg
View over Middleton in Teesdale
Geography
Location County Durham and Cumbria
Country England
Population centers Middleton in Teesdale, Barnard Castle
Borders on
Coordinates 54°32′42″N1°55′37″W / 54.545°N 1.927°W / 54.545; -1.927  
Traversed by Teesdale Way, B6277 road
River Tees, Skerne & Leven

Teesdale is a dale, or valley, located principally in County Durham, North East England. It is one of the Durham Dales, which are themselves part of the North Pennines, the northernmost part of the Pennine uplands.

Contents

The dale is named after its principal river, the Tees, which has its source below Cross Fell (890 m (2,930 ft)) in Cumbria. [1] The upper dale is remote and high, but becomes gentler after it enters County Durham shortly downstream. The dale follows the river's south-easterly course to Barnard Castle, at which point the landscape begins to flatten into the Tees Lowlands. The Cumbrian part of Teesdale was historically divided between Cumberland and Westmorland, and the County Durham area between the former and Yorkshire.

Large parts of Teesdale are within the North Pennines national landscape, and Upper Teesdale has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Parts of the local climate have been scientifically classified as "Sub-Arctic", and snow has sometimes lain on Cross Fell into June. [2] [3]

Geology

Unusually for the Pennines, rock of igneous origin (the Whin Sill) contributes to the surface geology and scenery of Upper Teesdale. Around 295 million years ago upwelling magma spread through fissures and between strata in the earlier Carboniferous Limestone country rock. As it cooled (an event which is believed to have lasted 50 years) the rock contracted and caused itself to split into vertical columns. The heating of the limestone above the rock also caused it to be turned into a crumbly marble known as Sugar Limestone. [4] [5]

Economic deposits in Llandovery rocks include soft shales that were previously worked to be used as slate pencils. [6]

More recently, Ice Age glacial activity shaped the valley, and much of the pre-glacial river course is now buried beneath glacial drift.

Botany

Teesdale violet Teesdale violet at Langdon Head - geograph.org.uk - 5778214.jpg
Teesdale violet

In places this impervious dolerite rock, with shallow soil above it, prevented the growth of scrub or trees: this enabled certain post-glacial Arctic / Alpine plants to survive here when elsewhere as a rule they were overgrown. The Sugar Limestone formed by thermal metamorphism of the limestone into which the Whin Sill was intruded also meets the requirements of some of these plants. Teesdale is famous among naturalists for the "Teesdale Assemblage" of plants found together here that occur widely separated in other locations, abroad or in the British Isles. [7]

Part of Upper Teesdale near the Cow Green Reservoir is designated a National Nature Reserve; it contains the unique Teesdale Violet and the blue Spring Gentian as well as more common Pennine flowers such as rockrose, spring sandwort, mountain pansy, bird's-eye primrose and butterwort. [8] Hay meadows in the valley above High Force, some now carefully cultivated to ensure this, contain an extremely rich variety of flowering plants including globe flower, wood cranesbill and Early Purple Orchid. [9] On the south bank of the Tees near High Force can be seen the largest surviving juniper wood in England. [10]

Geography

Over ledges in the Whin Sill fall the famous waterfalls of High Force and Low Force and the cataract of Cauldron Snout. [11] From the source to the Skerne, Teesdale's principal town and most populous settlement is Barnard Castle, [12] a historic market town. The area also includes the small town of Middleton-in-Teesdale and a number of villages, including Mickleton, Eggleston, Romaldkirk and Cotherstone. [12] Middleton was a lead-mining centre, [13] and plentiful traces of this industry can be seen round the adjoining slopes and side-valleys. [14] On the south side of Teesdale is the Bronze Age burial site of Kirkcarrion. [15] The other Durham Dales are on the northern side and to the south is the Yorkshire Dales, Swaledale with Richmond is the closest.

Places by the River Tees
NorthSouth
Source then Middleton-in-Teesdale N/a
Eggleston Cotherstone
Barnard Castle Startforth
Whorlton Ovington
Winston and Gainford N/a
Piercebridge
High Coniscliffe, Merrybent and Low Coniscliffe Cleasby
Darlington Stapleton
Hurworth and Neasham Croft and Dalton
Middleton One Row Over Dinsdale
Aislaby Low Worsall
Egglescliffe Yarm
Preston Ingleby Barwick
Stockton (Bowesfield, town centre and Portrack) Thornaby
Haverton Hill and Port Clarence Middlesbrough (Old Middlesbrough and North Ormesby)
N/a South Bank then the mouth

Governance

The dale was formerly divided into four with the north in the Darlington and Stockton wards and the south was in the Gilling and Langbaurgh wapentakes.

