Flushiemere Beck Waterfall

Parking and Access

Parking for this walk is at Bowlees Visitor Centre, where there is a large donation based pay and display car park.

The car park is one of the main access points for Upper Teesdale and is well maintained, with plenty of space even during busier periods.

Bowlees Visitor Centre has toilets and a café serving hot drinks, food and cakes, making it a great place to start or finish your walk.

From the car park, you are only a short walk from the woodland paths, Bow Lee Beck and several routes leading out into the surrounding landscape.

Bowlees is one of the most popular and reliable places to park for walks and waterfalls in this part of Teesdale.

Route Guide Step by Step

Start at Bowlees Visitor Centre car park, one of the best starting points for short walks in Upper Teesdale.

From the top of the car park, cross the wooden bridge over Bow Lee Beck and head up the steps towards the visitor centre. Just after the top of the steps, before you reach the building, look to your right and you will see a large wooden gate.

Go through the gate and follow the path into Bowlees Woods. This is a really peaceful section straight away, an easy path through the trees where you can just slow down and take it in.

Stay on this path through Bowlees Plantation until you reach a stone stile on your left. Cross the stile and you will step out into wide open Teesdale views.

Once over the stile, turn right and follow the wall along the field. After a short distance, you will notice a faint line in the grass leading downhill towards Wester Beck. It is not a proper path, but you can usually see where others have walked.

Follow this line down carefully. It is an easy descent, but take your time as the ground can be uneven and a bit slippery.

As you head down, you will start to see small cascades on Wester Beck below you.

At the bottom, you will need to cross Wester Beck. It is not wide, so pick a place that feels right on the day. One option is near the tree with a large branch stretching over the water. You can hold onto the branch and step across the stones, which makes it a bit easier. Water levels can change quickly after rain, so take your time and do not cross if it feels unsafe.

Once across, head over the small rise in front of you and you will see Flushiemere Beck just beyond.

From here, you are greeted by Flushiemere Waterfall, tucked away with a lovely rocky backdrop behind it. It feels really quiet here, like a place most people never reach.

If you carry on a couple of minutes upstream, there is another small waterfall hidden away behind the main one, well worth a quick look.

There are no signs, no barriers, just open Teesdale and the sound of water. It really does feel untouched.

When you are ready, just follow the same route back the way you came.

What You’ll See

This short walk from Bowlees Visitor Centre includes woodland paths, open Teesdale views, small cascades and a hidden waterfall on Flushiemere Beck.

Why Flushiemere Waterfall Feels Different

Flushiemere Waterfall is easy to miss, and that is exactly why it feels so special.

While most people visiting Bowlees head towards Summerhill Force, Low Force or High Force, very few continue out into the fields above the woodland to find this quiet stretch of beck.

There are no signs pointing the way, no built paths leading you in, and no crowds waiting when you arrive. Just open Teesdale, the sound of water, and a small waterfall tucked into the landscape.

It is not about size or drama here. It is about the feeling of finding somewhere on your own, even in one of the most visited parts of Upper Teesdale.

This is a quieter side of Teesdale that many people walk straight past without ever knowing it is there.

Is This Walk Right for You

This is a short walk from Bowlees Visitor Centre, but it feels more natural and less managed than the main routes to Low Force or High Force.

The woodland section is easy to follow, but once you leave the trees the route becomes less defined. You will be walking across open fields, following a faint grassy line, descending a slope and crossing a small beck.

There are no signposts to the waterfall and no barriers around the water, so you need to be comfortable finding your way and taking your time.

It is suitable for older children with care, especially near the slope and the beck crossing. Dogs are welcome but should be kept on a lead around livestock and near the water.

This is not a difficult walk, but it is one where slowing down, looking ahead and being aware of the ground under your feet makes all the difference.

A Moment of Calm

This is not a walk to rush.

It starts close to one of the busiest visitor spots in Teesdale, but within a short distance everything begins to change. The woodland softens the noise, the open fields widen the view, and by the time you reach the beck, it feels quiet and undisturbed.

At Flushiemere Waterfall, there is no viewpoint, no barrier, no sign to tell you where to stand. Just water moving over rock and the sound of the valley around you.

Take a moment to sit beside the beck. Listen to the water, the breeze moving through the grass, and the stillness of the landscape.

It is a simple place, but one that feels real.

The kind of place you do not just visit, but remember.

Explore More from Bowlees

Bowlees is one of the best starting points for exploring Upper Teesdale.

From here, you can visit Low Force and Wynch Bridge, continue along the river to High Force, or follow woodland paths to Summerhill Force and Gibson’s Cave.

If you want something quieter, walks like this one lead out into the fields and becks above Bowlees, where fewer people go.

The former Bowlees Quarry is also just a short walk from the car park and shows another side of the landscape.

Each route starts in the same place, but they all feel completely different once you set off.