Steel River (walking the River Tees)

Steel River is a book by an author who makes the epic journey along the River Tees in north east England, from the industrial complexes near its estuary, to its source high in the Pennine Hills.

Out walking? Follow the Countryside Code to keep all creatures safe. Keep dogs away from steep banks, mushrooms (and other toxic plants/trees) and on leads during nesting season (and near barnyard friends and wild ponies).

At the coast, keep away from nesting birds and never walk on sand dunes. Learn how to keep dogs safe by the seaside (check beach bans before travel).

The Tees estuary is where the author’s life-long passion for nature was born. As he travels the length of the 80-mile river, he uses his years of travelling the world and making documentary nature films, to place the fauna an fauna he encounters along the Tees, in a wider context.

Weaving together personal experience with botany, geology and history, it’s also an account of the impact that human history and agriculture has had on the Tees and its valley. It’s also an example of environmental degradation, with prescriptions to heal the broken state of the world, after 10,000 years of human activity.

The north-east has long been a place of proud history. Beneath the sweat and grime however, the region’s biodiversity has taken a battering for generations. In this book, the author examines whether nature can ever truly heal and regeneration. Sally Coulthard

About the author

Steve Nicholls is a TV documentary maker and director based in Bristol, who holds a PhD in dragonflies and is a  Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society. He has spent 30 years making wildlife films, including 10 with BBC Natural History Unit.