Cross Fell
893 m
United Kingdom
Also known as Кросс-ФеллAlso known as
Кросс-Фелл
- Elevation
- 893 m
- Prominence
- 651 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 2
AdvisoryReported 1 Feb 2026
The Mountain Bothies Association warns of subsidence on the Pennine Way about 500 m east of Greg's Hut: the hole's sides are unstable old mining spoil and it is a significant risk at night or in bad weather. The MBA safety advice was posted in February 2026 (only the month is known).
mountainbothies.org.uk
Routes
2The shortest way up from the Eden Valley: a farm track and moorland path from the hamlet of Kirkland (about 200 m) round High Cap and past old lead-mine workings to the Pennine Way north of the summit, then up the scree belt to the trig point and cross-shaped wind shelter. Return via Tees Head and Wildboar Scar. About 14 km, 690 m of ascent, 4.5 hours for the round.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 7.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +696 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 893 m
- Time Up
- 3h 17m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 34m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the small car park next to Kirkland Hall (NY 650 325) follow the farm track that continues the road north-east through fields, to the right of Kirkland Beck. It becomes rough as it climbs through a couple of gates onto open fell, swings north round the flank of High Cap and climbs steeply in a few switchbacks to the hummocks of an abandoned mine working. Above, the track dwindles to a path heading roughly east over boggy moorland to the broad shoulder north of the summit, where it meets the Pennine Way near the Yad Stone. The ruined corrugated-iron hut marked on some older OS maps is not a usable shelter; Greg's Hut, the real bothy, lies about 1 km east along the Pennine Way and is a worthwhile detour. Turn right (south) on the Pennine Way and climb over the scree belt past Cross Fell Well, a small spring, to the stony summit plateau with its trig point and a large four-armed stone wind shelter. For the round, continue east-south-east on the Pennine Way, following tall cairns, towards Tees Head, the boggy saddle where the River Tees rises. Just before it (about 270 m beyond Tees Head when coming back from the Dun Fells) a less-used path breaks off south-west and makes a descending traverse across the southern flank, with Crowdundle Beck to the left, to the small escarpment of Wildboar Scar. It zigzags down, passes Grumply Hill (412 m) and follows Littledale Beck to the valley pastures; a track through Ranbeck farm leads back to Kirkland. The cairns on the descent path are sparse and the plateau is featureless: in cloud, which is common, navigate by compass.
Start
Kirkland225 m
- No public transport to Kirkland; the nearest railway station is Penrith (West Coast Main Line), about 15 km away by road.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirkland → Cross Fell | 7.3 | 696 | 31 | 3h 17m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Kirkland225 m
Small car park by Kirkland Hall, OS grid NY 650 325; elevation approximate
- Feature: High Cap546 m
The track passes round its north side
- Feature: Yad Stone761 m
Junction with the Pennine Way on the shoulder north of the summit; Greg's Hut is about 1 km east
- Feature: Cross Fell Well847 m
- Summit: Cross Fell893 m
Key Passages
- Rough track round the north side of High Cap
- Boggy moorland to the Pennine Way junction
- Scree belt below the summit plateau
- Pathless-feeling descent traverse to Wildboar Scar in poor visibility
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The highest point of the Pennines and of England outside the Lake District (893 m): a broad, stony plateau above the Eden Valley, crossed by the Pennine Way and home to the Helm Wind, England's only named wind.
Cross Fell is the culmination of a 12.5 km escarpment that also carries Little Dun Fell (842 m) and Great Dun Fell (848 m, with its radar dome), all above 800 m: the largest block of high ground in England. The western side falls steeply to the Eden Valley; the eastern side slopes gently into the peat moors of the South Tyne and the source of the Tees. The summit is a flat plateau of frost-shattered boulders with a trig point and a large cross-shaped stone wind shelter.
It is a walk rather than a climb, with none of the rocky drama of the Lakeland fells opposite, but its size, bleakness and weather give it a serious character. The shortest ascent is the 14 km circuit from Kirkland on the Eden Valley side; Pennine Way walkers cross it on the trail's highest and hardest stage from Dufton to Alston. Greg's Hut, England's highest bothy at about 700 m, lies 1.2 km north of the summit beside the Pennine Way.
The weather is the main hazard. The fell is prone to dense hill fog and gales, with about 2,800 mm of precipitation a year. When the Helm Wind blows, a cold north-easterly roars down the western flank, sometimes with a cloud cap (the Helm) over the ridge and a rolling bar of cloud above it. Snow lies in the northern gullies until May and fresh snow in June is not unusual.
Climbing Notes
In summer this is a straightforward but long moorland walk: allow 4.5–5 hours for the Kirkland circuit and a full day if you combine it with the Dun Fells or come from Dufton. Boots and full waterproofs are needed, and good compass navigation, as the plateau is featureless and often in cloud; the usual mistake is leaving the summit in the wrong direction and descending into trackless ground. Check the forecast specifically for the summit, which can be far windier and colder than the valley.
In winter the upper slopes are often snow-covered and icy: take an ice axe and crampons and be prepared for short days and severe wind chill. Greg's Hut is an open shelter with a stove but no fuel supply; it is not a substitute for carrying proper kit. Mine shafts and levels are scattered over the fell: do not enter them.
History
Once known as Fiends Fell and believed to be haunted by evil spirits; legend says St Augustine blessed the hill and set up a cross, though the origin of the present name is uncertain. The slopes are dotted with lead-mine remains: the Katelock mine near Greg's Hut produced over 13,000 tons of ore between 1811 and 1911. Greg's Hut began as a mine blacksmith's shop that housed miners during the week in the 1880s; it was restored by the Mountain Bothies Association from 1968 in memory of John Gregory, who died in a climbing accident in the Alps, and reopened after a major refurbishment with a traditional stone-slab roof in late 2022. The summit wind shelter was rebuilt in 2014.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Winter conditions likely; ice axe and crampons, very short days
- Feb
- Winter conditions likely
- Mar
- Snow often lingers on the upper slopes
- Apr
- Snow patches in the northern gullies
- May
- Snow can linger in the gullies until May
- Jun
- Long days; fresh snowfall still occasionally possible
- Oct
- Shorter days, wetter ground
- Nov
- Early winter; short days
- Dec
- Winter conditions likely
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Greg's Hut is an open Mountain Bothies Association shelter: no booking, first come first served; follow the Bothy Code and bring your own fuel.
- Rules
- Part of the Moor House – Upper Teesdale Special Area of Conservation and the North Pennines National Landscape (AONB); keep to paths where possible to protect the alpine grassland flora
- Disused lead-mine shafts and levels on the fell: do not enter them
- The Great Dun Fell radar station and its access road are private facilities
- Getting There
Penrith
Newcastle International Airport (NCL); Manchester Airport (MAN)
- Train: West Coast Main Line to Penrith; no public transport to Kirkland, about 15 km by road
- Train: Settle–Carlisle line to Appleby, then about 5 km by road to Dufton for the Pennine Way
- Car: from Penrith via Langwathby and Skirwith to Kirkland; limited parking by Kirkland Hall
Hazards
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 700 m