Top 10 Waterfalls in England
England is not mountainous by Alpine standards, but its uplands — the Pennines, the Lake District fells, the limestone dales of Yorkshire — collect enough rain to feed waterfalls of real character. Most are modest in height but beautifully set among woodland, crag, and pasture, and nearly all are reached by short, well-marked walks. Like Ireland's, they are rain-fed and run fullest after wet weather rather than in a melt season. The selection below spans the north and the Peak District. All ten are on the map.
1. High Force, County Durham
High Force on the River Tees in Teesdale is one of England's most powerful waterfalls, where the whole river drops about 21 metres over a step of the Whin Sill — a hard dolerite intrusion — into a deep plunge pool. A short woodland path from the car park reaches the viewing area. It runs year round and is at its most thunderous after heavy rain on the Pennines.
2. Aira Force, Cumbria
Aira Force in the Lake District drops about 20 metres through a wooded ravine into a rocky gorge above Ullswater, with a stone footbridge spanning the top of the fall. Owned by the National Trust, it sits in landscaped Victorian parkland of mature trees. A network of paths reaches viewpoints above and below. Fullest after rain; a classic Lakeland outing.
3. Malham Cove and Janet's Foss, Yorkshire
Near Malham in the Yorkshire Dales, Janet's Foss is a charming small fall where Gordale Beck drops over a tufa screen into a pool, set in woodland on the popular walk that also takes in Malham Cove and Gordale Scar. The tufa — limestone deposited by the mineral-rich water — gives the fall its mossy green lip. Easy and rewarding in any season.
4. Hardraw Force, Yorkshire
Hardraw Force near Hawes in Wensleydale is England's highest unbroken single drop above ground, where Hardraw Beck plunges about 30 metres over an overhanging limestone lip. It is reached through the grounds of the Green Dragon Inn. Because of the overhang, visitors can walk behind the falling water. Fullest after rain on the Dales.
5. Scale Force, Cumbria
Scale Force is the tallest waterfall in the Lake District, dropping about 52 metres in a narrow cleft in the fellside near Crummock Water. It is more remote than Aira Force, reached by a longer walk across open fell, which keeps it quiet. The single thread of water in a mossy ravine is at its best after rain.
6. Cautley Spout, Cumbria
Cautley Spout in the Howgill Fells is one of England's highest cascade falls, where Red Gill Beck drops about 180 metres in a series of cascades down a steep fellside above the Rawthey valley. A path from the road follows the valley to the base, and a steep route climbs alongside. Fullest after rain; the open fell setting is wild and dramatic.
7. Stanley Force, Cumbria
Stanley Force (Stanley Ghyll Force) in Eskdale drops about 18 metres in a deep, fern-clad ravine known for its rich vegetation and rhododendrons. A woodland path with footbridges follows the ghyll to a viewing point. The narrow gorge keeps it shaded and lush. It runs year round and is fullest after rain in the western Lakes.
8. Kinder Downfall, Derbyshire
Kinder Downfall on the Kinder Scout plateau in the Peak District drops about 30 metres off the gritstone edge — the highest fall in the Peak. In strong west winds the water is famously blown back up over the plateau as spray, sometimes drenching walkers on the Pennine Way. Reached by an uphill walk; most dramatic in wet, windy weather.
9. Lodore Falls, Cumbria
Lodore Falls near Derwentwater drops through a wooded ravine in a series of cascades over boulders, celebrated by the poet Robert Southey in his playful verse The Cataract of Lodore. It is reached by a short walk near the Lodore Falls Hotel. Modest in dry spells, it becomes a roaring torrent after rain on the surrounding fells.
10. Thornton Force, Yorkshire
Thornton Force near Ingleton in the Yorkshire Dales drops about 14 metres over a limestone lip, part of the famous Ingleton Waterfalls Trail — a circular walk linking a string of falls along the Twiss and Doe rivers. The trail is one of the most popular waterfall walks in England. Fullest after rain; the geology of the lip is a noted teaching site.
Planning an England waterfall trip
The Lake District holds the densest cluster — Aira Force, Scale Force, Stanley Force, and Lodore can be combined over a few days. The Yorkshire Dales offer the Ingleton trail, Hardraw, and Janet's Foss. Teesdale (High Force) and the Peak District (Kinder Downfall) are destinations in their own right. As these falls are rain-fed, autumn and winter, and the days after heavy rain in any season, bring the strongest flow; high summer can see the smaller falls reduced to a trickle.
Walk-behind and wind-blown falls
Two of England's falls offer experiences beyond simply viewing a drop. At Hardraw Force, the overhanging lip lets you walk behind the curtain and look out through the falling water — a rare feature in England. At Kinder Downfall and Cautley Spout, strong westerly winds can lift the falling water and blow it back uphill, so that the fall appears to run upward. These wind-blown displays are unpredictable but unforgettable, and they make a wild, blustery day on the moor a better bet for drama than calm sunshine. Check the forecast and dress for the weather.
Explore on the map
Every waterfall above is plotted on the interactive map — filter to plan a Lake District tour, the Ingleton trail in the Yorkshire Dales, or a visit to High Force and Kinder Downfall.