Waterfalls

Picture

Name

Source for dimension data.

BasaseachicFalls.jpg (68755 bytes) BasaseachicFallsBase.jpg (85574 bytes) Baseseachic Falls, Mexico (245m, 804 feet drop) "Lonely Planet Mexico" (local tourist info claimed this is the second highest waterfall in the world)
Iguazu1.jpg (74510 bytes) Iguazu2.jpg (105606 bytes) Iguazu Falls, at the intersection of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay
Not yet been there Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe  
Not yet been there Angel Falls, Venezuela.  The highest waterfall in the world  
Not yet been there Niagara Falls on the border between Canada and the USA  
Waterfall.jpg (64420 bytes) WaterfallBase.jpg (46201 bytes) Sipi Falls in the foothills of Mount Elgon, Uganda
Dettifoss1.jpg (83387 bytes) Dettifoss2.jpg (67079 bytes) Dettifoss, Europe's most powerfall waterfall, Iceland 

(44m, 144 feet high, 500 cubic metres water per second)

Lonely Planet Iceland, Greenland and Faroe Islands
Hfragilfoss2.jpg (81868 bytes) Skogafoss.jpg (183889 bytes) Seljalandsfoss2.jpg (171602 bytes) Svartifoss.jpg (240243 bytes) Godafoss.jpg (53985 bytes) Gullfoss.jpg (55119 bytes) Other Icelandic waterfalls - Hfragilfoss, Skogafoss, Seljalandsofoss, Svartifoss, Godafoss and Gullfoss
Waterfall.jpg (80845 bytes) Diyaluma Falls, the highest in Sri Lanka dropping 694 feet  

 

Infoplease.com's Highest Waterfalls of the world

All this made me wonder what Britain's highest waterfall was. And England's etc. So I found some stuff and pasted it below. Most of the websites that I originally found this material on have gone; otherwise, they're still listed...

Typically, as in the case for the oldest pub in Britain, there is more than one claim for the highest waterfall. Sometimes, this is due to over-zealous marketing on the part of locals hoping to attract gullible tourists to the area. More often, it is a confusion or an obfuscation over the definition of highest waterfall. For instance, should the highest waterfall form a single drop or do we allow the waterfall to fall over one or more levels? Could we, in fact, count a whole cascade of several drops as a single waterfall? As a result the location of the highest waterfall in England is a bit of a minefield but I have attempted to get to the bottom of it below.

 

Highest Waterfall in Scotland and Britain

http://www.dumfries-and-galloway.co.uk/sights/towns.htm
http://www.aboutscotland.com/water/gmt.html

 

Grey Mares Tail, 200 feet

Scotland’s highest waterfall, Grey Mares Tail [Ed. This appears to be a false claim]

Grey Mare's Tail Adjacent to A708, 10m NE of Moffat A spectacular 61 m (200 ft)

in a hillside near Moffat.

http://www.kyleskulodges.co.uk Eas a'Chual Aluinn Eas a'Chual Aluinn, the highest waterfall in Britain. Photograph taken from the Statesman.
 

Eas Coul Aulin

300 feet

Eas Coul Aulin Height: 300 ft Distance: 5 miles Difficulty: Moderate. Total Time: Allow about 2 hours. Navigation: This is a stalkers' path, so it is well-walked though rough. This is a walk on stalkers' paths into a remote part of Sutherland to see Britain's highest waterfall. Unfortunately, in dry weather the waterfall can be disappointing, and in wet weather the lower paths near the head of the waterfall can be extremely muddy and wet. Drive north from Ullapool on the road to Kylesku, passing Ardvreck Castle and Loch Assynt. As the road swings round to the right and then straightens, a lochan appears on your right-hand side. Park just beyond the lochan on the right-hand side of the road where there a small parking area. From here the path goes in two directions - the first heads straight ahead, crossing the stream by stepping stones, while the other path follows a fishermen's path round the lochan to pick up the main path. Take either path and pick up the main path as it climbs up above the lochan to a summit, then descends gradually through wild and remote countryside to the river. From here the path follows the river until it becomes the waterfall and you stand at the head of the waterfall, overlooking Loch Glencoul and facing another waterfall across the glen. To get good views of the waterfall itself, you either need to climb down the side of the waterfall or take a boat trip from Kylesku up Loch Glencoul.
http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/caithnes.htm Eas a'Chual Aluinn, KYLESKU Continuing south on the A838, you will see the many islands dotted in Eddrachillis Bay and then pass through the Duartmore Forest. Towered over by the mountains, the new bridge at Kylesku replaces an old ferry at this point. Boat trips leave at 11am and 2pm during the summer to take you up Loch Glencoul to see Eas a'Chual Aluinn, the highest waterfall in Britain (nearly 200 metres). Alternatively you can hike to see it - but at two hours' walk over rough terrain to get there, this is really only for the experienced hiker. Even if you have missed the boat, it is still worth following the signs from the main road to go down to the pier where there is a hotel and public toilets. You can get a nice view up Loch Glendhu.

