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Coordinates: 54°42′10″N 2°29′14″W / 54.70278°N 2.48722°W / 54.70278; -2.48722
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{{Short description|Range of uplands in Northern England}}
{{distinguish|Pennine Alps}}
{{Distinguish|Apennine Mountains|Pennine Alps|Pieniny}}
[[Image:Pennines edited-1.jpg|thumb|300px|The Pennine Mountains of Northern England]]
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
[[Image:Pennine scenery.jpg|thumb|305px|Typical Pennine scenery of [[Saddleworth Moor]] looking towards the Wessenden valley]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox mountain
| fetchwikidata = NONE
| name = Pennines
| other_name =
| country = England, [[United Kingdom]]
| geology =
| age =
| highest = [[Cross Fell]]
| elevation = 893 m (2,930 ft)
| coordinates = {{coord|54|42|10|N|2|29|14|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| photo = Topo_Map_Pennines.png
| photo_caption = Northern England and adjoining areas, showing the general extent of the Pennines
| location = [[Northumberland]], [[Cumbria]], [[County Durham]], [[North Yorkshire]], [[West Yorkshire]], [[South Yorkshire]], [[Lancashire]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[Cheshire]], [[Derbyshire]], [[Staffordshire]]
| district_type =
| district =
| subdivision1_type =
| subdivision1 =
}}
The '''Pennines''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɛ|n|aɪ|n|z}}), also known as the '''Pennine Chain''' or '''Pennine Hills''',<ref>{{cite web |title=What are the landforms of England? |publisher=Project Britain |url=http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/landforms.htm |access-date=25 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160801160551/http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/landforms.htm |archive-date=1 August 2016}}</ref> are a range of [[highland|uplands]] mainly located in [[Northern England]]. Commonly described as the "[[Vertebral column|backbone]] of England" because of its length and position, the range runs from [[Derbyshire]] and [[Staffordshire]] in the [[North Midlands|north of the Midlands]] to [[Northumberland]] in [[North East England]]. From the [[River Tyne|Tyne Gap]] in the north, the range extends south through the [[North Pennines]], [[Yorkshire Dales]], [[South Pennines]], and [[Peak District]] to end near the valley of the [[River Trent]].<ref>{{cite book|first=W. A. |last=Poucher |year=1946|title=The Backbone of England. A photographic and descriptive guide to the Pennine range from Derbyshire to Durham |place=Guildford and Esher |publisher=Billing and Sons Limited}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Edwards |first1=W. |last2=Trotter |first2=F. M. |publication-date=1954 |title=The Pennines and Adjacent Areas |edition=3rd |series=Handbooks on the Geology of Great Britain |location=London |publisher=HMSO |page=1 |isbn=0-11-880720-X |year=1975}}</ref> The [[Border Moors & Forests|Border Moors]] and [[Cheviot Hills]], which lie beyond the Tyne Gap, are included in some definitions of the range.


The range is divided into two by the [[Aire Gap]], a wide pass formed by the valleys of the rivers [[River Aire|Aire]] and [[River Ribble|Ribble]]. There are several [[Spur (topography)|spurs]] off the main Pennine range east into [[Greater Manchester]] and [[Lancashire]], comprising the [[Rossendale Valley|Rossendale Fells]], [[West Pennine Moors]], and [[Forest of Bowland|Bowland Fells]].<ref name="Britain's Structure and Scenery">{{cite journal |last=Dudley Stamp |first=L. |publication-date=1946 |title=Britain's Structure and Scenery |edition=1960 |series=The Fontana [[New Naturalist]] Series |location=London and Glasgow |journal=Nature |volume=158 |issue=4023 |page=809 |publisher=Collins |year=1946 |doi=10.1038/158809a0 |bibcode=1946Natur.158..809T |s2cid=4074834 |author-link=Laurence Dudley Stamp}}</ref><ref name="Great Britain">{{cite book |title=Great Britain |date=2 January 2014 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_FJkAgAAQBAJ&q=bowland+pennines&pg=PA270 |pages=270–271 |publisher=Alan G. Ogilvie |isbn=9781107626539 |access-date=31 October 2017}}</ref> The [[Howgill Fells]] and [[Orton Fells]] in [[Cumbria]] are also sometimes considered to be Pennine spurs.<ref name="marsh">{{cite book|title=Great Mountain Days in the Pennines|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CiLen-r2t5QC&q=howgill+fells+pennines&pg=PT92 |publisher=Cicerone |date=2013 |first=Terry |last=Marsh |isbn=978-1852846503 |access-date=31 October 2017}}</ref><ref name="A Nature Conservation Review">{{cite book |title=A Nature Conservation Review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YPQaFxH-AZYC&q=orton+fells+pennines&pg=PA317 |first=Derek |last=Ratcliffe |date=2011 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521203296 |access-date=20 January 2019}}</ref> The Pennines are an important water catchment area, with numerous [[reservoir]]s in the head streams of the river valleys.
The '''Pennines''' are a low-rising [[mountain range]]<!--NOTE TO EDITORS: This is correct per technicality.--> in [[Northern England]] and [[South of Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Southern Scotland]]. They separate the [[North West England|North West of England]] from [[Yorkshire]] and the [[North East England|North East]].


