Northumberland
Peel Fell
603M
1977FT
About Peel Fell
Straddling the Anglo-Scottish border above Kielder Forest, this is the highest point of the remote Border Fells. The terrain is characteristically peat-heavy and wild, rewarding those who navigate its forest tracks with clear sights across Liddesdale to the Eildon Hills and south over the vast expanse of Kielder Water.
Key Statistics
Rank
10th Highest in Region
Parent Range
The Cheviots
Prominence
?
194.9m
Nearest Town
Northumberland
Geology
You are walking across the Fell Sandstone Formation. This sturdy layer of solid sandstone forms the very foundation of the ground beneath your feet.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY625997
Latitude
55.2900°N
Longitude
2.5920°W
Did You Know?
- •The name stems from the Middle English 'pel', a reference to the fortified peel towers used by inhabitants of the 'Debatable Lands' to defend against the Border Reivers.
- •The summit marks the historical boundary between England and Scotland; a traditional stone wall and a fence line guide walkers along the frontier directly to the trig pillar.
- •As a Marilyn—a hill with a drop of at least 150 metres on all sides—it stands as the most prominent summit in the immediate region, offering an unobstructed 360-degree panorama that includes the distant Solway Firth on exceptionally clear days.
- •The summit offers a commanding view of the Kielder Viaduct to the south, while to the northeast, the distinct, rounded mass of The Cheviot is clearly visible across the rolling moorland.
- •Navigating the border fence requires a certain stoicism; the ground is famously saturated, and local walkers often joke that the international border is best defined as the exact line where the bog is deepest.