Rutter Force

Rutter Force is a horseshoe-shaped waterfall on Hoff Beck in Cumbria, near the boundary with Ormside parish. The beck flows into the River Eden and lies just outside the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Nearby stands Rutter Mill, a former watermill, and a shallow ford where the beck can be crossed. The landscape here is typical of the Eden Valley, with rolling fields and stone walls. The falls are only two miles south of Appleby-in-Westmorland, making them an easy walk or short drive from the town. A footpath follows the last stretch of the Dales High Way, a long-distance route from Saltaire to Appleby. The route ends at the ford, where a bridge allows dry passage across the beck. Parking is available close by for those arriving by car. Rutter Mill dates back to 1579, when it ground corn using water from the falls. Later it became a bobbin mill and then a sawmill after corn milling declined. Between 1928 and 1952, a turbine here supplied electricity to Great Asby village. The original waterwheel was removed in 1940 but replaced with a replica in 1991. Today the mill provides holiday accommodation for visitors.