Friday 2 December 2016

The Fells in the North



Some of you will recall that I dissed the nonsensical idea that Felling got its name from the felling of trees but rather from being on one side of the Gateshead Fell, the other side being High & Low Fell. The word "fell" is Norse and is mainly used in the North of England but also leaking over the border to pockets in Scotland. In our immediate area we also have Pelton Fell and Waldridge Fell and Fellside in Whickham. Per Sunniside History Group "Sunniside stands on the old boundary of Whickham Parish, overlooking the Black Burn, with a southerly aspect towards Blackburn Fell"
While en route to Grassington (twice visited by Felling folk organised by The Felling Heritage Group in the past two years) I noticed that, between Kettlewell and Grassington, we were passing a fell-like area so I googled and found to my surprise this list of 40 or so fells in that area

Fountains Fell, Fell Head, Calf Top, Wild Boar Fell, Fell Hill, Wether Fell, Great Shunner Fell, Fell End Clouds, Baugh Fell, Little Shunner Fell, Howell Fells, Holme Fell, Baugh Fell, Kisdon Fell, Cracoe Fell, Sizergh Fell, Fell Head, West Fell, Blease Fell, Harter Fell, Swarth Fell, Little Fell, Ash Fell, Barbon Low Fell, Simon Fell, Park Fell, Wold Fell,  Dodd Fell Hill, Snaizeholme Fell, Great Shunner Fell, Darnbrook Fell, Fountains Fell, Barden Fell, Dodd Fell Hill, Mickle Fell, Leck Fell, Orton Fells, Mallerstang and Wild Boar Fell,



The Lake District has 300 + fells..see here

For Northumberland's Fells see here
Here are some of my other notes re fells in our area

Streets in Consett called Fellside and Fell View

Bollihope Fell

Transcribed from The Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales, 1894-5

Pelton Fell,









                       Waldridge Fell and on its edge is Felledge


Mickle Fell, Barnard Castle
Cross Fell
From its rise as a trickle, high on the heather covered fells at the top of the North Pennines, to the top of the whin sill rock at Forest-in-Teesdale, the River Tees steadily grows and gathers pace, then it suddenly and spectacularly drops 21 metres into the plunge pool
Chapel Fell Pennines


Peel Fell is the highest hill in the Kielder Forest region of England

Comb Fell in the Northumberland National Park
Should I have whet in you an interest in finding out more I've given you plenty of place names to feed into google
My work here is done




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