River Tees

The River Tees [tiːz] is a river in northern England. It rises in Cumbria on the south-eastern slopes of the 893 m high Cross Fell, the highest mountain in the Pennines, and flows into the North Sea after 113 km south-east of Hartlepool. The catchment area is 1834 km².

The uppermost part of the area known as Teesdale consists of extensive moors and is surrounded by numerous peaks, several of which are over 750 metres high. This is followed in quick succession by several waterfalls and a rapid called Cauldron Snout; the water plunges over dolerite and basalt rocks. From a point below these falls to its mouth, the Tees forms the boundary between the traditional counties of Durham and Yorkshire; however, since the 1974 redistricting, the river is almost entirely in County Durham. Below the Cauldron Snout, forests replace the hitherto rather barren landscape.

The first major settlement, more than 20 km from the source, is Middleton-in-Teesdale. Further downstream at Mickleton, the 24.11 km long River Lune joins the Tees on the right. This tributary is not to be confused with the much larger Lune, which drains to the Irish Sea. It is followed by Barnard Castle, Eggleston Abbey and Rokeby Hall, described in poems by Walter Scott. The valley then becomes much wider and flatter, the river meandering through the extensive lowlands south of Darlington.

East of Egglescliffe the course of the river swings to the north-east. It continues between the towns of Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough towards the plains in the area of the estuary, which is dominated by the extensive industrial area of Teesport. It is one of the most important port areas in Britain.

The mouth is flanked by two pier structures reaching out into the sea.

See also

• List of rivers in the United Kingdom