Most of the range is protected by [[National parks of the United Kingdom|national parks]] and [[National Landscape|national landscapes]] (formerly [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty|Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty]]). Running north to south, and including the Cheviots, the range is within [[Northumberland National Park]], the North Pennines National Landscape, the [[Yorkshire Dales National Park]], [[Nidderdale National Landscape]], the [[Forest of Bowland]] National Landscape, and the [[Peak District|Peak District National Park]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty|publisher=Natural England |url=http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designations/aonb/default.aspx| access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National Parks|publisher=Natural England |url=http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/designations/nationalparks/default.aspx| access-date=2 December 2007}}</ref> The only significant unprotected gap is the area between [[Skipton]] and [[Marsden, West Yorkshire|Marsden]].
Often described as the "[[Vertebral column|backbone]] of England",<ref>{{Cite document|last=Poucher|first=W.A.|author-link=|year=1946|title=The Backbone of England. A photographic and descriptive guide to the Pennine range from Derbyshire to Durham.|place=Guildford and Esher|publisher=Billing and Sons Limited|ref=harv|postscript=<!--None-->}}.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Edwards|first=W.|last2=Trotter|first2=F.M.|publication-date=1954|title=The Pennines and Adjacent Areas|edition=Third|series=Handbooks on the Geology of Great Britain|publication-place=London|publisher=HMSO|page=1|isbn=0 11 880720 X|year=1975|ref=harv|postscript=<!--None-->}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pennines -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9059088/Pennines|accessdate=2008-02-28}}</ref> they form a more or less continuous range stretching from the [[Peak District]] in [[Derbyshire]], through the [[Yorkshire Dales]], around the northern and eastern edges of [[Greater Manchester]], the [[West Pennine Moors]] of [[Lancashire]] and the [[Cumbria]]n Fells to the [[Cheviot Hills]] on the [[Anglo-Scottish border]]. North of the Aire Gap, the Pennines give out a western [[spur (mountain)|spur]] into Lancashire, the [[Forest of Bowland]], and south of the gap is a similar spur, the Rossendale Fells.<ref>{{Cite document|last=[[Laurence Dudley Stamp|Dudley Stamp]]|first=L|publication-date=1946|title=Britain’s Structure and Scenery|edition=1960|series=The Fontana [[New Naturalist]] Series|publication-place=London and Glasgow|publisher=Collins|ref=harv|postscript=<!--None-->}}.</ref>


Britain's oldest [[Long-distance trail|long-distance footpath]], the 268-mile (429&nbsp;km)<!--distance per cited reference; {{convert}} gives different conversion in either direction--> [[Pennine Way]], runs along most of the Pennines.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineWay/text.asp?PageId=34|title=Trail stats, Pennine Way|access-date=3 August 2007 |work=National Trails Homepage|publisher=[[The Countryside Agency]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813094058/http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineWay/text.asp?PageId=34|archive-date=13 August 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Although the above is a common definition, the [[Cheviot Hills]] are not, strictly speaking, part of the Pennines, being separated by the Tyne Gap and the [[Whin Sill]], along which run the [[A69 road|A69]] and [[Hadrian's Wall]], but because the [[Pennine Way]] crosses them they are often treated as such. Conversely, although the southern end of the Pennines is commonly said to be somewhere in the [[High Peak (England)|High Peak]] district of [[Derbyshire]], often [[Edale]] (the start of the Pennine Way), they in fact extend south into [[Staffordshire]] and the southern parts of [[Cheshire]] and [[Derbyshire]], as can be seen by looking at a relief map. The true southern end of the Pennines is actually in the [[Stoke-on-Trent]] area, about {{convert|40|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} south of Edale.


{{anchor|Etymology|Toponymy}}
The Pennines are an important water catchment area with numerous [[reservoir]]s in the head streams of the major river valleys. The region is widely considered to be one of the most scenic areas of the [[United Kingdom]].<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Writer-inspired-by-beauty-of.4564162.jp
|title=Writer inspired by beauty of Pennines celebrates its views - Yorkshire Post
|publisher=www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
|accessdate=2008-10-13
|last=
|first=
}}
</ref> The [[North Pennines AONB|North Pennines]] and [[Nidderdale]] 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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Designated Landscapes Index|publisher=Natural England|url=http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/DL/index.asp| accessdate=2007-12-02}}</ref> Britain's first [[long distance footpath]], the [[Pennine Way]], runs the full length of the Pennine chain and is 429&nbsp;kilometres (268&nbsp;mi) long.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/PennineWay/text.asp?PageId=34|title=Trail stats, Pennine Way|accessdate=2007-08-03|work=National Trails Homepage|publisher=[[The Countryside Agency]]}}</ref>


==Etymology==
==Name==
Various etymologies have proposed treating "Pennine" as a native [[Common Brittonic|Brittonic]]/Modern [[Welsh language|Welsh]] name related to ''[[wikt:pen#Welsh|pen-]]'' ("head").{{refn|[[Margaret Gelling|Gelling]], cited by Redmonds<ref name="Redmonds"/>}} It did not become a common name until the 18th century and almost certainly derives from modern comparisons with the [[Apennine Mountains]], which run down the middle of [[Italy]] in a similar fashion.<ref name="Redmonds">{{Citation|last=Redmonds |first=George|contribution=A Major Place-Name Ignored|title=Names and History: People, Places, and Things |publisher=Hambledon & London |location=London |publication-date=2004 |pages=65–68 |isbn=978-1-85285-426-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qxk8qK2uF7kC&pg=PA65 |date=15 March 2007}}</ref>{{Dubious|date=March 2022}}
The first use of the name "Pennines" to describe the mountain range is in the spurious ''[[De Situ Britanniae]]'', first published in 1757:<ref>{{Cite book
| last=Bertram
| first=Charles
| author-link=Charles Bertram
| editor-last=Hatcher
| editor-first=Henry
| year=1757
|contribution=Chapter XXXIII
|contribution-url=http://books.google.com/books?id=OwJIAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA51
| title=The Description of Britain, Translated from Richard of Cirencester
| publisher=J. White and Co
| publication-place=London
| publication-date=1809
| url=
| page=51
| ref=harv
| postscript=<!--None-->
}}</ref>


