North Pennines
Fiend's Fell
635M
2083FT
About Fiend's Fell
Standing on the wild western escarpment of the North Pennines, this Nuttall offers a lonely, windswept experience. It sits on the northern shoulder of the Cross Fell massif, characterized by high-altitude peat and expansive views across the Eden Valley toward the distant, jagged skyline of the Lake District fells.
Key Statistics
Rank
68th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North Pennines
Prominence
?
27.2m
Nearest Town
Westmorland and Furness
Geology
Fiend’s Fell is built upon layers of limestone, sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone. These rocks form the rugged, solid foundation you are walking on today.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY643406
Latitude
54.7591°N
Longitude
2.5563°W
Did You Know?
- •The name originates from the belief that these high, cloud-shrouded moors were the haunt of malevolent spirits or 'fiends.' Local tradition suggests the entire range carried this name until St Augustine supposedly blessed the hills, leading the highest point to be renamed Cross Fell while this northern outlier retained the older title.
- •While the Pennine Way—the UK's oldest National Trail—skims the eastern flank of the hill on its long leg between Dufton and Alston, reaching the actual summit cairn requires a short, boggy detour away from the safety of the main path.
- •It is classified as a Nuttall, a designation for peaks in England and Wales over 2,000 feet with a modest drop of at least 15 metres on all sides; Fiend's Fell only just makes the cut, standing at 2,083 feet.
- •The summit provides a superb grandstand view of the 'Great Whin Sill' geology to the north and the steep drop-off of the Pennine Edge, with the sharp profiles of Blencathra and the Skiddaw massif clearly visible across the Eden Valley on a clear day.
- •One might expect a hill named after demons to offer a more dramatic reception, but visitors are significantly more likely to be harassed by the biting Helm Wind or a deep peat hag than by anything supernatural.