North Pennines
Mickle Fell
790M
2593FT
About Mickle Fell
Rising as a broad, peat-scarred plateau, this is the highest point in the historic North Riding of Yorkshire. Its isolation is guarded by the Warcop firing range, meaning summit visits require careful timing. On clear days, the view stretches across the Eden Valley to the jagged Lake District fells of Blencathra and Helvellyn.
Key Statistics
Rank
5th Highest in Region
Parent Range
North Pennines
Prominence
?
212.2m
Nearest Town
County Durham
Geology
Mickle Fell is built from stacked layers of limestone, sandstone, and mudstone. These varied rocks form the rugged foundation beneath your feet.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
NY806245
Latitude
54.6153°N
Longitude
2.3019°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Old Norse 'mikill', meaning 'great' or 'large'. This is a literal description of its massive footprint, which dominates the high ground between Teesdale and the Eden Valley.
- •Much of the hill lies within the Warcop Training Area, a Ministry of Defence firing range. Public access is strictly limited to specific 'non-firing' days, usually scheduled during public holidays and select weekends, making it one of the more logistically challenging Hewitts to summit.
- •Mickle Fell holds the distinction of being the highest point within the ceremonial county of Durham, as well as the historic North Riding of Yorkshire.
- •From the sprawling summit, walkers have an excellent view of the distinctive white radome (the 'golf ball') on the summit of nearby Great Dun Fell, as well as the massive, rounded bulk of Cross Fell to the northwest.
- •The summit is famous for its peat hags—deep, black trenches of mud that can swallow a trekking pole whole, proving that in the North Pennines, 'great' often refers to the scale of the bog as much as the height of the hill.