Route
Waypoints
Start to Summerhill Force
From the car park, follow the ‘there and back’ route to visit our first waterfall, Summerhill Force. Walk along the length of the car park heading away from the vehicle entrance, pass the pay machine and stone building on your right, and then fork left alongside a vehicle barrier on the track leading to the toilets. Continue on the path beyond the toilets and ignore the first wooden footbridge on your left. Bow Lee Beck is running on your left.
The path leads you through the site of an old quarry. This provided limestone for the Teesside iron and steel industries from 1920 to 1946, but today serves as a lovely picnic area. Keep ahead to climb the flight of steps, which leads you past the first small waterfall on your left (there is a small viewing platform to the left at the top of the steps, which is worth a quick visit).
Pass through the gate to continue on the beck-side path, which later becomes surfaced with uneven rock slabs (take care as this can be slippery). The path leads you directly to Gibson’s Cave and the waterfall, Summerhill Force. The name force comes from the word foss, the Old Norse word for waterfall. The beck cascades over the lip of the limestone to create the force, whilst the cave is formed by the dark recess beneath the rock overhang. The cave is named after William Gibson, a loveable rogue who is said to have hidden here whilst on the run from the Barnard Castle constables in the 1500s.
Marks
Summerhill Force to Visitor Centre
When you have finished at Summerhill Force, simply retrace your steps back to the car park. Once you reach the car park, turn right to cross the beck footbridge, signed to the Visitor Centre. At the far side, follow the stone steps leading you uphill and stay with the path, which leads you directly to Bowlees Visitor Centre. The centre is housed in an old Primitive Methodist Chapel and includes a popular cafe (which is dog friendly) along with lots of information about the area's landscape, geology and wildlife.
Low Force to Holwick Head Bridge
When you are ready to continue, turn right on the Pennine Way (with the River Tees running on your right), which leads you up a flight of rocky steps. The path leads you past a beautiful pair of sandstone sheep sculptures and passes Low Force on your right. NOTE: This stretch of path has some parts with quite sheer drops to the river, so take care with children and dogs.
Beyond the falls, follow the stone path of the Pennine Way ahead, passing through a gate and continuing with the river on your right and the beautiful fenced moorland to your left. The moorland is home to plenty of ground-nesting birds in spring and early summer, such as lapwings, oystercatchers and curlews. In some parts, the path becomes very rocky underfoot, so do take care.
After about a mile along the river, you will come to the next river bridge, Holwick Head Bridge. The main route turns right across this bridge to reach the fee-paying access path for High Force (see walk intro for details). If you intend to exclude this part, you could instead keep ahead along the Pennine Way for about 900 metres to see High Force from this river bank for free and come back to this point afterwards – but be warned that this viewpoint is on a high exposed rock face above the falls, so you must take extreme care. We recommend the fee-paying alternative instead for better views and for your safety. When you are ready to continue, cross over Holwick Head Bridge via the two gates.
High Force to Dirt Pit Farm
When you have finished at High Force, retrace your steps back to High Force Hotel to continue the walk. Standing facing the hotel, take the signed public footpath which leads you between the hotel (on your left) and the cafe kiosk (on your right). Turn right to pass behind the building, pass an old whitewashed barn on your left and go ahead alongside a vehicle gate to join a wide grass avenue (with the hotel parking area on your right).
Follow the path as it swings left, leading you under power lines to reach a stone wall ahead. Use the stone stile to cross the wall and enter a sheep pasture. Walk ahead (with a wall on your right) for only a few paces to reach a wide metal gate on your right. Turn right through this into a second pasture. With your back to the gate, walk diagonally left (about 11 o’clock), passing immediately to the left of the small derelict stone building.
At the far side, pass through a gate into a third pasture and bear further left (about 10 o’clock) to follow the footpath downhill, crossing a stream bridge and reaching a stile in the bottom boundary. Cross the stile (dogs will need a lift) to reach an access lane. Turn right for just a few metres and then turn sharp left onto a side branch of the lane. Follow this access lane as it leads you downhill and swings right between the buildings of Dirt Pit Farm.
Dirt Pit Farm to End
Ignore the footpath signed to the left, instead stay with the lane as it swings right and then keep ahead on the stone track to reach a gate. NOTE: From this point, you are entering moorland pastures with free-roaming sheep and maybe cattle. Go through the gate and continue on the stone track which winds through the beautiful moorland pasture.
You will be following this track for just over a mile, so ignore any footpaths signed off to the sides. The track initially climbs to reach Ash Hill Farm, alongside a cattle grid. Use the gate to pass alongside the cattle grid and continue on the track as it leads you steadily downhill through more pastures, with lovely views ahead. You will need to pass through a further nine gates along the way. At the end of the track you will emerge directly alongside the visitor centre where the walk began.