Mickle Fell is a mountain in the Pennines, the range of hills and moors running down the middle of Northern England. It is 788 m (2,585 ft) high and lies slightly off the main watershed of the Pennines, about ten miles south of Cross Fell.
It is the highest point of both the ceremonial county of County Durham and the historic county of Yorkshire, lying in the southern part of Teesdale which was transferred from the North Riding of Yorkshire to County Durham under the Local Government Act 1972.
The name of Mickle Fell comes from the Old Norse word Mikill meaning Great and Fell (or fjäll) meaning mountain or hill.
The fell lies in the middle of a large area of boggy moor and requires a long hike to get to it from any direction. Mickle Fell's distinctive outline makes it a recognisable object in views from the Lake District hills, particularly Blencathra, the Helvellyn range and High Street. South of Mickle Fell the ridge descends to the Stainmore Gap before rising again into the Yorkshire Dales.
Mickle Fell and surrounding moorland forms part of the Warcop Training Area, a Ministry of Defence firing range. As a result, access to the fell is limited. It can be ascended from the Eden Valley to the west, or from Teesdale to the east.
Marilyns are scarce in the North Pennines because of the relative flatness of the moors, but Mickle Fell is one such hill: it is separated from its neighbours by over 200 m of relative height.
Read more about Mickle Fell: High Cup
Famous quotes containing the words mickle and/or fell:
“O, mickle is the powerful grace that lies
In plants, herbs, stones, and their true qualities;
For nought so vile that on the earth doth live
But to the earth some special good doth give.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“They warsled up, they warsled down,
Till Sir John fell to the ground,
And there was a knife in Sir Willie’s pouch,
Gied him a deadlie wound.”
—Unknown. The Twa Brothers (l. 5–8)