Upper Teesdale is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the Teesdale district of County Durham, England. It encompasses an extensive upland area that includes the headwaters of the River Tees. The SSSI is one of the most important botanical sites in Britain; the flora is exceptionally rich in species that are nationally rare, including some that are relicts of the arctic-alpine environment of the last glacial period. The area supports internationally important populations of some wading birds and is home to several rare invertebrates. Within the SSSI are several locations that are of national importance geologically, including one of only two known outcrops of 'sugar' limestone in Britain The southern part of the SSSI largely coincides with the eastern portion of the Moor House-Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve, which has been designated a 'Biosphere Reserve' by UNESCO.The entire area falls within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you would like to purchase any of the images in this gallery as either a digital download or print please go to my online store by clicking here
![High Force Waterfall V: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/af546c1f-620b-491c-9f9c-df4138557c02_rw_1920.jpg?h=0e0bbea8b6e2259ccab6f6411c6c0e9b)
High Force Waterfall V: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees
![Kirk Carrion I: View of Kirk carrion from Grassholme Reservoir](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/83a06d36-c963-46fe-b037-4b4bba49ca5d_rw_1920.jpg?h=506654e32cb24d187ca240a86b91d42a)
Kirk Carrion I: View of Kirk carrion from Grassholme Reservoir
![Summerhill Force I: Summerhill Force is a waterfall at Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/b61d881f-4f9f-455b-8396-3b2848d449f8_rw_1920.jpg?h=6440dae83e075e6c68b447750302f6d8)
Summerhill Force I: Summerhill Force is a waterfall at Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.
![Hury Reservoir II: With Goldsborough in the Background](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/af999fe2-e519-4620-a63f-40eca60d9c64_rw_1920.jpg?h=29bf9f1eb1297554d9f39f00b7e1edbc)
Hury Reservoir II: With Goldsborough in the Background
![Upper Teesdale Pasture I: Fields in upper Teesdale just outside Middleton in Teesdale. At the top is a copse of trees known as Kirk Carrion](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/ee296eb0-c6e9-4409-b599-b315208a9c1a_rw_1920.jpg?h=81418198ddd51372fb8858b80d99c1b5)
Upper Teesdale Pasture I: Fields in upper Teesdale just outside Middleton in Teesdale. At the top is a copse of trees known as Kirk Carrion
![Upper Teesdale Pasture II: Taken just outside Middleton in Teesdale.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/9d13e559-fca8-4e1f-a4f0-2ab9a44e7894_rw_1920.jpg?h=d8ca2f64f08c7b21069235f0ce9f12fd)
Upper Teesdale Pasture II: Taken just outside Middleton in Teesdale.
![Low Force in Autumn: Part of the River Tees in Upper Teesdale](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/05498978-0f54-4abf-b839-a786f77db120_rw_1920.jpg?h=c6ddeac051f75ee60ac0b06e9bb63826)
Low Force in Autumn: Part of the River Tees in Upper Teesdale
![Sheep on Black: The ram was sheltering against a barn near Low Force, Upper Teesdale](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/ffa71c22-e1d0-48f6-8a4f-0c894bac0e4f_rw_1200.jpg?h=cfdc878ce46b4afcb8f5bca5b32238bc)
Sheep on Black: The ram was sheltering against a barn near Low Force, Upper Teesdale
![Kirk Carrion II: View of Kirk Carrion from Grassholme Reservoir](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/b24c2c65-b5d2-43bf-aa90-aabf73756ca6_rw_1920.jpg?h=a28179b029406ae262d061bcd3744d00)
Kirk Carrion II: View of Kirk Carrion from Grassholme Reservoir
![Hury Reservoir I: With Goldsborough in the Background](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/a8f67975-fe16-4a4e-aff5-7031a3dcafe7_rw_1920.jpg?h=40c4c0680f85babfd8c1b10151e30b6a)
Hury Reservoir I: With Goldsborough in the Background
![Bow Lee Beck Waterfall I: This is one of the three small waterfalls below Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/41bf0072-98bd-4c4c-964f-b75f4ef662ea_rw_1920.jpg?h=78906472aa2c93af2b4059aa411d796d)
Bow Lee Beck Waterfall I: This is one of the three small waterfalls below Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.
![High Force Waterfall I: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/be5ae674-1814-4486-b6dc-b6ad9549249b_rw_1920.jpg?h=1ec8d400e74059f3979b83027461a627)
High Force Waterfall I: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees
![Upper Teesdale Rural Buildings I: The Remote Farms and Barns of Upper Teesdale, North Pennines](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/2be613d6-c58b-4a47-ab09-4728178f9366_rw_1920.jpg?h=574724ae9c39223a7f03fe1df2b253e1)
Upper Teesdale Rural Buildings I: The Remote Farms and Barns of Upper Teesdale, North Pennines
![Upper Teesdale Rural Buildings II: The Remote Farms and Barns of Upper Teesdale, North Pennines](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/e729ef7c-6345-4c32-818a-5235d8e40044_rw_1920.jpg?h=608a644069f0e1e9c96aec07ad8c4fb1)
Upper Teesdale Rural Buildings II: The Remote Farms and Barns of Upper Teesdale, North Pennines
![Summerhill Force II: A waterfall at Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/e2cb9e0d-924d-4cd4-a702-7d1a6a6e24b1_rw_1920.jpg?h=d5bace347aa0a840574a0b99173896bc)
Summerhill Force II: A waterfall at Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.
