Pennines
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Typical Pennine scenery. |
The
Pennines are a
mountain range in
England. Often said to be the "backbone of England", they form an unbroken range stretching from the
Peak District in the
Midlands, through the
Yorkshire Dales and
West Pennine Moors of
Lancashire and
Cumbrian Fells to the
Cheviot Hills on the
Scottish border. Their total length is about 250 miles (400 km).
The mountains themselves are not very sizeable (and are often referred to as hills for this reason), the highest being
Cross Fell in eastern Cumbria, at 893 metres (2930 feet). Other principal peaks include
Mickle Fell (788 m/2,585 ft)
Whernside (736 m/2,415 ft),
Ingleborough (723 m/2,372 ft),
Pen-y-ghent (693 m/2,274 ft), and
Kinder Scout (636 m/2,087 ft).
The Pennines constitute the main
watershed in northern England, dividing the eastern and western parts of the country. The rivers
Eden,
Ribble, and
Mersey all rise in the Pennines and flow westwards towards the
Irish Sea. On the other side of the watershed, the rivers
Tyne,
Tees,
Swale,
Aire,
Don, and
Trent also rise in the region but flow eastwards to the
North Sea.
The
geology of the Pennines is dominated by extensive deposits of
gritstone and
limestone, which in the North Pennines has led to the formation of large underground cave systems and watercourses â€" known as "gills" and "pots" in the
Yorkshire dialect â€" which are prevalent on the eastern side. Some of these are amongst the largest in England; notable examples are the chasms of
Gaping Gill (over 107 m/350 ft deep) and
Rowten Pot (111 m/365 ft deep). The presence of limestone has also led to some unusual geological formations in the region, such as the
limestone pavements of the Yorkshire Pennines.
The landscape of the Pennines is in general constituted by upland areas of high
moors indented by the more fertile valleys of the region's various rivers. It is a relatively sparsely populated region by English standards. The main economic activities include
sheep farming,
quarrying and
tourism. The region is widely considered to be one of the most scenic areas of Britain. The
North Pennines have been declared an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), while portions of the Pennines are incorporated into the
Peak District National Park, the
Yorkshire Dales National Park and the
Northumberland National Park. Britain's first
long distance footpath, the
Pennine Way, runs the full length of the Pennine chain.
The name Pennines is believed to be derived from the
Celtic penno, meaning "hill", although the earliest written reference to the name dates only from the
18th century. The diffusion of the name is arguably influenced by the name of the
Apennine Mountains of Italy, whose acquaintance many English gentry made on the Grand Tour at the same period and whose name is attributed to the same Celtic linguistic root.
Not much is known about the pennines inhabitance in anglo-saxon times apart from the
pecsaetan who inhabited the peak district area, and bronze-age settlements at
Anglezarke.
*
Pennine Way*
Yorkshire three peaks*
Geology of the United Kingdom*
UK topics