Both dales gave their names to the former Teesdale district and Weardale district of western County Durham. The south is within the historic county boundaries of the North Riding of Yorkshire, Startforth Rural District, it was transferred to ceremonial County Durham on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. West Teesdale lies within the parliamentary constituency of Bishop Auckland (County Durham). [16]

Uses in local culture

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Force</span> Set of forces in Northern England

High Force is a waterfall on the River Tees, near Middleton-in-Teesdale, Teesdale, England. The waterfall is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the European Geopark. The whole of the River Tees plunges 70 feet (21 m) over a precipice in two stages. After heavy rainfall the river will also flow over the usually dry right-hand side channel, creating two falls. Very occasionally the river level will be high enough to flow over the central section of rock; the last recorded time this happened was in December 2015 after Storm Desmond. In harsh winters the falls have been known to freeze, creating cathedral-like ice formations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Tees</span> East coast river of Northern England

The River Tees, in England, rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines and flows eastwards for 85 miles (137 km) to reach the North Sea in the North East of England. The modern day history of the river has been tied with the industries on Teesside in its lower reaches, where it has provided the means of import and export of goods to and from the North East England. The need for water further downstream also meant that reservoirs were built in the extreme upper reaches, such as Cow Green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennines</span> Range of uplands in Northern England

The Pennines, also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands mainly located in Northern England. Commonly described as the "backbone of England" because of its length and position, the range runs from Derbyshire and Staffordshire in the North Midlands to Northumberland in North East England, near the Anglo-Scottish border. The range starts near the valley of the River Trent to the south and extends northwards across the Peak District, South Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, and North Pennines, ending at the Tyne Gap. Beyond the gap are the Border Moors and Cheviot Hills, which are included in some definitions of the range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Pennines</span> Range of hills in northern England

The North Pennines is the northernmost section of the Pennine range of hills which runs north–south through northern England. It lies between Carlisle to the west and Darlington to the east. It is bounded to the north by the Tyne Valley and to the south by the Stainmore Gap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickleton, County Durham</span> Human settlement in England

Mickleton is a village and civil parish in Teesdale, County Durham, England, situated 8.5 miles (13.7 km) north west of Barnard Castle. Lying within the historic boundaries of the North Riding of Yorkshire, the village along with the rest of the former Startforth Rural District has been administered with County Durham since 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newbiggin, Teesdale</span> Village and civil parish in Teesdale, County Durham, United Kingdom

Newbiggin is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England. At the 2011 census the parish had a population of 146. It is situated on the north side of Teesdale, opposite Holwick. An influx of Derbyshire lead miners into the area in the late 18th century may have brought the name from Biggin. The village is within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleton-in-Teesdale</span> Town in County Durham, England

Middleton-in-Teesdale is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is in Teesdale, on the River Tees's north banks, and surrounded by the North Pennines. The town is between Eggleston and Newbiggin, a few miles to the north-west of Barnard Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnhope Seat</span>

Burnhope Seat is a high moorland fell in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in northern England. It lies between the heads of the Rivers Tees, South Tyne and Wear. The summit is crossed by the boundary between County Durham and Cumbria. The trig point is the highest point in historic County Durham. However, this is not quite the summit of the mountain. Mickle Fell, south of Teesdale is higher than Burnhope Seat and is sometimes quoted as being the highest top of County Durham, but this is historically not correct. Mickle Fell, although it lies within the unitary council area of Durham County Council for administrative purposes, is historically a part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, and is the highest point in that county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whin Sill</span> Layer of dolerite rock in northern England

The Whin Sill or Great Whin Sill is a tabular layer of the igneous rock dolerite in County Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria in the northeast of England. It lies partly in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and partly in Northumberland National Park and stretches from Teesdale northwards towards Berwick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cauldron Snout</span> Cascade on River Tees

Cauldron Snout is a cascade on the upper reaches of the River Tees in Northern England, immediately below the dam of the Cow Green Reservoir. It is well upstream of the High Force waterfall, and is on the boundary between County Durham and Cumbria, England. The waterfall lies within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and European Geopark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cow Green Reservoir</span> Reservoir in County Durham, England