Following an 1853 article by Arthur Hussey,<ref>{{Citation|last=Hussey|first=Arthur|editor-last=Cave|editor-first=Edward|editor-link=Edward Cave |contribution=A Renewed Examination of 'Richard of Cirencester' |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DboUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA272 |title=The Gentleman's Magazine |volume=XXXIX |location=London |publisher=[[John Bowyer Nichols|J.B. Nichols]] &&nbsp;Son |date=1853 |pages=270–273 }}</ref> it has become a common belief that the name derives from a passage in ''[[The Description of Britain]]'' ({{langx|la|De Situ Britanniæ}}),{{refn|Route VII: "...&nbsp;This province is divided into two equal parts by a chain of mountains called the Pennine Alps, which rising on the confines of the [[Iceni]] and Carnabii, near the River Trivona &#91;[[River Trent|Trent]]&#93;, extend towards the north in a continued series of fifty [[Roman mile|miles]]&nbsp;..."<ref name=bertie>{{Citation| last=Bertram | first=Charles | author-link=Charles Bertram | others= Anonymously translated & annotated by Henry Hatcher | year=1809 | orig-year=First published in 1757 |contribution=Chapter XXXIII |contribution-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwJIAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA51 | title=The Description of Britain, Translated from Richard of Cirencester | publisher=J.&nbsp;White &&nbsp;Co. | location=London | page=51}}</ref>}} an infamous [[literary forgery|historical forgery]] concocted by [[Charles Bertram]] in the 1740s and accepted as genuine until the 1840s. In 2004, George Redmonds reassessed this, finding that numerous respected writers passed over the origin of the mountains' name in silence even in works dedicated to the topological etymology of [[Derbyshire]] and [[Lancashire]].<ref name="Redmonds"/> He found that the derivation from Bertram was widely believed and considered uncomfortable.<ref name="Redmonds"/> In fact, Redmonds found repeated comparisons with the Italian Apennines going back at least as early as [[William Camden|William Camden (1551–1623)]],{{refn|[[Skipton]], [[William Camden|Camden]] said, was "hidden and enclosed among steep Hilles to Latium in Italie, which Varro supposeth to have been called because it lyeth close under the Apennine and the Alps". He went on to describe how "the North part ... riseth up and swelleth somewhat mountainous, with moores and hilles, but of no bignesse, which beginning here runs like as Apennine doth in Italie, through the middest of England ... even as far as Scotland, although oftentimes they change their name."}} many of whose placenames and ideas Bertram incorporated into his work. Bertram was responsible (at most) with popularizing the name against other contenders such as [[Daniel Defoe]]'s "English Andes".<ref name="Redmonds"/> His own form of the name was the "Pennine Alps" (''{{lang|la|Alpes Peninos}}''), which today is used for [[Pennine Alps|a western section]] of the continental [[Alps]]. Those mountains (the area around the [[Great St Bernard Pass|St. Bernard Pass]]) derive their name from the Latin ''[[Alpes Pœninæ]]'' whose name has been variously derived from the [[Hannibal's crossing of the Alps|Carthaginians]],<ref>[[Livy]], ''History of Rome'', Book&nbsp;V, §35.</ref> a local god,<ref>[[Livy]], ''History of Rome'', Book&nbsp;XXXI, §38.</ref> and [[Common Celtic|Celtic]] ''peninus''.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-Names|editor-first=Alexander|editor-last=Falileyev |publisher=Aberystwyth University|year=2007|title=Summus P(o)eninus |url=http://cadair.aber.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/2160/282/5/ContCelticPNDictionary.pdf|access-date=2 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731025816/http://cadair.aber.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/2160/282/5/ContCelticPNDictionary.pdf |archive-date=31 July 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The St. Bernard Pass was the pass used in the [[Campaign history of the Roman military#Celtic invasion of Italia .28390.E2.80.93387 BC.29|invasions of Italy]] by the [[Gauls|Gallic]] [[Boii]] and [[Lingones]] in 390&nbsp;BC. The etymology of the [[Apennines]] themselves—whose name first referred to their northern extremity and then later spread southward—is also disputed but is usually taken to derive from some form of [[Common Celtic|Celtic]] ''pen'' or ''ben'' ("mountain, head").<ref name=lewis>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=A Latin Dictionary |first1=Charlton T. |last1=Lewis |first2=Charles |last2=Short |location=Oxford; Medford |publisher=Clarendon Press; Perseus Digital Library |title=Apenninus |year=1879 |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3DApenninus |access-date=23 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Italy; a popular account of the country, its people, and its institutions (including Malta and Sardinia) |url=https://archive.org/details/italypopularacco00deec |first1=W. |last1=Deecke|translator-first=H.&nbsp;A. |translator-last=Nesbitt |location=London; New York |publisher=Macmillan Co.; S. Sonnenschein & Co. |year=1904 |page=23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=R. |last=Matasović |date=2009 |title=Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic |location=Leiden-Boston |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-17336-1}}</ref>
:This province is divided into two equal parts by a chain of mountains called the Pennine Alps, which rising on the confines of the [[Iceni]] and Carnabii, near the River Trivona ([[River Trent]]), extend towards the north in a continued series of fifty miles.