![Bow Lee Beck Waterfall II: This is one of the three small waterfalls below Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/6c304b14-3528-4017-a6ed-be987688d730_rw_1920.jpg?h=a4f068774792d0644a928d223a6f8732)
Bow Lee Beck Waterfall II: This is one of the three small waterfalls below Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.
![High Force Waterfall II: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/20a4910e-20d0-4ef2-a87f-64a1320226b7_rw_1920.jpg?h=dae8d419618669c4c0a3fd2190d153ef)
High Force Waterfall II: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees
![High Force Waterfall IV: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/3b01542b-d368-4c49-bc5a-b21d55988de5_rw_1920.jpg?h=1c76a434bb3a7c504fbe24cc3348220a)
High Force Waterfall IV: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees
![Kirk Carrion III: View from Middleton-in-Teesdale](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/8229556f-15da-482d-a008-56ef18db4c07_rw_1920.jpg?h=09132e269476ddc27e038c5a0290165d)
Kirk Carrion III: View from Middleton-in-Teesdale
![High Force Waterfall III: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/a114b8fb-42d4-46bf-a180-e78789d7d041_rw_1920.jpg?h=43d23bf7a3f43768c16852350eec8f65)
High Force Waterfall III: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees
![Tees Valley I: View of the Upper Tees Valley towards Middleton-in-Teesdale](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/400e7641-cb7a-4dd1-ad48-d7a80e9f47fb_rw_1920.jpg?h=90cb3a6cee0a76ba5a18cdbc9eaf3571)
Tees Valley I: View of the Upper Tees Valley towards Middleton-in-Teesdale
![High Force Waterfall VI: View of the River Tees from High Force Waterfall.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/497c96d1-cb52-4cb2-9ead-d8232e6de046_rw_1920.jpg?h=c07038f62a11bc516f70457fe7a825e0)
High Force Waterfall VI: View of the River Tees from High Force Waterfall.
![Tees Valley II: The Beckstones Wath Footbridge shown here was opened in 2002. It links the village of Mickleton with the Teesdale Way](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/75acdf1e-9ac3-465f-9af8-7987683870a2_rw_1920.jpg?h=65307fa31e72788bcd6c68b25e0f0ec5)
Tees Valley II: The Beckstones Wath Footbridge shown here was opened in 2002. It links the village of Mickleton with the Teesdale Way
![High Force Waterfall VI: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/cc2de7b6-8039-42d8-ae70-de2c2e6a7de6_rw_1920.jpg?h=ecebf48e851b7a2be41adee9b6757d8c)
High Force Waterfall VI: High Force is the most majestic of the waterfalls on the River Tees
![Kirk Carrion IV: Kirk Carrion is a copse of pine trees, surrounded by a stone wall, on a hilltop near Middleton-in-Teesdale. The trees, which were planted in Victorian times, cover a tumulus which is reputed to be the burial place of a Bronze Age chieftain, Prince Caryn,](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/d838ff35-8e2f-47bc-b9cd-98bdf2fb621d_rw_1920.jpg?h=81e8c4e6d4bdb05cd818e0b4372c3200)
Kirk Carrion IV: Kirk Carrion is a copse of pine trees, surrounded by a stone wall, on a hilltop near Middleton-in-Teesdale. The trees, which were planted in Victorian times, cover a tumulus which is reputed to be the burial place of a Bronze Age chieftain, Prince Caryn,
![Summerhill Force III: A waterfall at Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/a4ca524e-8579-45df-b579-25b7a4972b6d_rw_1920.jpg?h=154be7050e5c5e6a923c328a1cf939ac)
Summerhill Force III: A waterfall at Gibson's Cave near Bowlees Visitor Centre.
![Kirk Carrion V: Kirk Carrion is a copse of pine trees, surrounded by a stone wall, on a hilltop near Middleton-in-Teesdale. The trees, which were planted in Victorian times, cover a tumulus which is reputed to be the burial place of a Bronze Age chieftain, Prince Caryn,](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/f45205f7-5d0d-44d3-9cff-99dd2d20ab8c_rw_1920.jpg?h=da5a4446cf68fc2b3fecaf9b355e489c)
Kirk Carrion V: Kirk Carrion is a copse of pine trees, surrounded by a stone wall, on a hilltop near Middleton-in-Teesdale. The trees, which were planted in Victorian times, cover a tumulus which is reputed to be the burial place of a Bronze Age chieftain, Prince Caryn,
![Upper Teesdale Rural Buildings III: The Remote Farms and Barns of Upper Teesdale, North Pennines](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/75fbe874-e6bc-4f55-8840-eedbd5b6cb4b/6a6d7a4b-edaa-4ab7-92c0-7c8c0ef46a61_rw_1920.jpg?h=a86ab2568ba265e207f3217e97610a03)