North Pennines
Little Fell
748M
2454FT
About Little Fell
Rising within the restricted boundaries of the Warcop Training Area, this high peat-covered plateau offers a truly remote experience. Reaching the summit requires navigating both complex firing range schedules and heavy moorland terrain, but the reward is a profound sense of solitude and expansive views across the western edges of the North Pennines.
Key Statistics
Rank
7th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Yorkshire Dales
Prominence
?
72
Nearest Town
Westmorland and Furness
Geology
Little Fell is built from layers of limestone, sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. These sturdy rocks stack together to form the rugged landscape you are hiking across today.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY780222
Latitude
54.5953°N
Longitude
2.3406°W
Did You Know?
- •Located inside the Warcop Training Area, the summit is only accessible on specific dates—typically around public holidays—when the Ministry of Defence is not using the fell for live firing exercises.
- •The name reflects its relationship with the neighbouring Mickle Fell; while 'Mickle' comes from the Old Norse 'mikill' meaning great or large, Little Fell was named to denote it as the smaller of the two adjacent giants.
- •The summit provides a clear line of sight to the distinctive white radar dome on Great Dun Fell to the north, and the dramatic drop of the Pennine escarpment into the Eden Valley.
- •Walkers usually approach the fell from the south via the village of Hilton, but only when the red flags are down and the range is confirmed as open to the public.
- •Calling a 748-metre mountain 'Little' is a classic piece of Pennine understatement, especially considering it stands taller than almost every peak in the neighbouring Howgill Fells.