Various towns and geographical features within the Pennines have names of [[Britons (Celtic people)|Celtic]] origin, including [[Pennington, Cumbria|Pennington]], [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]], [[Pen-y-ghent]], [[Pendle Hill]], the [[River Eden, Cumbria|River Eden]], and [[Cumbria]]. More commonly, local names result from [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] and [[Norsemen|Norse]] settlements. In Yorkshire, [[Teesdale]], and Cumbria, many words of [[Norse language|Norse]] origin, not commonly used in standard English, are part of everyday speech: for example, ''[[Gill (ravine)|gill/ghyll]]'' (narrow steep valley), ''[[Beck (stream)|beck]]'' (brook or stream), ''[[fell]]'' (hill), and ''[[Dale (landform)|dale]]'' (valley).<ref>{{Cite book | last =Gunn | first =Peter | year =1984 | title =The Yorkshire Dales. Landscape with Figures | location =London | publisher =Century Publishing Co Ltd | isbn =0-7126-0370-0 }}</ref> Northumbrian/borders terms are used in South Tynedale, [[Weardale]], and [[Allendale, Northumberland|Allendale]], such as ''[[Burn (landform)|burn]]'' (stream), ''cleugh'' (ravine), ''hope'' (valley), ''law'' (hill) and ''linn'' (waterfall).
This book purported to contain the account of a [[Roman Empire|Roman]] general preserved in the manuscript of a 14th century [[English people|English]] monk, [[Richard of Cirencester]], and was considered the premier source of information on [[Britannia (Roman province)|Roman Britain]] for more than a century after it was made available in 1749. It was in fact a forgery created by [[Charles Bertram]], an Englishman then living in [[Copenhagen]]. In 1853, Arthur Hussey listed several names in ''De Situ Britanniae'' that he could not trace to an earlier source, including the "Pennine Alps".<ref>{{ Cite book
|last=Hussey
|first=Arthur
|editor-last=Urban
|editor-first=Sylvanus
|contribution=A Renewed Examination of "Richard of Cirencester"
|contribution-url=http://books.google.com/books?id=DboUAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA272
|title=The Gentleman's Magazine
|volume=XXXIX
|number=
|publication-place=London
|publisher=John Bowyer Nichols and Sons
|publication-date=1853
|pages=270 &ndash; 273
|url=
|ref=harv
|postscript=<!--None-->
}}; discussing the so-called ''Iter VII'': "... Alpes Peninos ..." not traced (to any earlier source).</ref> However, by that time, particularly in the early 19th century, the name "Pennine Chain" or "Pennines" had become widely accepted.


==Geography==
In his 2004 book ''Names and History: People, Places and Things'', George Redmonds provided a modern assessment.<ref name ="Redmonds">{{ Cite book
[[File:Rombalds moor trig.jpg|thumb|[[Rombalds Moor]], [[South Pennines]]]]
|last=Redmonds
|first=George
|title=Names and History: People, Places and Things
|publication-place=
|publisher=Hambledon & London
|publication-date=2004
|pages=65–68
|isbn=185285426X
|ref=harv
|postscript=<!--None-->
|url=http://books.google.com/?id=Qxk8qK2uF7kC&pg=PA65&dq=Pennines&q=Pennines
|date=2007-03-15
}} ''A Major Place-Name Ignored''</ref> He comments at length on the strange omission of the [[etymology]] of the Pennines in the serious literature regarding that area of [[England]], including publications on place-name origins of [[Derbyshire]] and [[Lancashire]] by respected authors. He finally learns that the origin of the name is from ''De Situ Britanniae'' and that "nor do we know any name for the whole range before the 18th century." There follows a discussion of the forgery and the fact that a number of its inventions had found their way into the [[Ordnance Survey]] maps; and that the true origin of the name was known by serious authors, most of whom simply chose not to speak of it. He also notes that the mountains had been called by various names in the past, and that there were allusional references to the mountains as "our [[Apennines]]" as early as the 1630s (and perhaps before that), so likely Bertram simply invented a name that was easy for people to accept as fact.


The northern Pennine range is bordered by the [[foothill]]s of the [[Lake District]], and uplands of the Howgill Fells, Orton Fells, Border Moors and Cheviot Hills. The West Pennine Moors, Rossendale Valley<ref name="Britain's Structure and Scenery"/> and Forest of Bowland<ref name="Great Britain"/> are western spurs, the former two are in the South Pennines. The Howgill Fells<ref name="marsh"/> and Orton Fells<ref name="A Nature Conservation Review"/> are sometimes considered to be part of the Pennines, both inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yorkshire Dales expand into Lancashire in national parks land grab |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/01/yorkshire-dales-expand-lancashire-national-parks-extension-leck-fell |first=Helen |last=Pidd |newspaper=The Guardian |date=August 2016 |access-date=20 January 2019}}</ref> The Pennines are fringed by extensive [[Upland and lowland|lowlands]] including the [[River Eden, Cumbria|Eden Valley]], [[West Lancashire Coastal Plain]], [[Cheshire Plain]], [[Vale of York]], [[Humberhead Levels]] and the [[Midlands|Midland Plains]].
Redmonds also suggests that Bertram may have got the idea for the name from the Elizabethan commentator [[William Camden]] who wrote:
<blockquote>
The north part...riseth up and swelleth somewhat mountainous, with moores and hills, which beginning here runs as an Apenine does in Italie, through the middest of England...even as far as Scotland, although oftentimes they change their name.<ref name ="Redmonds"/>
</blockquote>
The name 'Pennines' may have become readily accepted if it was already closely related to an earlier name, (or names) for the hills of a Cumbric origin, like the hill [[Pen-y-ghent]] in northern Yorkshire.
A very similar language to Cumbric was once spoken in [[Northern Italy]].
The etymology for the [[Apennines]] of [[Italy]] that is most frequently repeated, (because of its semantic appropriateness), is that it derives from the Celtic Penn, "mountain, summit":<ref name=lewis>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=A Latin Dictionary|first=Charlton T. |last=Lewis|first2=Charles |last2=Short |location=Oxford; Medford|publisher=Clarendon Press; Perseus Digital Library |title=Apenninus |year=1879|url=http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3DApenninus}}</ref> which could have been assigned during the Celtic domination of north Italy in the 4th century BC or before.
The name originally applied to the north Apennines. However, historical linguists have never found a derivation with which they are universally comfortable. Wilhelm Deecke said: "...is doubtful but some derive it from the Ligurian-Celtish Pen or Ben, which means mountain peak." <ref>{{harvnb|Deecke|1904|p=23}}</ref> [[Ranko Matasović]] reconstructs a Proto-Celtic root ''*bando-'' 'peak, top' [http://www.indo-european.nl/cgi-bin/response.cgi?single=1&basename=\data\ie\celtic&text_recno=109&root=leiden]<ref>R. Matasović (2009): ''Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic''. Leiden-Boston: Brill. [ISBN 978-90-04-17336-1]</ref>, which he considers of non-IE origin.


