Northern England – Cross Fell, Cumbria
Distance: 24km/15 miles
Time: 8hrs
Type: Hill
Where: Circular walk from Kirkland over Cross, Little Dun, Great Dun and Knock fells along the Pennine Way, returning via Knock and Milburn.
Start/End:Kirkland car park (NY651325).
Terrain: High and wild grassy moorland, with good, clear paths and some steep ascents and descents. Return leg across fields and through villages, requiring careful navigation.
Maps: OS Explorers OL31 and OL19; Landranger 91.
The North Pennines is one of the remotest places in England. A high, wild, bleak landscape of heather moorland and blanket peat, it is sometimes referred to as ‘England’s last wilderness’. At its western edge, the plateau ends in a steep escarpment, overlooking the lush green countryside of Eden Valley. The escarpment provides a dramatic backdrop to the attractive red sandstone-built villages at its foot. The highest point along the ridge is Cross Fell (893m/2930ft) – a stony, flat-topped, featureless summit, which is also the highest point in England outside the Lake District. On a clear day it provides excellent views, but it can be an inhospitable place prone to fog and strong winds, with snow lying late into the year. This long but rewarding walk is best undertaken in good weather only.
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