The Rainforest Fund Project: YNU weekend in Upper Teesdale 1-2 Aug 2026 -Day 1

Day1 -Yorkshire Day (1 Aug) was a walk beside and above High Force on the "Old Yorkshire" side of the River Tees - VC 65. The north side is County Durham (VC 66)

The previous evening I had returned from the British Lichen Society ~Meeting in Worcestershire. - to Settle.

Both Settle and Middleton-in-Teesdale are near the watershed of the Pennine ridge. I set off on my journey north from Settle, up the Ribble to Ribblehead, then following the tops of the Pennines via Hawes then up the Ure (which flows wast) up over the tops to the top of the Eden Valley the Eden- flows west.

The picture below has Wild Boar Fell on the left, Mallerstang on the right and the valley leads down to Kirkby Stephen with Brough beyond. Brough is at the foot of the pale hills you see in the distance topped by white clouds. This photo was taken at 9.23am and I was supposed to be at High Force, Middleton-in-Teesdale, 18 miles over the tops beyond Brough by before 10.30..

View down the Eden Valley

I met the part of the group that had not yet set off.

I followed them at my own pace, sampling the raspberries on the way.

There was a view point of High force - only one side had water today.

It is worth enlaging this picture (maybe press (control +) to read about the geoplogy

The group had continued to the section above the waterfall, and were having lunch

Kian (right) is looking at Lichens

Alistair exploring on the left.

Lunch

A spider in Andy's jar.

There were excellent flush communities to explore. I just show a picture of the rare Variegated Horsetail Equisetum variegatum here. It does grow in a few flushes round Settle too (well Malham) - but it is good to have a picture to fix points about it:- the stems creep; the black scales round the stem have long white points. and there are papillae on the stem.

I spent much of the time with Ian and Stella, making a list of sedges. All too soon it was time to return..

Across the Wynch Bridge

Wynch Bridge

In Middleton we had the customary plenary tea and reporting session.

We then had fish and chips on a bench outside the local fish and chip shop in Middleton in Teesdale.- I had fish bits- A small piece of fish cut up and the bits fried separately - They were EXCELLENT - And I saved half to eat later that evening...

People returned home. I was lucky to find space and treat myself to stay at in the Langdon Beck Hotel, with Ian and Stella.

After the meal Ian took us up for a drive to Cow Green Reservoir.

We watched sunset over Dunn Fell and Cross Fell. Just four month's earlier I had been on the top of Great Dunn Fell and Little Dunn Fell, looking down to Cow Green with the British Lichen Society.