Spectacular scene as plunging temperatures freeze North East river waterfall

This cascade of icicles, some up to 12 feet long, over a frost-bound riverbank has been found on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

Rambler Colin Anderson, 41, said: "I came round a bend in the river and saw the icicles shining in the early sun. It reminded me of the pipes of a huge cathedral organ."

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This stunning frozen waterfall in County Durham shows just how cold the recent weather has been

Farmers near Sleightholme Beck, close to the Pennine Way, say they witness the phenomenon most winters, though few outsiders ever get see it.

As temperatures drop below zero overnight, moisture seeping down from the steep-sided fells to the streams below freezes into what begins as tiny icicles.

They gradually build up into these mighty razor-sharp stalactites of ice.

As for the cold snap, temperatures for much of England and Wales are expected to rise to 11c or 12c by the second half of the week after another frosty, foggy start today.

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So thick are the columns that they are likely to cling on for a week or two even after the surrounding countryside has thawed again.

Sleightholme Beck, just north of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, is close to the course of the Pennine Way.

Temperatures have dropped to -5C or lower for several nights in succession, creating a particularly spectacular display this year.

Cooler, breezier conditions will spread across Scotland and Northern Ireland with outbreaks of rain.

"The land slopes steeply from the fell and rolls down to the river," said one farmer.

"The water runs off it quite slowly, and when the cold spells come it freezes solid.

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Dog walkers brave the freezing temperatures and navigate their way through the fog of Roundhay park.

"It looks really beautiful, though it's fairly hidden away so it's stayed a bit of a secret of the local farmers.

"There have been some years when they were so thick they last a fortnight after the cold spell before they melted.

"It does look lovely on a morning like this, it's quite a sight to behold."