 

Highest Waterfall in Wales

Pistyll Rhaeadr

240 feet

Pistyll Rhaeadr, near Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant, has become the 1000th Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wales. The Countryside Council for Wales notified the spectacular waterfall for its particular geomorphological importance. . The 240 foot high waterfall is the highest in Wales and marks an abrupt change from an upland mountain torrent flowing through boulders and peat, to a lowland meandering stream. The falls show spectacular plunge pools and a natural arch, a product of its different rock types and structure. Above Pistyll Rhaeadr the river is known as Afon Disgynfa and below as Afon Rhaeadr.

 

Highest Waterfall in England

It is unfortunate that the highest waterfall in England is actually underground where it can't really be seen. For those wanting to visit a dramatic, classic waterfall, I would suggest Hardraw Force is your best bet. No-one would dispute that this is a waterfall and it's certainly the highest straight-down job.

Waterfall Various Quotes and my comments My Conclusion

Canonteign Falls

220 feet

Canonteign is a joy to visit in any season, with its waterfalls, lakes and abundant wildlife. This is Devon at its best - wild and beautiful, unspoilt by the passing of time. Lady Exmouth Falls is England's highest waterfall with a sheer drop of 220 ft. Clampitt Falls and Secret Garden Falls must also be seen.

Richard Bannister, 2002: I went to Canonteign falls with high expectations but they're a bit of a sham: a small stream has been > diverted over a 70 degree cliff, there is even a metal sill to take the flow a couple of feet clear and give it some freefall. It then bounces down merrily but can hardly be 220 feet.

Brian Hudson. Brisbane, Australia, 2004: I was interested in your waterfalls findings, especially the information about Canonteign. I always suspected that this was not a natural fall.

 
Scale Force, Lake District Richard Bannister: Much better claims (and truly vertical) come from Scale Force in the Lake District, around 100 feet sheer. [Ed. In fact it has a single drop of 120 feet and a couple of others making a total of 170 feet high. However, the single drop is not sheer and is more of a "tumble"] The highest waterfall in England, above ground.
Hardraw Force, N. Yorkshire Richard Bannister: and, the pick of them all in England, Hawdraw force in N.Yorkshire, around 100 feet sheer. [Ed. this is the highest single drop in England that is above ground...] The highest sheer waterfall in England, above ground.
Cauldron Snout

Cauldron Snout on the Tees gets the Guiness Book's vote, it descends 150 feet but covers probably twice that distance horizontally between falls.

Wikipedia reckons it is the "longest waterfall" in England which is a quite different record, methinks. This should immediately raise an eyebrow and indeed, if the pictures are studies, it can be seen that Cauldron Snout is better described as a Cascade, rather than a waterfall.

 
Cautley Spout Wikipedia reckons this is the highest waterfall in England viz: (2008) "The broken cascade of falls tumbles 580 feet (175 m) down a cliff face at the head of a wild and bleak glacial valley that comes down from a high plateau called The Calf". [Ed. Personally, I don't count this as a waterfall. It is a record holder but it would be better to call it the highest cascade in England".. The highest cascade in England.
Malham Cove

Richard Bannister: Very rarely and in heavy rain , Malham Cove in Yorkshire takes the biscuit with a superb vertical 300 footer.

[Ed: This is a bit of a cheat. Malham Cove can not really be described as a waterfall - at least not in this geological age...].

 
Gaping Ghyll Brian Hudson. Brisbane, Australia, 2004: I believe that the highest unbroken waterfall in England is that which is formed by the stream which drops vertically into Gaping Ghyll, a pot-hole near Ingleton in the Yorkshire Dales. [Ed. Yes from all references found, this is the biggest single drop waterfall in England]. The highest waterfall in England.

 


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