Cow Green Reservoir is a 2-mile (3 km) long water reservoir forming part of the border between the historic counties of Westmorland and County Durham in northern England, built between 1967 and 1971 to supply the industries of Teesside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teesdale Way</span> Long-distance walking route in England

The Teesdale Way is a long-distance walk between the Cumbrian Pennines and the North Sea coast of North Yorkshire in England. The walk is 100 miles (160 km) in length; it links in with other long-distance walks such as the Pennine Way and the E2 European Walk between Harwich and Stranraer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Balder</span> River in County Durham, England

The Balder is an English river that rises on the eastern slope of Stainmore Common in the Pennine Chain and flows eastwards for about 23.4 kilometres (14.5 mi), before joining the River Tees at Cotherstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunedale</span>

Lunedale is the dale, or valley, of the River Lune, on the east side of the Pennines in England, west of Middleton-in-Teesdale. Its principal settlements are Grassholme, Thringarth and Bowbank.

The Durham Dales are a series of valleys in the west of County Durham, North East England. They are the Durham portion of the North Pennines, the northernmost part of the Pennine uplands. The principal valleys are Teesdale in the south and Weardale in the north, each of which has several side valleys, including Baldersdale, Lunedale, and Rook Hope. The part of Teesdale south of the Tees was historically in Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Teesdale</span> Site of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham, United Kingdom

Upper Teesdale is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the west County Durham, England. It encompasses an extensive upland area that includes the headwaters of the River Tees and the surrounding catchment area upstream of the village of Langdon Beck.

The geology of County Durham in northeast England consists of a basement of Lower Palaeozoic rocks overlain by a varying thickness of Carboniferous and Permo-Triassic sedimentary rocks which dip generally eastwards towards the North Sea. These have been intruded by a pluton, sills and dykes at various times from the Devonian Period to the Palaeogene. The whole is overlain by a suite of unconsolidated deposits of Quaternary age arising from glaciation and from other processes operating during the post-glacial period to the present. The geological interest of the west of the county was recognised by the designation in 2003 of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty as a European Geopark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Cup Gill</span>

High Cup Gill, almost a geometrically perfect U-shaped chasm, is a valley deeply incised into the Pennine scarp to the northeast of Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria and within the North Pennines AONB in northern England. It is considered to be glacial in origin, ice having over-ridden the area during successive ice ages. To its southeast is Murton Fell and Dufton Fell is to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forest and Frith</span> Civil parish in County Durham, England

Forest and Frith is a civil parish in the County Durham unitary authority, in the ceremonial county of Durham, England. In the 2011 census it had a population of 163.

References

  1. ↑ "Great country walks: Cross Fell, Pennine Hills, Cumbria". The Guardian. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "North Pennines AONB". www.landscapesforlife.org.uk. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  3. ↑ Gilbert, Joe (27 December 1997). "Skiing: Yad Moss: the St Moritz of the north" . The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Cocker, Mark (27 April 2014). "The strange tale of Cronkley Scar, with its chaotic hem of boulder scree". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "The Whin Sill" (PDF). northpennines.org.uk. North Pennines AONB. p. 2. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  6. ↑ Woodward, Horace B (1887). "4: Silurian (Upper Silurian)". The geology of England and Wales: with notes on the physical features of the country. London: G Phillip & Son. pp.  108–109. OCLC   933061775.
  7. ↑ "Upper Teesdale SSSI" (PDF). naturalengland.org. pp. 1–5. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "Moor House - Upper Teesdale NNR" (PDF). naturalengland.org. Natural England. 2014. p. 5. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "High Force and Bowlees geotrail" (PDF). highforcewaterfall.com. Landscapes for Life. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Saving Teesdale's Juniper Wood". bbc.co.uk. BBC Tees. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "Cow Green Reservoir – Visit Cumbria". www.visitcumbria.com. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Barnard Castle Masterplan Update" (PDF). durham.gov.uk. Durham County Council. December 2016. p. 3. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  13. ↑ "GENUKI - Middleton-in-Teesdale". joinermarriageindex.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "Teesdale's industrial heritage". Teesdale Mercury. 27 February 2008. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  15. ↑ Lloyd, Chris (8 April 2016). "Kirkcarrion keeps its secrets still". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  16. ↑ "History of Barnard Castle". www.barnardcastletowncouncil.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
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