[[File:Clougha heather.jpg|thumb|Scenery in the [[Forest of Bowland]]]]
==Toponymy==
The names of towns and geographical features retain some evidence of the [[Celt]]s who were here before, and after, the Romans: for example the town [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]], the fell [[Pen-y-ghent]], the [[River Eden, Cumbria|River Eden]], or the name [[Cumbria]].
More commonly the local names result from the later [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] and [[Norsemen|Norse]] settlements. And in both Yorkshire and Cumbria many [[Norse language|Norse]] words not commonly used in standard English are part of everyday speech: for example, gill (narrow steep valley), [[beck]] (brook or stream), [[fell]] (hill), [[dale]] (valley).<ref>{{Cite book
| last =Gunn
| first =Peter
| author-link =
| last2 =
| first2 =
| author2-link =
| publication-date =1984
| date =
| year =1984
| title =The Yorkshire Dales. Landscape with Figures
| edition =
| volume =
| series =
| publication-place =London
| place =
| publisher =Century Publishing Co Ltd
| id =
| isbn =0 7126 0370 0
| doi =
| oclc =
| url =
| accessdate =2002-12-02
| ref =harv
| postscript =<!--None-->
}}</ref>


The main range of the Pennines start from its southern end at the [[Weaver Hills]] in the Peak District.<ref name="English Villages">{{cite book |last1=Banks |first1=Francis Richard |title=English Villages |isbn=9787240005989 |page=175 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u2pnAAAAMAAJ&q=weaver+hills+southern+end+pennines|year=1963|access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref> The southern foothills of the range merge into the valley and [[Drainage basin|basin]] of the [[River Trent]],<ref name="Britannica">{{Britannica |id=450075 |title=Pennines |access-date=28 February 2008}}</ref> separating the range from the Midland Plains to the south. The Pennines continue northwards across the Peak District and adjoin the South Pennines approximately around the [[River Tame, Greater Manchester|Tame Valley]], [[Standedge]] and [[Holme Valley]]. The South Pennines are separated from the Forest of Bowland by the [[River Ribble|Ribble Valley]], and include the Rossendale Valley and West Pennine Moors in the west.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/511867 |publisher=Natural England |title=NCA Profile: 36 Southern Pennines (NE323) |access-date=8 May 2022}}</ref> The range continues further north into the [[Aire Gap]] which separates the Yorkshire Dales from the South Pennines to the south and the Forest of Bowland to the southwest.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Aire Gap |url=http://www.yorkshire-dales.com/aire-gap.html |website=The Yorkshire Dales Website |accessdate=8 May 2022}}</ref> The main range then continues northwards across the Yorkshire Dales to the [[Stainmore|Stainmore Gap]] where it adjoins the North Pennines. The range continues into its northern end at the [[River Tyne|Tyne Gap]],<ref name="NCA Profile: 10. North Pennines (NE428)">{{cite web |title=NCA Profile: 10. North Pennines (NE428) |url=http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/5682293 |website=Natural England |access-date=5 July 2022}}</ref> separating it from the Border Moors and Cheviot Hills across the [[Anglo-Scottish border]].
==Geology and landscape==
[[Image:Uk topo en.jpg|thumb|Topographical map of the [[United Kingdom]], Pennines centred]]
The Pennines have been carved from a series of geological structures whose overall form is that of a broad [[anticline]] whose axis extends in a north-south direction. The North Pennines are coincident with the [[Alston Block]], whilst the Yorkshire Dales are coincident with the [[Askrigg Block]]. In the south the Peak District is essentially a flat-topped dome.
Each of these structures consists of [[Carboniferous]] [[Limestone]] overlain with [[Millstone Grit]]. The limestone is exposed at the surface to the north of the range, in the North Pennines AONB, and to the South in the Derbyshire Peak District. In the Yorkshire Dales this limestone exposure has led to the formation of large underground cave systems and watercourses, known as "gills" and "pots" in the [[Yorkshire dialect and accent|Yorkshire dialect]]. These caves, or "potholes", are more prevalent on the eastern side and are amongst the largest in England; notable examples are the chasms of [[Gaping Gill]], which are over {{convert|350|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} deep and [[Rowten Pot]], which is {{convert|365|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} deep. Erosion of the limestone has also led to some unusual geological formations in the region, such as the [[limestone pavement]]s of the Yorkshire Pennines. Between the northern and southern areas of exposed limestone (between [[Skipton]] and the Peak District) lies a narrow belt of exposed gritstone. Here, the shales and sandstones of the Millstone Grit form high hills occupied by moors and [[peat moss]]es, with the higher ground being uncultivable and barely fit for pastures.


Although the Pennines cover the area between the Peak District and the Tyne Gap, the Pennine Way affects perceptions of the southern and northern extents of the defined area. The southern end of the Pennines is said to be in the [[High Peak, Derbyshire|High Peak]] of [[Derbyshire]] at [[Edale]], the start of the Pennine Way,<ref name="marsh" /> but the main range continues south across the Peak District to the Weaver Hills,<ref name="English Villages"/> with its foothills merging into the Trent Valley.<ref name="Britannica"/> This encompasses eastern [[Cheshire]], northern and eastern [[Staffordshire]], and southern Derbyshire.<ref name="marsh" /><ref>{{cite book |title=Geography: Or, First Division of "The English Encyclopædia", Volume 3|year=1867 |publisher=Charles Knight |pages=69–70 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kwhQAAAAMAAJ&q=uttoxeter+pennines+southern+end&pg=PA69 |access-date=10 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=City Centre Conservation Area |url=https://www.derby.gov.uk/media/derbycitycouncil/contentassets/documents/conservationareas/DerbyCityCouncil-conservation-area-city-centre.pdf |website=Derby City Council |access-date=19 August 2018}}</ref> Conversely, the Border Moors and Cheviot Hills, separated by the Tyne Gap and [[Whin Sill]], along which run the [[A69 road|A69]] and [[Hadrian's Wall]], are not part of the Pennines but, perhaps because the Pennine Way crosses them, they are treated as such.<ref name="marsh" />
The landscape of the Pennines is characterised by upland areas of high [[moorland]] indented by more fertile river valleys.


