Cross Fell

About Cross Fell

Rising as the highest point of the Pennines, this massive, plateau-topped giant dominates the northern skyline. It’s a wild, wind-scoured place, famous for the unique Helm Wind. From the summit shelter, you’ve earned clear views across the Eden Valley to the Lake District’s eastern fells, including Blencathra and Helvellyn.

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Did You Know?

• •Originally known as 'Fiends’ Fell', local legend claims the mountain was the haunt of demons until St. Augustine arrived to bless the peak and plant a cross, giving the hill its modern name.
• •The hill is the birthplace of the Helm Wind, the only named wind in the British Isles. This fierce northeasterly can blow for days at a time, creating a distinctive 'Helm Bar' cloud over the summit and a roaring sound that carries into the valley below.
• •As the highest point on the entire Pennine Way, the summit represents a major milestone for long-distance walkers, who must navigate the often boggy and featureless plateau to reach the top.
• •The summit features a substantial stone wind-shelter built in the shape of a cross, providing vital protection on a peak notorious for sudden mist and some of the highest rainfall totals in England.
• •Standing at the summit, you are at the highest point in England outside of the Lake District, offering an expansive perspective that stretches from the Southern Uplands of Scotland to the peaks of the Yorkshire Dales.
• •Given the legendary ferocity of the local weather, the summit is one of the few places in England where your primary hiking challenge isn't the gradient, but simply remaining in the same postcode as your hat.