Where there is a town or a village and a river there is, usually, a bridge.
Middlesbrough is famous around the world for its Transporter Bridge and lesser known but equally impressive Newport Lifting Bridge, built from the same Dorman Long steel that built the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tyne Bridge. Stockton also has an impressive three river bridges over the Tees, including photographers’ favourite Infinity Bridge and the Teesquay Millennium Footbridge that bounces dramatically in the wind and connects Thornaby, the myriad of canals and wet docks that make up Stockton Riverside and the town itself.
But travel further up-river into the villages and the Tees Valley boasts a number of hidden gems. Yarm is a playground for the young and ambitious where you might spot former Middlesbrough footballers enjoying a Saturday night out. With its picturesque viaduct stretching nearly 700m through the small town and consisting of 43 red brick arches, the river bridge dates from the 15th Century and once boasted a drawbridge during the Civil War to keep rival factions from Stockton and Yarm apart.
In fact, the River Tees used to be the natural divide between the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira and, until the 12th Century, England and Scotland, It was also the traditional border between Durham and Yorkshire, which gives the villages and bridges along it increased historical value; you can’t help but imagine the events they have witnessed over the years.
Heading further inland, beautiful Low Worsall has no through-road so you would normally have no other reason to even know it was there. Luxury old cottages are dotted around a sprawling tree-sprung village green while the village boasts the last of the river’s historic weirs. At Hurworth, a private farm bridge adds an unusual and timeless authenticity and a slightly intimidating iron sign warns ‘no bills allowed’ on the stone walls.
Low and Over Dinsdale are connected by a stunning one-lane high level brick and metal bridge near Girsby, which has to be walked across to appreciate fully, and for the more adventurous there are fords about a mile either side at river level. The villages themselves offer more quaint picture-postcard scenes and are as yet unspoiled by new developments, with stunning tree-lined and unmarked roads as we head into Lewis Carroll territory. So, by the time you get to the village of Croft with its village church with a stone carving inside that inspired the author’s famous Cheshire Cat (Carroll lived in the large rectory from 1843-1851 before moving to Oxford to study and reputedly wrote the first verse of Jabberwocky while living there), the hustle and modernity of the towns at the North Sea end are long forgotten. Croft is also known for its motor racing circuit which holds British Touring Car and Rallycross meeting as well as a number of public trackdays.
Low Force at Bowlees is perhaps even more impressive than its better known near-neighbour High Force (the 29m high waterfall at Forest-in-Teesdale is a big hit with visitors to the area and its cute honesty box at the top of the falls path perpetuates its charm), and its 200 year-old Wynch Bridge made of cast iron Tuscan-style columns with wrought iron cables and a wooden deck is one of the Tees’ better known but unique little walkways; a sign warns only one person at a time should cross it. The bridge is also a vital connection for walkers between the Pennine Way and High Force itself, while parts of this section of river were used to film scenes in the Oscar-winning film 1917.
Flowing 85 miles eastwards from its source at Cross Fell in the Pennines before reaching the sea at Hartlepool and Redcar, the River Tees is arguably the backbone of the whole of the Tees Valley and the bridges the vertebrae that connect the region. The villages offer a great excuse to get off the beaten track and discover some of the region’s best kept secrets.
Get a copy of the Tees Valley Guide for tips on days out, activities, attractions, food and drink and much more across the region