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Cross Fell

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain

                  Cross Fell
   Cross Fell seen from the Eden Valley
   Elevation         893  m (2,930  ft)
   Location          North Pennines, England
   Prominence        651 m
   Topo map          OS Landranger 91
   OS grid reference NY687343
   Listing           Hewitt, Marilyn, Nuttall

   At 893 m, Cross Fell is the highest point in the Pennine hills of
   Northern England. It is also the highest point in England apart from
   the main Lake District peaks. The summit is a stony plateau being part
   of a 20 km long ridge running North West to South East, which also
   incorporates Little Dun Fell (842 m) and Great Dun Fell (849 m). The
   three adjoining fells form an escarpment that rises steeply above the
   Eden Valley on its south western side and drops off more gently on its
   north eastern side towards the South Tyne and Tees Valleys.

   Cross Fell summit is crowned by a cross-shaped dry-stone shelter,
   though this is not the reason for the naming of the hill. On a clear
   day there are excellent views from the summit across the Eden Valley to
   the mountains of the Lake District. On the northern side of Cross Fell
   there are also fine views across the Solway Firth to the Southern
   Uplands of Scotland.

   The fell is prone to dense hill fog and fierce winds. A shrieking noise
   induced by the Helm Wind (see below) is a characteristic of the
   locality. It can be an inhospitable place for much of the year. In
   ancient times it was known as "Fiends Fell" and believed to be the
   haunt of evil spirits. It has been speculated that this last feature
   may be why the fell became known as Cross Fell ('cross' = 'angry').
   Another theory is that at some time a cross was placed at the summit in
   order to ward off the spirits. But the origin of the name is not known
   for sure.

   A conspicuous local feature is the golf ball shaped radar installation
   on the summit of Great Dun Fell. This was built in the 1960s and serves
   to support civil air traffic control over the North Atlantic.

Local Geography

   Cross Fell and the adjoining fells are mainly comprised of a bed of
   hard, carboniferous limestone. Where this bed surfaces, there are steep
   rock faces. There are also strata of shale and gritstone that surface
   on the fell. On the south and west facing slopes of Cross Fell the rock
   faces have been broken up by frost action to give a scree slope made up
   of large boulders. The local terrain shows obvious evidence of recent
   glaciation and is covered by thin soil and acidic peat.
   the summit of Cross Fell with Great Dun Fell in the background
   Enlarge
   the summit of Cross Fell with Great Dun Fell in the background

   Cross Fell, Great Dun Fell and Little Dun Fell form a block of high
   terrain which is all over 800 m in altitude. This is the largest block
   of high ground in England and it is snow-covered for much of the year.
   Snow can be found in gullies on the north side of Cross Fell as late as
   May in most years. In some years, lying snow has been known to persist
   until July and fresh snowfall in June (mid-summer in the Northern
   Hemisphere) is common.

   Precipitation on Cross Fell averages around 280 cm per year. Local
   flora includes a number of rare alpine plants such as the Starry
   Saxifrage and a mountain Forget-me-not. Cross Fell is covered by what
   is known as "siliceous alpine and boreal grassland". It is the
   southernmost outlier of this vegetation type, which is common to
   highlands in Scotland and Scandinavia. It is a designated Special Area
   of Conservation (SAC). Local farmers are required to keep free-roaming
   sheep off the tops of the fells in order to avoid damaging the natural
   flora.

   The Helm Wind is a local phenomenon. An east wind causes air to rise
   slowly to the summit of the ridge and cool as it does so. At the
   summit, the dense, cool air drops rapidly down the steep western slope
   (causing the Helm Wind) and forces warmer ambient air to rise. Moisture
   in the ambient air condenses to form the Helm Bar — a stationary handle
   of thin cloud running along and outwards from the edge of the summit.
   The Helm Wind can be very strong where it is channelled down gullies in
   the side of the escarpment. It is experienced particularly in the
   villages of Milburn and Kirkland. A similar feature can be found around
   Table Mountain near Cape Town, South Africa, with the local equivalent
   of the Helm Bar being known as the Table Cloth.