[[File:Stanage Edge.jpg|thumb|[[Stanage Edge]] in the [[Peak District]]]]
==Climate==


Most of the Pennine landscape is characterised by upland areas of high [[moorland]] indented by more fertile river valleys, although the landscape varies in different areas. The Peak District consists of hills, plateaus and valleys, divided into the [[Dark Peak]] with moorlands and gritstone edges, and the [[White Peak]] with limestone gorges.<ref>{{cite web|title = Landscape |url = http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/microsites/sopr/landscape |publisher = Peak District National Park|access-date = 22 July 2016 |archive-date = 14 September 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170914172129/http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/microsites/sopr/landscape|url-status = dead}}</ref> The South Pennines is an area of hills and moorlands with narrow valleys between the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales.<ref>{{cite web |title = About the South Pennines|url = http://www.pennineprospects.co.uk/south-pennines| access-date = 22 July 2016}}</ref> Bowland is dominated by a central upland landform of deeply incised gritstone [[fell]]s covered with tracts of heather-covered [[peat]] moorland, [[blanket bog]] and steep-sided wooded valleys linking the upland and lowland landscapes.<ref>{{cite web | title =The Landscape of The Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) | publisher = Lancashire County Council| date =6 June 2007 | url =http://www.forestofbowland.com/wild_landscape.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090207065917/http://www.forestofbowland.com/wild_landscape.asp |archive-date=7 February 2009 | access-date = 7 December 2007 }}</ref> The landscape is higher and more mountainous in the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines. The Yorkshire Dales are characterised by valleys, moorlands and fells<ref>{{cite web |title = Landscape|url = http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/about-the-dales/landscape| publisher = Yorkshire Dales National Park| access-date = 22 July 2016}}</ref> while the North Pennines consist of plateaus, moorlands, fells, edges and valleys, with most of the higher peaks in the west.<ref name="NCA Profile: 10. North Pennines (NE428)"/>
The climate of the Pennines is generally temperate like the rest of England, but it receives more precipitation, stronger winds and colder weather than the surrounding areas. Some areas of the Pennines could perhaps be described as temperate verging on sub-Arctic in climate and indeed a small area of the Pennines is classified as sub-Arctic, in certain parts of [[Teesdale]].
Snow falls in greater quantities in the Pennines than in surrounding lowland areas due to the elevation and distance from the coast, unlike lowland areas of England the Pennines can actually have quite severe winters.
Precipitation is heavy, with North West England being amongst the wettest regions of England and much of that rain falling in the Pennines. The Pennines form two main watersheds, one leading to the Irish Sea and the other to the North Sea.
The eastern side of the Pennines is drier than the western side and the Pennines "shield" North East England from much rainfall which would otherwise fall there.
The precipitation in the Pennines is important for the biodiversity of the area and the human populations. Many towns and cities are along rivers that flow from the Pennines and in North West England the lack of natural aquifers is compensated for with many Pennine-based reservoirs.
The wet climate has carved out gorges, caves and limestone landscapes in areas of the Pennines such as the [[Yorkshire Dales]] and [[Peak District]] and has had a mixed effect on the Pennines as a whole. In some areas the precipitation has contributed to poor soils, resulting in-part with the [[moorland]] landscapes which characterize much of the mountains.
In other areas where the soil hasn't been degraded it has resulted in lush vegetation.


===Elevation===
The Pennines come under climate zones 7 and 8, with 8 being common throughout most of the UK and 7 being the UK's coldest climatic zones. The [[Pennines]], [[Scottish Highlands]], [[Southern Uplands]] and [[Snowdonia]] are the only areas of the UK to be placed in the 7 climatic zone.
[[File:Crossfell.jpg|right|thumb|[[Cross Fell]], the highest point of the Pennines]]


Rising less than {{convert|3000|ft|m|-2}}, the Pennines are [[fell]]s, with most of the mountainous terrain in the north. The highest point is [[Cross Fell]] in eastern Cumbria, at {{convert|2930|ft|m|0}} and other principal peaks in the North Pennines are [[Great Dun Fell]] {{convert|2782|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Mickle Fell]] {{convert|2585|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, and [[Burnhope Seat]] {{convert|2451|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}. Principal peaks in the Yorkshire Dales include [[Whernside]] {{convert|2415|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Ingleborough]] {{convert|2372|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[High Seat (Yorkshire Dales)|High Seat]] {{convert|2328|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Wild Boar Fell]] {{convert|2324|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} and [[Pen-y-ghent]] {{convert|2274|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}. Principal peaks in the Forest of Bowland include [[Ward's Stone]] {{convert|1841|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Fair Snape Fell]] {{convert|1710|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, and [[Hawthornthwaite Fell]] {{convert|1572|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}. Terrain is lower towards the south and the only peaks which exceed {{convert|2000|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} are [[Kinder Scout]] {{convert|2087|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} and [[Bleaklow]] {{convert|2077|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} in the Peak District. Other principal peaks in the South Pennines and Peak District include [[Black Hill (Peak District)|Black Hill]] {{convert|1909|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Shining Tor]] {{convert|1834|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Pendle Hill]] {{convert|1827|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Black Chew Head]] {{convert|1778|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Rombalds Moor]] {{convert|1319|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} and [[Winter Hill (North West England)|Winter Hill]] {{convert|1496|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}.
[[File:UK zonemap.png]]


==Flora==
===Drainage===
[[File:Across Ribblesdale from Moughton Nab - geograph.org.uk - 1502626.jpg|right|thumb|[[Ribblesdale]], [[Yorkshire Dales]]]]


For much of their length the Pennines are the main [[water divide|watershed]] in northern England, dividing east and west. The rivers [[River Eden, Cumbria|Eden]], [[River Ribble|Ribble]], [[River Dane|Dane]] and tributaries of the [[River Mersey|Mersey]] (including the [[River Irwell|Irwell]], [[River Tame, Greater Manchester|Tame]] and [[River Goyt|Goyt]]) flow westwards towards the [[Irish Sea]].
Flora in the Pennines is adapted to moorland and sub-arctic landscapes and climates. The flora found there can be found in other areas of [[moorlands]] in [[Northern Europe]] and some species are also found in areas of [[Tundra]].
[[Heather]] and [[bracken]] are notable in the Pennines amongst other plants. Deciduous trees are common, but [[conifers]] are also very common and have been widely planted as a cheap source of wood, especially around areas such as [[Kielder forest]].


