Blog Post

North Pennines Photographs

  • by Jordan Fadden
  • 01 Dec, 2023

Early Winter Pennine Scenery

It felt more like the depths of Winter, rather than the start, during my five-day's of hiking across high land at the end of November. The North Pennines is a vast area, featuring the highest paved roads in the country. And the weather can be more changeable than anywhere else; atop Great Dun Fell there's a radar and weather station specifically for studying the clouds, because here you get the highest amount of precipitation.
North of Appleby-in-Westmorland, where you reach the picturesque village of Dufton, the Pennine Way national trail leads upwards in a north-easterly direction to reach what must surely be the most impressive place to stand in all of England: High Cup Nick, situated at the head of High Cup Gill. So vast and deep is this valley, that trying to capture it all in a single shot is impossible. Clouds swirl around inside this canyon, with water feeding off the fells at either side.

The Roof of England

Field barn at the side of a track leading away from the Pennine Way shortly after passing the last farmhouse
A herd of sheep followed after me for a good kilometre, until I reached a gate and passed through it, only to be followed by another herd of sheep in the next field
On this part of the Pennine Way trail you get some incredible views across the Eden Valley
Dufton Pike is visible in the distance to the right, soon disappearing altogether from view
Old farm equipment left in a field on the approach to High Cup Gill. Dominant ridges include Murton Pike and Middle Tongue
Mists were rising from High Cup Gill when I encountered these wild horses early in the morning. I counted ten of them altogether, but there may have been more

Following The River Tees

After crossing a footbridge just north of High Cup Plain, I followed Maize Beck all the way across to the River Tees. The two waters meet at Cauldron Snout waterfall. After descending the icy rocks, I followed the river across to Teesdale, calling at Langdon Beck and Middleton-in-Teesdale. The Pennine Way passes a gravel road and some military firing ranges, marked by warning signs. The black grouse is seen and heard for the next few miles. 
Maize Beck flows through some incredibly wet and marshy land
Another small field barn overlooks Cauldron Snout and Falcon Clints in spectacular Upper-Teesdale
Cronkley Scar is the dominant ridge seen from Langdon Beck, where the warm Inn serves food 'til late
High Force, and also Low Force, are the main waterfalls on the River Tees

Returning To High Cup Gill

Langdon Beck at Sunrise on a very cold day
Snowfall at Falcon Clints, after carefully passing over the icy rocks farther down by the river
Another waterfall not too many miles upstream from Cauldron Snout
Clouds filled High Cup Gill near Sunset, and then quickly cleared away
A solitary sheep was grazing along the clifftop which runs all around the edge of High Cup Nick

The land falls away steeply from the edge of High Cup Nick at an elevation of around 600 metres, where the beck emerges farther down the gill and flows in the direction of Appleby in the Eden Valley.

All photographs shot using my Nikon D700. 

North Pennines Photographs

  • by Jordan Fadden
  • 01 Dec, 2023

Early Winter Pennine Scenery

It felt more like the depths of Winter, rather than the start, during my five-day's of hiking across high land at the end of November. The North Pennines is a vast area, featuring the highest paved roads in the country. And the weather can be more changeable than anywhere else; atop Great Dun Fell there's a radar and weather station specifically for studying the clouds, because here you get the highest amount of precipitation.
North of Appleby-in-Westmorland, where you reach the picturesque village of Dufton, the Pennine Way national trail leads upwards in a north-easterly direction to reach what must surely be the most impressive place to stand in all of England: High Cup Nick, situated at the head of High Cup Gill. So vast and deep is this valley, that trying to capture it all in a single shot is impossible. Clouds swirl around inside this canyon, with water feeding off the fells at either side.

The Roof of England

Field barn at the side of a track leading away from the Pennine Way shortly after passing the last farmhouse
A herd of sheep followed after me for a good kilometre, until I reached a gate and passed through it, only to be followed by another herd of sheep in the next field
On this part of the Pennine Way trail you get some incredible views across the Eden Valley
Dufton Pike is visible in the distance to the right, soon disappearing altogether from view
Old farm equipment left in a field on the approach to High Cup Gill. Dominant ridges include Murton Pike and Middle Tongue
Mists were rising from High Cup Gill when I encountered these wild horses early in the morning. I counted ten of them altogether, but there may have been more

Following The River Tees

After crossing a footbridge just north of High Cup Plain, I followed Maize Beck all the way across to the River Tees. The two waters meet at Cauldron Snout waterfall. After descending the icy rocks, I followed the river across to Teesdale, calling at Langdon Beck and Middleton-in-Teesdale. The Pennine Way passes a gravel road and some military firing ranges, marked by warning signs. The black grouse is seen and heard for the next few miles. 
Maize Beck flows through some incredibly wet and marshy land
Another small field barn overlooks Cauldron Snout and Falcon Clints in spectacular Upper-Teesdale
Cronkley Scar is the dominant ridge seen from Langdon Beck, where the warm Inn serves food 'til late
High Force, and also Low Force, are the main waterfalls on the River Tees

Returning To High Cup Gill

Langdon Beck at Sunrise on a very cold day
Snowfall at Falcon Clints, after carefully passing over the icy rocks farther down by the river
Another waterfall not too many miles upstream from Cauldron Snout
Clouds filled High Cup Gill near Sunset, and then quickly cleared away
A solitary sheep was grazing along the clifftop which runs all around the edge of High Cup Nick

The land falls away steeply from the edge of High Cup Nick at an elevation of around 600 metres, where the beck emerges farther down the gill and flows in the direction of Appleby in the Eden Valley.

All photographs shot using my Nikon D700. 
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