The Upper Course

In the upper course, valleys are steep sided with thin soils. The climate is cool with heavy rain. The main types of land use consist of the following:

• Farmland in the form of sheep farming - it is too steep, cold and wet  for other types of farming.

• Reservoirs - As the valleys are narrow and steep sided they make excellent locations - Rainfall levels are high, evaporation rates are low and few people are affected by the building of the reservoir

• Coniferous plantations - These can grow in these conditions and are able to raise income for land owners

The Middle Course

Here the valley is wider and more gently sloping. The climate is warmer, less wet and the soil is more fertile This results in the following changes in land use:

• Farming is more likely to be pastoral farming in the form of milk production and arable farming as machines can be used more easily on the land

• Settlements and transport links are more in evidence as the land is flatter and more easier to build on. A good example is Yarm which can be seen opposite

The Lower Course

The lower course consists of very wide open valleys which are very flat. The soil is very fertile and it is a lot warmer than in the upper course. This has affected land use and now consists of:

• Large towns such as Stockton and Middlesbrough now cover much of the land

• Large industrial areas consisting of chemicals, ship-building, iron & steel and engineering have set up.

• Teeside has become a major port for many of the raw materials used in the industries

• Transport has been developed on the cheap and easy to build on land