Cross Fell is the highest mountain in the North Pennines. It lies in an area of upland moor called Milburn Forest, east of Penrith. It is sandwiched between the A66 and the A689.
The valleys contain a collection of delightful villages with spectacular views of the steep sided uplands that are remote and frequented by a few mad walkers and mostly grouse.
We were on a mission to bag some of the mountain tops that exceed the 610m contour (2000ft in old money). We reconed that the beat time of year would be the winter when the moorland bog would be frozen making the walking easier, so we headed up in the middle of February.
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| Dufton |
We stayed in a converted barn in the village of Dufton. The village has a good pub, The Stag, serving excellent food and beer that we could not resist. Dufton lies on the route of the Pennine Way and has a Youth Hostel .to cater for walkers. The fountain and water trough were built by the owners of the lead mines that provided employment during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Many of the villages have large rectangular village greens with the houses around the edges, access is usually in the corners. It makes a very natural community feel to the villages.
Saturday 14th Feb.
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| Village green in Milburn |
We drove to Milburn another beautiful village with a large grassy village green and a school at the centre and parked the car. We followed tracks and footpaths across the farmland to Wythwaite and up to Grumply Hill (what a fantastic name for a hill) and Wildboar Scar. Here we reached the snowline. We headed for Tees head then on up to Cross Fell 893m. At this level we were in the cloud so used compass bearings to find the top, a large stone built structure with walls as shelter. The snow depth almost covered the walls so no shelter was afforded by them.
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| Snow covered stone shelter on Cross Fell |
We then headed back to Tees head, then on to Little Dunn Fell (842m) and finally Great Dunn Fell (848m) with its golf balls on the top. Unfortunately it was all in the cloud so we could not see any views that I am sure would have been worth the climb on a fine day. We descended to Milburn via Silverband Mine across rough moor and farmland. A walk of approx. 13km with 900m of ascent.
Sunday 15th Feb
We chose to walk from the village of Dufton today towards Threlkeld side to a spot height on the flat topped moor at 699m, then on to a trig point at 692m. We remained close to the edge of the moors and the weather was much better today. The wind was cold but the cloud higher. We followed the edge south to Backstone Edge (699m), then on to Narrowgate Beacon and the spectacular High Cup Nick. From here we followed the route of the Pennine way back to Dufton.
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| High Cup Nick |
Monday 16 Feb
We parked at Hartside Cross on the A686 Penrith to Alston road. Then walked south on course of Old Tramway to an area of old mines where the tramway ends at a river valley Aglionby Beck. We then followed a line past some mine workings to the top of Melmerby Fell 709m marked as Dun Edge on the map. Once we were on the top we headed NW across nice grassy path to Knapside Hill and ate lunch in the shelter of the large cairn. Then north to Little Knapside Hill and Fiends Fell 634m and down to the pass. We didn't stop but instead continued straight across to Black Fell 664m, as we had plenty of time. It snowed briefly when we got back to the car.
Tuesday 17th Feb
We walked from the village of Dufton where we were staying heading along the route of the Pennine Way on some old byways past Dufton Fell to the broad top of Knock Fell (794m). From here we could see our destination in the far distance, Meldon Hill 767m with over 5 km of pathless moor, peat hags, soft snow and deep heather. We saw no one all day, I don't think anyone goes up here except for grouse management. From the top of Meldon Hill we could see Cow Green Resorvoir to the east and the vast military area of Mickle Fell to the south east that we would tackle at some time in the future.
We descended across more pathless moor to High Cup Nick and back down the Pennine Way to Dufton. A tough day of 21km and about 1088m of ascent.
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| Small frozen lake between Knock and Meldon Hill |
Wednesday 18th Feb
We parked in layby alongside telephone box on the on the A689 near Whitley Castle. Headed SW past Whitley Castle Roman Fort on the Pennine Way for a short way then headed uphill to the right past a lime kiln and to a track heading towards mine workings on Whitley Common. Then across grassy fields there is a long climb up to Grey Nag 656m where the sheep shelter provided shelter from the strong wind. Then SW following boundary wall and fence to Tom Smith's Stone Top and then SE following boundary to Woldgill Burn then Gilderdale Burn to the footbridge on the Pennine Way back to Whitley Castle Roman Fort at the start. 13km 440m ascent.
The Castle is huge covering an area of 4 acres and with the most complex sequence of oval shaped ditches in the Roman Empire. Formerly known as Epiacum, it is about 24km south of Hadrian's Wall and is thought to have been built to defend the lead mines in the area. It is worth a visit if you can negotiate the mud bath surrounding it. We met a group of visitors in smart clothing and city shoes attempting to get near.
Thursday 19 Feb
We parked SE of Brampton at Clesketts in the car park where the road splits. Headed S on gravel track to Howgill cottages then onto a steeper track up the access land following the line of the valley to the NE of the stream to the end of the visible buggy line at a shooting butt. Turned south across rough moor and peat hags to the summit cairn and trig point of Cold Fell. Lunch in the shelter from the strong SW wind. Our return went via the Coins Currick at SH 574 m then down to the west end of Tindale Tarn following the track back to the start. 9 km Asc. 410m.
Friday 20th Feb
We took some photo's today!!
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| River Eden near lacy's Caves |
The weather was considerably better today and we had had enough of struggling across featureless moor and bog. We headed for Little Salkeld NE of Penrith. We parked in the village and walked north following the railway to where it meets the River Eden. A short way further are lacy's Caves, a series of man made caves cut into the soft red sandstone along the river bank. They were commissioned by the local landowner
Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Lacy in the 18C.
We continued along the river north to meet a minor road and turned right towards Glassonby. We turned off on a track just after the steep hill towards Long Meg and her daughters. This a bronze age stone circle of huge standing stones. From here we returned along farm tracks footpaths and lanes to Little Salkeld for lunch in the Mill.
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| Lacy's Caves |
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| Long Meg and her Sisters |
We decided to camp for the weekend above Three Cliffs Bay. We were pitched on the cliff top with a perfect view of the beach and the tide going in and out.
