Top Waterfalls Day Trips from Newcastle
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Waterfalls Day Trips from Newcastle include Leehouse Linn, Hareshaw Linn Waterfall, Summerhill Force, Low Force Waterfall, High Force Waterfall, Bleabeck Force, Jerry's Linn and Ashgill Force.
Newcastle makes an excellent base for waterfall hunting, with two very different landscapes within a day's reach. Strike out northwest into Northumberland and you enter quiet forest and moor: Leehouse Linn hides in the trees near Elsdon, while above Bellingham the burn at Hareshaw Linn drops into a mossy hollow, and deeper in Wark Forest the obscure Jerry's Linn slips into its pool.
Head southwest instead, into Upper Teesdale and the North Pennines, and the falls come thick and fast. Around Bowlees you will find Summerhill Force in its wooded glade, the broad cascades of Low Force, and the thundering drop of High Force, one of England's mightiest by volume.
Walk a little beyond and Bleabeck Force offers a gentler, quieter scene. Further south again, near Alston, Ashgill Force lets you stand behind the falling water.
From hard-won forest linns to roaring Pennine giants, there is something here for every taste and every kind of weather. Here are eight waterfalls for a day trip from Newcastle.
Leehouse Linn
Photo: Andrew Curtis via Geograph.org.uk
Leehouse Linn Hidden in forestry near Elsdon, on the edge of Northumberland National Park, Leehouse Linn is a small fall that takes a little finding. There are no signs: from a forest road you follow the watercourse and, at a fork, keep to the right-hand branch for a couple of hundred metres until the fall appears in a small clearing.
Further up the same burn lies a second cascade, Smiddy Linn, for those who want to explore on. There are no facilities here, and the woodland tracks can turn boggy underfoot, so bring boots.
Around forty minutes' drive northwest of Newcastle, it rewards walkers who enjoy a quiet, off-map ramble.
Hareshaw Linn Waterfall
Photo: Andrew Curtis via Geograph.org.uk
Hareshaw Linn Waterfall At the head of a wooded valley above Bellingham, Hareshaw Linn sees its burn drop around thirty feet into a rocky, enclosed hollow. Getting there is half the pleasure: the path follows the burn up the valley from the town, crossing it on a series of six footbridges as it winds through old woodland.
These damp woods are rich in mosses, ferns and lichens, and you may spot red squirrels among the trees or dippers working the water. It is an out-and-back walk of a few miles to the falls and back.
Roughly fifty minutes' drive northwest of Newcastle, it makes a splendid half-day in Northumberland.
Summerhill Force
Photo: G Laird via Geograph.org.uk
Summerhill Force In a wooded glade near Bowlees in Upper Teesdale, Summerhill Force spills over a rock lip into a pool at a spot known as Gibson's Cave. The cave is not a true cavern but a hollow worn back under the overhanging rock behind the falling water, so you can stand in the recess and look out through it.
A woodland path of about three-quarters of a mile leads to it from the Bowlees visitor centre. Local tradition holds that a sixteenth-century outlaw named Gibson once sheltered in the hollow.
About an hour's drive southwest of Newcastle, it is one of Teesdale's most atmospheric little falls.
Low Force Waterfall
Photo: William Metcalfe via Geograph.org.uk
Low Force Waterfall A short way downstream of the taller High Force, Low Force is a set of low cascades on the River Tees. The water tumbles over rock ledges into wide pools, with the Wynch Bridge, a chain suspension footbridge, crossing just below; the present bridge dates from 1830.
The Pennine Way runs along the river here, and the falls are reached on a footpath from the nearby Bowlees visitor centre. The drop is around five and a half metres, and the pools beneath draw cold-water swimmers on milder days.
Set roughly an hour southwest of Newcastle, Low Force pairs perfectly with a walk on to its bigger neighbour.
High Force Waterfall
Photo: Steve Daniels via Geograph.org.uk
High Force Waterfall High Force is the giant of Upper Teesdale, where the River Tees drops around seventy feet in a single leap over a band of hard, dark dolerite. Measured by the sheer volume of water pouring over in spate, it ranks among the biggest falls in England, even if it is not the tallest.
A paid woodland path on the north bank leads down to a viewpoint facing the fall, while a free but longer route runs along the south bank by the Pennine Way. Below, the water thunders into a deep pool at the foot of the cliff.
Around an hour southwest of Newcastle, it is an unmissable centrepiece for any Teesdale day out.
Bleabeck Force
Photo: Karl and Ali via Geograph.org.uk
Bleabeck Force Just upstream of the mighty High Force, Bleabeck Force offers a gentler contrast on Blea Beck. Where its neighbour thunders, this fall slides and steps down over rock ledges in a run of small cascades, close to where the beck joins the River Tees.
Most visitors stop at High Force and turn back, so this quieter fall a little further on stays peaceful. You reach it on the riverside walk up from Bowlees, over fields and along rocky paths beside the Tees, with the open moors of the high Pennines rising all around.
In winter it can freeze into sheets and columns of ice. It sits about an hour southwest of Newcastle.
Jerry's Linn
Photo: Les Hull via Geograph.org.uk
Jerry's Linn Deep in Wark Forest near Bellingham, Jerry's Linn is a small fall on the Chirdon Burn. The burn drops into a pool among conifer plantation, a few miles' walk from the nearest parking on the edge of the forest.
This is a genuinely obscure spot, little written about and rarely visited, wrapped in quiet forest country on all sides. It suits walkers who like their falls hard-won and their surroundings free of crowds.
Around an hour northwest of Newcastle, it is best paired with a longer forest ramble, since the walk in is a fair part of the day rather than a quick stroll from the car.
Ashgill Force
Photo: Mike Quinn via Geograph.org.uk
Ashgill Force In the high country of the North Pennines near Garrigill, above Alston, Ashgill Force drops around seventeen metres over a wide rock shelf. Its finest feature is the ledge behind the water: the fall pours clear of an overhang, so you can stand in the space behind it and gaze out through the curtain of water.
Below, Ashgill Beck carries on in smaller cascades, crossed by a wooden footbridge, with a road bridge just above the main fall. The setting is open moorland, dotted with the ruins of old lead mines.
A short walk in from the road brings you to it, far quieter than the bigger Pennine falls.
FAQs
How far are these waterfalls from Newcastle?
They lie roughly 40 to 54 kilometres from Newcastle, about an hour or so by car. Leehouse Linn near Elsdon is the closest, while Ashgill Force above Alston sits at the far end in the North Pennines.
Which waterfall is the most impressive?
For sheer power, High Force on the River Tees in Upper Teesdale is hard to beat, ranking among England's biggest falls by volume. It lies about an hour southwest of Newcastle near the Bowlees visitor centre.
Can I walk behind any of the falls?
Yes. At Ashgill Force near Garrigill, above Alston, the water pours clear of an overhang, so you can stand on the ledge behind it and look out through the curtain of water.
Conclusion
Whether you fancy a gentle woodland stroll or a bracing walk across open moor, this run of falls covers every mood. The Teesdale trio of Low Force, High Force and Bleabeck Force can be strung together on a single riverside walk, while the Northumberland linns near Bellingham and Elsdon reward those who enjoy a quieter, more solitary outing.
After heavy rain the bigger falls roar their loudest, and in a hard winter Bleabeck Force and Ashgill Force can freeze into columns of ice. Wear sturdy boots, allow time for the walks in, and check whether you need change for the paid path at High Force.
From forest hollows to thundering Pennine drops, these are the waterfalls for a day trip from Newcastle.
