High praise for regional beauty spot on walk list
HE’S the man responsible for hits like Together Forever, Whenever You Need Somebody, When I Fall in Love and Never Gonna Give You Up – now Rick Astley has announced not one but TWO shows on Tyneside for this year. In a career spanning over 30 years, Rick Astley has sold more than 40 million records worldwide. He’s got three platinum albums under his belt and his classic 80s hit Never Gonna Give You Up has topped 140 million streams on Spotify alone. The singer is always a big draw when he plays in the North East and will play Sage Gateshead on Monday, October 29, and Tuesday, October 30, on a tour in support of new album Beautiful Life. Released in July, Beautiful Life will include the Chic flavoured title track, the evocative Rise Up, the insanely catchy Try and the warm childhood memories of The Good Old Days. General sale for tickets will start on Friday from the Sage box office and online from the Sage website. Tickets can also be bought from tomorrow if you order Beautiful Life from the artist’s official store. ONE of the North East’s favourite beauty spots has been named among Britain’s top 10 favourite walks.
Teesdale and High Force has made the list drawn up by outdoor specialist Blacks which highlights the beauty of the area which can be enjoyed by families out for a stroll.
It features Teesdale Waterfall Walk in its top 10, calling it “enchanting” and promising those who undertake it “you won’t be disappointed”.
The list was drawn up by Blacks in collaboration with OS GetOutside Champions from across the UK to mark National Walking Month in May.
County Durham features at number eight and the description outlines a easy-rated 5.4 mile walk which begins at Bowlees Visitor Centre near Middleton-inTeesdale where it cites ample parking and a café for post-walk refreshments.
It suggests beginning with a slight detour north, to Gibson’s Cave and Summerhill Force, to see the first waterfall of the day before outlining a route which involves heading back along the same path then following signs for the Pennine Way.
Upcoming highlights of the route include Wynch bridge, which crosses the River Tees above Low Force waterfalls, and breathtaking views of the North Pennine hills which walkers will see as they turn right onto the Pennine Way-marked footpath and follow the course of the river.
The description adds: “After leaving Low Force, the river slows a little and you can enjoy the peace and quiet before the approach to High Force.”
Walkers will then hear the roar of the well-known waterfall before they see what is referred to as “without doubt the highlight of this walk”.
It adds: “The waterfall in full flow is an amazing display of nature’s sheer power, as it falls 21 metres into the plunge pool below.
“The rock formation here is a marvel too: a hard rock called Dolerite – known locally as Whinstone Whin sill – was formed 295m years ago as molten lava rose from the earth’s core.”
Walkers are urged not to then head back but to check out “one more jewel in the crown of this walk”.
This is revealed as Bleabeck Force, another waterfall – a further 500 metres along the Pennine Way – which it says is often overlooked in favour of its bigger rivals. But it signals out this “beautiful” spot as a perfect place for a peaceful picnic lunch.
Afterwards walkers can simply retrace the route back to the visitor centre, it adds.
The trip is summed up as “a great walk for all ages with a relatively easy footpath all the way along the course of the river”.
The other nine walks on the national list are Worcestershire Way in the West Midlands, Old Winchester Hill in the South East, Hole of Horcum in Yorkshire, Crib Goch in Wales, Peaks in The Pentlands in Scotland, Constable Country Walk in the East, Water Railway in the East Midlands, Glenridding Dodd in the North West, and St Michael’s Way in the South West.
A Blacks spokesperson said: “We want to encourage Brits to put on their walking shoes and embrace the great outdoors. The UK has an abundance of beautiful places for the whole family to get out and explore.
“North East England offers some of the most stunning and naturally beautiful sights, and we particularly recommend a day out to the River Tees.”
BARBARA HODGSON