Landmark and author in running for BBC Countryfile Magazine awards

HIGH Force is in the running to be named the nation’s mightiest landmark.

The upper Teesdale waterfall has been shortlisted as one of the finalists in the BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards 2018 following a public vote.

An expert panel then whittled down the nominations to name the 90ft precipice among the top five in the landmark category.

Rachel Makin, from Raby Estates, said the nomination had come as a pleasant surprise and would offer a boost to the whole area.

She added: “If we can drum up some support and get people voting it would be great.

“We were really pleased that people put the time in to nominate us in the first place and we want to do our best to put High Force on the map.”

In the magazine’s nomination, panel judge Mark Rowe said the fall was “very dramatic” and an amazing part of the River Tees.

“It looks just like a high Pennine northern river should do when it’s really in spate and powering along,” he added.

Elsewhere, Bowes artist Andy Beck has also been nominated in the Country Book of the Year category for his Wainwrights in Colour.

The book, which illustrates every one of Alfred Wainwright’s 1509 sketches of the Lakeland fells, has sold more than 7,500 copies and scooped the Great Outdoors magazine’s book of the Year title in 2017.

Mr Beck said: “It’s a different kettle of fish this one.

“I’m very chuffed to get shortlisted as you can imagine – I’m up against four others and, to be honest, I would be really surprised to win.

“It’s a really broad category and one of the books on there I’ve seen on a shelf and thought that’s a beautiful book. It would be brilliant to have Teesdale winning in two categories – it just depends on the votes and if the people of Teesdale get to vote.”

The Teesdale artist will be up against The Lost Words, by Robert Macfarlane, and Jackie Morris, Islander, by Patrick Barkham, The Secret Life of Cows, by Rosamund Young, and Beyond Spring by Matthew Oates.

Meanwhile, High Force is pitted against the Dark Hedges, in County Antrim, the Minack Theatre, in Cornwall, the Callanish Stones on the Isle of Lewis and Denbighshire’s Castell Dinas Bran in its category.

Voting is open until Monday 5 March.

Voters can only cast their ballot once per device but can vote in all the categories. To vote for Mr Beck or High Force, go to: https://goo.gl/

KhhhY8