included lead, silver and copper. Associated minerals are barytes, quartz, fluorspar, calcite, and a host of other compounds. Coal mines and stone quarries are found throughout the North Pennines, and the region was once the world’s greatest producer of lead.
Most of the rock seen by visitors around the North Pennines is Carboniferous. Younger rocks are found outside the region, such as the New Red Sandstone in the Vale of Eden, formed in desert conditions, and the soft Magnesian Limestone in the lower parts of County Durham, formed in a rapidly shrinking sea beside the desert. Apart from being lifted to great heights, the only other notable geological occurrence in the North Pennines was during the last ice age, when the whole region was buried beneath a thick ice sheet for about two million years, completely freeing itself from such conditions only 10,000 years ago.
Walkers who wish to delve more deeply into the geology of the North Pennines could equip themselves with specialised geological maps and textbooks, or explore the region in the company of knowledgeable experts. The North Pennines was designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2015. Look out for ‘Geopark’ leaflets describing geological trails and curiosities. From time to time, guided walks are offered that feature geology, as well as visits to mines.
THE WHIN SILL
Many dramatic landforms around the North Pennines and beyond owe their existence to the Whin Sill. This enormous sheet of dolerite was forced into the limestone bedrock under immense pressure in a molten state around 295 million years ago. As the heat dissipated, the limestone in contact with the dolerite baked until its structure altered, forming the peculiar crystalline ‘sugar limestone’ which breaks down into a soil preferred by many of Teesdale’s wild flowers.
While weathering, the Whin Sill proves more resistant than the limestone, forming dramatic cliffs such as Holwick Scars, Cronkley Scar and Falcon Clints. Where the Whin Sill occurs in the bed of the Tees, its abrupt step creates splendid waterfalls such as Low Force, High Force, Bleabeck Force and Cauldron Snout.
The rock has been quarried throughout this part of Teesdale, generally being crushed and used as durable roadstone. It outcrops from time to time along the East Fellside, most notably at High Cup, where it forms impressive cliffs. Outside the North Pennines, the Whin Sill is prominent as a rugged ridge carrying the highest stretches of Hadrian’s Wall, and it features regularly as low cliffs along the Northumberland coast, including the Farne Islands.
The River Tees displays some of the finest and most powerful waterfalls in England (Walk 25)
Landscape
Many visitors are drawn to the North Pennines to enjoy its extensive and apparently endless moorlands, while others are content to explore the gentler green dales. The scenery is remarkably varied, but the sheer scale of the open moorlands is amazing. Almost 30 per cent of England’s blanket bog is in the North Pennines. It is worth bearing in mind that the moors are entirely man-managed, grazed by sheep in grassy areas and burnt on a rotation basis to favour the growth of heather as food and shelter for red grouse. Left to nature, without sheep grazing and interference by man, most of the moorlands would revert to scrub woodland, with dense forests filling the dales. Open moorlands are splendid places to walk, with due care and attention – more cautious walkers may prefer to stay closer to the dales, within reach of habitation.
The dales of the North Pennines are each quite different in character. Teesdale is famous for its powerful waterfalls, while Weardale offers more to those in search of industrial archaeology. Both dales are lush and green, grazed by sheep, with small woodlands and hedgerows providing varied habitats for wildlife. Forty per cent of England’s upland hay meadows are located in the upper dales. The northern dales are charming, but sparsely settled, except for South Tynedale, which is dominated by the remarkable little town of Alston, clinging to a steep slope.
The East Fellside flank of the North Pennines is awe-inspiring, where the Vale of Eden gives way to a striking line of conical foothills, while the Pennine massif rises steep and unbroken beyond, maybe with its highest parts lost in the clouds.
There are few forested areas in the North Pennines. Apart from the forests at Hamsterley and Slaley, which actually lie outside the AONB boundary, only small blocks of coniferous forest are found. The last remaining ‘wildwoods’ are around Allen Banks and Staward Gorge in the north, though there are many pleasant woodlands tucked away in all the dales.
There are no large lakes in the North Pennines, but there are several big reservoirs, constructed to slake the thirst of distant towns, cities and industries. Apart from Cow Green Reservoir in the heart of the North Pennines, there is a reservoir at the head of Weardale, several around Lunedale and Baldersdale in the south, and the Derwent Reservoir and a couple of smaller reservoirs in the east.
It is quite possible to choose routes in the North Pennines that stay exclusively on high moorlands without a break, day after day, but most of the routes in this guide include more variety. The long-distance Pennine Way passes through some of the highest and wildest parts of the region, but also includes visits to villages and has long stretches that stay low down in the dales.
Mining
There are no longer any working mines in the North Pennines, but some of the old lead-mining sites have been preserved. The remains of former industry are best explored around the dale-heads at Killhope, Allenheads and Nenthead, but there are literally dozens of other interesting sites that are encountered throughout the region. The general rule, when faced with an opening to an old mine, is to keep out. These holes, and the buildings associated with them, are often in a poor state of repair and prone to collapse when disturbed. Only explore in the company of an expert.
Some old mining sites have been transformed into heritage features, such as the Nenthead Mines (Walk 50)
Coal mining developed through the centuries in these hills, with bell pits such as those observed near Tan Hill giving way to deeper shafts and levels. Mines in the North Pennines were small compared to the ‘super pits’ that were later opened to the east in County Durham. Some of the coal had to be used to service the steam engines, including locomotives and static winding engines, working the railways that served some of the larger mining sites.
Weather
Some years ago, the North Pennines briefly featured a holiday experience with a difference, called ‘Blustery Breaks’. The idea was not to moan about the weather, but to capitalise on it, offering visitors a chance to understand why the North Pennines is associated with extreme weather conditions. It all comes down to the fact that the region is consistently high, with very few breaks that moving air masses can exploit. Put simply, all the wind and weather has to go ‘over the top’, which results in rapid cooling, leading to condensation, cloud cover, rainfall, and in the winter months, bitter cold and snowfall. There is a weather station on top of Great Dun Fell, the highest of its type in England, and naturally this has logged record-breaking conditions.
The North Pennines are broad, bleak, remote and at times subject to wet and windy weather (Walk 8)
The broad, bleak moorlands of the North Pennines offer little shelter from extreme weather, so anyone walking in the rain is going to get wet. Anyone walking in mist will find it featureless. Anyone walking in deep snow will find it truly debilitating. It’s important to check the weather forecast then dress accordingly. The extensive moorlands are mostly covered in thick blanket bog, great depths of peat that absorb and hold prodigious quantities of water. Sometimes,