On the eastern side of the Pennines, the rivers [[River Tyne, England|Tyne]], [[River Wear|Wear]], and [[River Tees|Tees]] all drain directly to the [[North Sea]]. The [[River Swale|Swale]], [[River Ure|Ure]], [[River Nidd|Nidd]], [[River Wharfe|Wharfe]], [[River Aire|Aire]], [[River Calder, West Yorkshire|Calder]] and [[River Don, South Yorkshire|Don]] all flow into the [[River Ouse, Yorkshire|Yorkshire Ouse]], and reach the sea through the [[Humber Estuary]].
==Fauna==


The [[River Trent]] flows around the southern end of the Pennines and northwards on the eastern side taking water from tributaries, principally the [[River Dove, Central England|Dove]] and [[River Derwent, Derbyshire|Derwent]]. The Trent drains the east and west sides of the southern Pennines, also reaching the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. The Trent and Ouse meet and enter the Humber at [[Trent Falls]]. Maximum discharge through the Humber can reach 1,500 m<sup>3</sup>/s (53,000 cu ft/s).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iia.cnr.it/big_file/EUROCAT/publications/EUROCAT%20WD04.pdf |title=The Humber Catchment and its Coastal Area |publisher=University of East Anglia |year=2002 |first=Rachel |last=Cave |access-date=12 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202105806/http://www.iia.cnr.it/big_file/EUROCAT/publications/EUROCAT%20WD04.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2014 }}</ref>
Fauna in the Pennines is similar to the rest of [[England and Wales]], but hosts some other species. Deer are found throughout the Pennines and many species of animals which are rare elsewhere in England can be found here.
[[Arctic hares]] which were common in Britain during the Ice Age and retreated to the cooler, more Tundra-like uplands once the climate warmed up can be found here, mainly in the [[Dark Peak]] area of the [[Peak District]], being almost absent from the rest of England.


==Drainage==
===Climate===
[[File:Whernside and Ribblehead Viaduct.jpg|right|thumb|A snow-covered [[Whernside]], Yorkshire Dales]]
The Pennines constitute the main [[water divide|watershed]] in [[Northern England]], dividing the eastern and western parts of the country. The rivers [[River Eden, Cumbria|Eden]], [[River Ribble|Ribble]], [[River Irwell|Irwell]] and [[River Mersey|Mersey]] all rise in the Pennines and flow westwards towards the [[Irish Sea]]. On the other side of the watershed, the rivers [[River Tyne, England|Tyne]], [[River Tees|Tees]], [[River Wear|Wear]], [[River Swale|Swale]], [[River Ure|Ure]], [[River Nidd|Nidd]], [[River Calder, West Yorkshire|Calder]], [[River Wharfe|Wharfe]], [[River Aire|Aire]], [[River Don, South Yorkshire|Don]] and [[River Trent|Trent]] also rise in the region but flow eastwards to the [[North Sea]].


According to the [[Köppen climate classification|Köppen classification]], the Pennines generally have a temperate [[oceanic climate]] (''Cfb'') like the rest of England, but the uplands have more precipitation, stronger winds and colder weather than the surrounding areas. Some of the higher elevations have a [[Oceanic climate#Subpolar variety (Cfc, Cwc)|subpolar oceanic climate]] (''Cfc''), which may border a [[tundra climate|tundra]] (''ET'') and [[subarctic climate]] (''Dfc'') in areas like [[Great Dun Fell]].<ref name="Great Dun Fell 2 Climatic Averages 1981–2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/great-dun-fell-2#?tab=climateTables|title=Great Dun Fell 2 Climatic Averages 1981–2010|publisher=Met Office|access-date=22 December 2012}}</ref>
===Reservoirs===
[[Kielder Water]]


More snow falls on the Pennines than on surrounding lowland areas due to the elevation and distance from the coast; unlike lowland areas of England, the Pennines can have quite severe winters.
[[Ladybower Reservoir]]
and many other smaller reservoirs


The northwest is amongst the wettest regions of England and much of the rain falls on the Pennines. The eastern side is drier than the west—the [[rain shadow]] shields northeast England from rainfall that would otherwise fall there.
==Elevation==
The mountains are not very high and are often referred to as [[fells]]. The highest is [[Cross Fell]] in eastern Cumbria, at {{convert|2930|ft|m|0|abbr=off}} while other principal peaks include [[Mickle Fell]] {{convert|2585|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Whernside]] {{convert|2415|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[Ingleborough]] {{convert|2372|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, [[High Seat]] {{convert|2328|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} and [[Wild Boar Fell]] {{convert|2324|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, both in [[Mallerstang]], [[Pen-y-ghent]] {{convert|2274|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, and [[Kinder Scout]] {{convert|2087|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}.