Routes to Cross Fell summit

   Sketch map of the approaches to Cross Fell
   Enlarge
   Sketch map of the approaches to Cross Fell

   Cross Fell is crossed by the Pennine Way footpath en route from Dufton
   to Alston. Thus it may be climbed either from Dufton to the south east,
   or from Garrigill to the north west simply by following the Way. This
   section of the Way is well signposted and laid out. Some parts of the
   path are surfaced with stone slabs. The summit is about 12 km from
   either village.

   The easiest route to Cross Fell summit (around 6 km each way) is via a
   road from the village of Knock. This is a well graded, tarmac road
   which provides car access to the radar installation on Great Dun Fell
   and a quarry nearby. Great Dun Fell is the highest point in the British
   road system. Although most of the road is private, little effort is
   made to prevent access to the general public and it is possible to
   drive a normal car almost up to the summit of Great Dun Fell, where the
   road meets the route of the Pennine Way. It is a relatively easy walk
   from this point along the summit ridge to Cross Fell. However, there is
   a very boggy area separating Little Dun Fell and Cross Fell, and the
   correct route between the two is marked by a tall cairn situated at the
   edge of Cross Fell and several hundred metres back from the ridge.
   on the north side of Cross Fell, May 2006
   Enlarge
   on the north side of Cross Fell, May 2006

   An interesting route to the summit is from the village of Kirkland. The
   walker can park his/her car by the side of the road going north out of
   the village and follow a track going past a group of holiday cottages
   and rising up to some ancient mine workings. A track leads from that
   point towards the west flank of Cross Fell. A direct approach to the
   summit from the west involves climbing a difficult scree slope, so an
   easier way is to follow the track (not well defined over its whole
   length) around to the north side of the fell, where it meets the
   Pennine Way at a cairn. One may then follow the Way up a gentle slope
   to the summit. This route offers fine views (up to 100 km on a clear
   day) over both the Solway to the north and the Eden Valley to the
   south. In fair conditions, the walk from Kirkland to the summit takes
   about 2 to 3 hours.

   An ascent of Cross Fell in anything but perfect weather conditions can
   become challenging. None of the available routes offers a well defined
   path all the way to the summit. To the north of the ridge lies an
   extensive area of featureless bog and moorland, without obvious
   contours. The immediate area around Cross Fell is prone to hill fog and
   low cloud. Above 500 metres, visibility can suddenly drop to almost
   nil. It is easy to become disoriented and lost.
   Ascending the scree slope on the west flank of Cross Fell Enlarge
   Ascending the scree slope on the west flank of Cross Fell

   The scree slopes on the edges of Cross Fell can be treacherous in
   conditions of snow or ice. The large boulders are not securely seated
   and move readily when a walker tries to cross them. It is easy to fall
   and break a limb. This particular line of approach to the summit is
   best avoided unless conditions are clear and dry.

   Increasing numbers of walkers have come into the area since the Pennine
   Way opened in the 1960s and as car ownership has become more
   widespread. After a number of fatalities among walkers in the locality,
   a mountain rescue team was established at nearby Penrith in 1959. This
   team is called out to rescue lost, disappeared or injured walkers in
   the Cross Fell area, on average about once every two weeks.

   That said, Cross Fell has much to offer the visitor. A climb to the
   summit is safe and easy so long as proper precautions are taken. The
   walker should be adequately dressed and equipped with map and compass.
   Most of the locality is within range of mobile phones.

Views of Cross Fell

   Cross Fell is a conspicuous feature in the landscape. It dominates the
   skyline on almost the entire 30-km length of the A66 trunk road between
   Penrith and Stainmore. It can also be seen from Helvellyn summit in the
   Lake District and from high ground throughout Dumfriesshire and
   Northumberland.
   Cow Green reservoir, with (l to r) Great Dun Fell, Little Dun Fell and
   Cross Fell in the background at a distance of about 10 km
   Enlarge
   Cow Green reservoir, with (l to r) Great Dun Fell, Little Dun Fell and
   Cross Fell in the background at a distance of about 10 km

Picture Gallery

   click on image to view full size

   on the route from Kirkland to Cross Fell, April 2005
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Fell"
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