Great Shunner Fell

Mountain in Cumbria, England

Great Shunner Fell

North Yorkshire, England

Parent rangeYorkshire DalesOS gridSD848972Topo mapOS Landranger 98

Great Shunner Fell is the third-highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England, and the highest point in Wensleydale;^[1] at 716 metres above sea level. In clear weather the summit affords views of Wensleydale to the south, Ribblesdale to the southwest and Swaledale to the north, as well as views into Cumbria and County Durham beyond the A66.

The Pennine Way passes over its summit, on the way from Hawes to Keld. The popularity of this route had eroded vegetation from a strip 70 m wide across the moor, which has been alleviated since 1996 by the construction of a path made of flagstones.^[2]

The summit holds a cross-shaped windbreak of which the triangulation pillar has been built into the northern 'arm'.

Great Sleddale Beck, which becomes the River Swale after its confluence with Birkdale Beck, has its sources on the northern slopes of Great Shunner Fell, while the southern slopes drain into the River Ure and Wensleydale.

The dominating rock type in the area is limestone, but millstone grit outcrops extensively on Great Shunner Fell, and coal seams have also been worked on its slopes.^[3]

Great Shunner Fell is the most southerly remaining outpost in Great Britain for the yellow marsh saxifrage, Saxifraga hirculus.^[4]

Gallery

The last few yards to the summit
The summit plateau of Great Shunner Fell viewed from the south

References

^ "Cotterdale and Great Shunner Fell". Dalesman.co.uk. December 2003.
^ "Pennine Way". Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. 2006. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
^ "Wensleydale character areas". Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. 2006. Archived from the original on 8 March 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2007.
^ "Yellow marsh saxifrage Saxifaga hirculus species action plan" (PDF). Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 14 April 2007.

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Hills of the Northern Yorkshire Dales

Marilyns

Hewitts

Calders
Fell Head
High Seat
Little Fell
Randygill Top
Swarth Fell
Wether Fell

Other hills

Winder

v t e Marilyns of Northern England
1. Northumberland	The Cheviot Housedon Hill Long Crag Peel Fell Ros Hill Shillhope Law Sighty Crag Tosson Hill
2. Northern Lakeland	Binsey Blencathra Knott Skiddaw
3. Western Lakeland	Blake Fell Dale Head Dent Grasmoor Great Gable Grisedale Pike High Stile Kirk Fell Lord's Seat Low Fell Mellbreak Pillar Robinson Seatallan Swinside Watch Hill
4. Central and Southern Lakeland	Black Combe Claife Heights Coniston Old Man Hard Knott Harter Fell High Raise High Rigg Holme Fell Illgill Head Kirkby Moor Lingmoor Fell Loughrigg Fell Muncaster Fell Pike of Blisco Scafell Pike Top o' Selside Whitfell
5. Eastern Lakeland	Arnside Knott Fairfield Grayrigg Forest Great Mell Fell Gummer's How Hallin Fell Helvellyn High Street Hutton Roof Crags Lambrigg Fell Little Mell Fell Place Fell Red Screes St Sunday Crag Seat Sandal Stony Cove Pike Tarn Crag Wansfell Whitbarrow
6. North Pennines and Durham	Burnhope Seat Cold Fell Cross Fell Dufton Pike Mickle Fell
7. Northern Yorkshire Dales	Baugh Fell The Calf Great Shunner Fell Hoove Kisdon Nine Standards Rigg Rogan's Seat Wild Boar Fell Yarlside
8. Southern Yorkshire Dales	Aye Gill Pike Birks Fell Buckden Pike Calf Top Cracoe Fell Dodd Fell Hill Fountains Fell Great Coum Great Knoutberry Hill Great Whernside Ingleborough Pen-y-ghent Rombald's Moor Sharp Haw Whernside
9. North York Moors to the Humber	Bishop Wilton Wold Cringle Moor Gisborough Moor Urra Moor
10. Forest of Bowland	Easington Fell Fair Snape Fell Longridge Fell Ward's Stone White Hill