WEST TEES DISTRICT. 13^ 



which overlooks the main descent. Here grows Festuca sylvatica. 

 On the Durham side of the river the slope is covered by a large 

 plantation, consisting principally of spruce firs, and on the York- 

 shire side the moors reach down to the edge of the cliffs. A 

 more beautiful spot for a summer day's excursion than this 

 ravine, with its never-ending roar of waters, in front the cataract 

 with its ceaseless rush and cloud of misty spray, at the bottom 

 the dark foaming stream flowing rapidly amongst thickly strewn 

 boulders and margined in the open space below the cliffs with 

 a grove of fantastically shaped juniper bushes, shut in above by 

 its wood-covered slope and girdle of dark crags, can scarcely be 

 wished for. By the side of the high road at the top of the 

 wood stands the High Force Inn, with a fine view of the water- 

 fall, over the tree tops, from its upper windows. 



Between the High Force and the Lune three streams of con- 

 siderable size flow into the Tees from the north. The distance 

 between the two points is about six miles and the fall in the 

 stream about forty feet per mile. The river channel is now 

 considerably deeper than it is above the High Force, and 

 especially during the first two miles the stream side is much 

 undulated and its banks are often rocky and precipitous. There 

 is a wooden bridge at Lower Cronkley, where the High Force 

 ravine opens out; and where the cliffs are steepest, about two 

 miles below the High Force, a chain bridge spans the river. 

 'J'his is called Winch Bridge, and in its neighbourhood are a 

 series of fine rapids and upon the Durham side a fir plantation 

 again skirts the river. Opposite Winch Bridge the hills again 

 recede from the river, and from this point to the Lune they run 

 parallel with it at a distance from it of about half-a-niile, leaving 

 an open grassy and somewhat wooded space at the bottom of 

 the dale. Above the village of Holwick the continuation of 

 the Mickle Fell ridge, which here is called Green Fell, still 

 reaches the Upper Zone and below it is the wide grassy plateau 

 of Holwick Fell. From the High Force the smoke-grey basaltic 

 crags range along the edge of the gradually declining fells past 



August 1888. 



