Great Dun Fell

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Great Dun Fell

The radar station on the summit
Elevation 848 m (2,782 ft)
Prominence 76 m (249 ft)
Parent peak Cross Fell
Listing Hewitt, Nuttall
Location
Location Cumbria, England
Range Pennines
OS grid NY710321
Topo map OS Landranger 91

At a height of 2,782 feet, Great Dun Fell is the second-highest hill in England's Pennines, lying two miles south along the watershed from Cross Fell, its higher neighbour. Together with its smaller twin, Little Dun Fell, it forms a stepping-stone for the Pennine Way on its long climb up from Dufton.

Radar station

At the summit, there is a radar station that is operated by NATS and is a key part of the Air Traffic Control system for Northern England and Southern Scotland. A radome containing Primary Surveillance radar (PSR) and Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) antennae, various towers and fencing crown the summit. Alfred Wainwright abhorred the old radio station (removed in the 1980s) in his book Pennine Way Companion.

The construction of the radar station led to the repaving of a tarred road to the summit, which became Britain's highest road. This road is marked as private from just above the village of Knock, and not open to public motor vehicles. However, it is a bridleway until shortly before the radar station, so it is open to walkers, cyclists and horseriders.[1]

Hushing

There are the remains of hushing gulleys on the slopes of the mountain, created during lead mining of the industrial revolution.

References

  1. Ainsley, Rob (2008). 50 Quirky Bike Rides. Eye Books. p. 187. 

External links

Coordinates: 54°40′59″N 2°27′05″W / 54.68311°N 2.45132°W / 54.68311; -2.45132


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