A riverside hike from wild Pennines to the North Sea — Teesdale Way

The Teesdale Way is a long-distance hike that follows the River Tees from the Cumbrian Pennines to the North Sea. The much-contrasting route celebrates breathtaking natural landscapes, historical sites and engineering heritage.

Starting from Dufton, the trail follows the Pennine Way National Trail over rugged upland and into pastoral countryside to Middleton-in-Teesdale. Here, the Way becomes its own and follows the widening Tees to Barnard Castle, around Darlington, past Yarm, and on through Stockton and Middlesbrough to finish on the golden sands of Redcar Seafront.

The official route is 92 miles (148 km). However, with a few detours to some awesome sites, as well as the extension to finish on the coast, this Collection totals 95 miles (153 km).

Stage 1 is the most challenging of the itinerary as it crosses remote upland terrain with little in the way of shelter and civilisation. Preparation is essential for this stage; make sure you have adequate clothing for the conditions, navigational aids, a first aid kit, torch, and enough food and water. From this point, things become much easier as the trail winds through gentle lowland dotted with villages and small towns. The final section takes you through an urban landscape where facilities are abundant.

The River Tees forms the boundary between the ceremonial counties of County Durham and North Yorkshire before it flows through the industrial landscape of Teesside. As such, you step in and out of the counties with every river crossing.

Highlights along the Way include: High Cup Nick, the best example of a glaciated u-shaped valley in Northern England; Cauldron Snout, a rocky ravine through which the infant Tees spectacularly flows; High Force, one of the tallest and most impressive waterfalls in England; Low Force, a beautiful series of cascades on the Tees; Barnard Castle, a mighty 12th-century fortress; Egglestone Abbey, a spectacular 12th-century ruin; Piercebridge Roman Bridge; Yarm bridges; and Tees Transporter Bridge, the longest of its kind in the world and an iconic symbol of Teesside's engineering heritage.

In this Collection, I’ve split the route into seven stages, averaging 14 miles (23 km). As stage 5 is above average distance, I suggest how you can split the hike. Of course, you can divide the Collection into as many days as you are comfortable with or walk any single stage. Public transport links are not great on the first couple of stages (pick-ups may be needed if you want to divide stages) but this improves as you progress.

Aside from a tough start, the walking is fairly leisurely throughout. Anyone with average fitness and ability will find this trail manageable.

The choice of which direction to walk is entirely yours. In this Collection, I opt for west to east as it follows the river downhill, with prevailing winds, to finish on the coast. It works perfectly well the opposite direction — especially if you are looking to challenge yourself — and has the added bonus of getting the industrial part out of the way first. East to west also means rising into an increasingly wild landscape for an epic finish on High Cup Nick.

Each stage in this Collection finishes near accommodation. However, places to stay are not always abundant so it is worth planning in advance and booking ahead. Places for food and drink are plentiful en route.

Getting to the start of the trail in Dufton via public transport is not easy. The nearest train station is Appleby-in-Westmorland, which is served by direct trains from Carlisle. From Appleby, you can either walk 3.8 miles (6.1 km) to Dufton (you can do this via footpaths through pleasant countryside) or arrange a taxi. Things are much easier at the end in Redcar, which has a train station and good bus links.

As previously mentioned, the first part of the Teesdale Way follows the Pennine Way National Trail. To see a Collection on the Pennine Way, click here: komoot.com/collection/887503. From Middlesbrough Dock, the waymarked Tees Link provides a connection to the Cleveland Way National Trail. To see a Collection on the Cleveland Way, click here: komoot.com/collection/888432.