Precipitation is important for the area's biodiversity and human population. Many towns and cities are located along rivers flowing from the range and in northwest England the lack of natural aquifers is compensated for by reservoirs.
==Character Areas of the Pennines==
[[Image:Pennine JCAs.jpg|thumb|The Joint Character Areas of the Pennines]]
England has been divided into areas of similar landscape character. These were originally called Joint Character Areas (JCAs), but are now called National Character Areas (NCAs). The NCAs are a widely recognised national spatial framework, but the boundaries are not precise and many should be considered as broad zones of transition.<ref>{{cite web
| last =
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| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =National Character Areas
| work =
| publisher =Natural England
| date =
| url = http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/


Water has carved out limestone landscapes in the North Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and Peak District, with gorges and caves present in the Yorkshire Dales and Peak District. In some areas, precipitation has contributed to poor soils, resulting in part in [[moorland]] landscapes that characterize much of the range. In other areas where the soil has not been degraded, it has resulted in lush vegetation.
| format =
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| accessdate =2009-12-10 }}</ref>


For the purpose of growing plants, the Pennines are in [[hardiness zone]]s 7 and 8, as defined by the [[USDA]]. Zone 8 is common throughout most of the UK, and zone 7 is the UK's coldest hardiness zone. The Pennines, [[Scottish Highlands]], [[Southern Uplands]] and [[Snowdonia]] are the only areas of the UK in zone 7.
The Pennines have eleven National Character Areas. These are: -
{{Weather box
|location = [[Great Dun Fell]], North Pennines <br>[[Location identifier#WMO station identifiers|WMO ID]]: 03227; coordinates {{coord|54.68401|N|2.45132|W|type:landmark_region:GB|name=Great Dun Fell 2|format=dms}}; elevation: {{convert|847|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}; 1991–2020 normals
| collapsed =
| metric first = y
| single line = y
| Jan high C = 1.6
| Feb high C = 1.6
| Mar high C = 2.8
| Apr high C = 5.4
| May high C = 8.6
| Jun high C = 11.0
| Jul high C = 12.5
| Aug high C = 12.3
| Sep high C = 10.1
| Oct high C = 6.8
| Nov high C = 4.0
| Dec high C = 2.1
| year high C = 6.6
| Jan mean C = -0.4
| Feb mean C = -0.5
| Mar mean C = 0.6
| Apr mean C = 2.7
| May mean C = 5.6
| Jun mean C = 8.2
| Jul mean C = 10.0
| Aug mean C = 9.8
| Sep mean C = 7.8
| Oct mean C = 4.8
| Nov mean C = 2.1
| Dec mean C = 0.0
| year mean C = 4.2
| Jan low C = -2.4
| Feb low C = -2.6
| Mar low C = -1.6
| Apr low C = 0.0
| May low C = 2.7
| Jun low C = 5.5
| Jul low C = 7.5
| Aug low C = 7.4
| Sep low C = 5.6
| Oct low C = 2.8
| Nov low C = 0.2
| Dec low C = -2.1
| year low C = 1.9
| source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref name="Met Averages">{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcwr04zvq |title= Great Dun Fell 2 1991–2020 averages |access-date=10 March 2023|publisher=Met Office}}</ref>
}}

==Geology==
[[File:Thor's cave.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Limestone scenery at [[Thor's Cave]], Peak District]]
The Pennines have been carved from a series of geological structures whose overall form is a broad [[anticline]] whose axis extends in a north–south direction. The North Pennines are coincident with the [[Alston Block]] and the Yorkshire Dales are coincident with the [[Askrigg Block]]. In the south the Peak District is essentially a flat-topped dome.

Each of the structures consists of [[Carboniferous]] [[limestone]] overlain with [[Millstone Grit]]. The limestone is exposed at the surface in the North Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District. In the Dales and the [[White Peak]], limestone exposure has caused the formation of large cave systems and watercourses. In the Dales the caves or potholes are known as "pots" in the [[Yorkshire dialect and accent|Yorkshire dialect]]. They include some of the largest caves in England at [[Gaping Gill]], more than {{convert|350|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} deep and [[Rowten Pot]], {{convert|365|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} deep. [[Titan (cave)|Titan]] in the Peak District, the deepest shaft known in Britain, is connected to [[Peak Cavern]] in [[Castleton, Derbyshire]], the largest cave entrance in the country. Erosion of the limestone has led to geological formations, such as the [[limestone pavement]]s at [[Malham Cove]].

Between the northern and southern areas of exposed limestone between [[Skipton]] and the [[Dark Peak]] is a belt of exposed gritstone. Here the shales and sandstones of the Millstone Grit form high hills occupied by [[moorland]] covered with [[bracken]], [[peat]], heather and coarse grasses;<ref name="DB">[https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-400000-441000/page/4 page 4] and [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-400000-441000/page/5 page 5], Marginal Upland Grazing Sutton Moor, Domesday Reloaded, BBC 1986</ref> the higher ground is uncultivable and barely fit for pasture.

==History==
[[File:Harkerside Moor.jpg|thumb|left|A prehistoric settlement on Harkerside Moor in [[Swaledale]]]]
The Pennines contained [[Bronze Age]] settlements, and evidence remains of [[Neolithic]] settlement including many [[stone circles]] and [[henges]], such as [[Long Meg and Her Daughters]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outofoblivion.org.uk/ |title=A landscape through time |publisher=Out of Oblivion |access-date=5 August 2011}}</ref>


The uplands were controlled by the tribal federation of the [[Brigantes]], made up of small tribes who inhabited the area and cooperated on defence and external affairs. They evolved an early form of kingdom. During [[Roman Britain|Roman times]], the Brigantes were dominated by the Romans who exploited the Pennines for their natural resources including the wild animals found there.
# Border Moors and Forests<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/border_moors_and_forests.aspx</ref>
# Tyne Gap and [[Hadrian's Wall]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/tyne_gap_and_hadrians_wall.aspx</ref>
# [[North Pennines]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/north_pennines.aspx</ref>
# [[Howgill Fells]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/howgill_fells.aspx</ref>
# [[Yorkshire Dales]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/yorkshire_dales.aspx</ref>
# [[Bowland Fells]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/bowland_fells.aspx</ref> alongside the Bowland Fringe and [[Pendle Hill]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/bowland_fringe_and_pendle_hill.aspx</ref>
# [[South Pennines|Southern Pennines]],<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/southern_pennines.aspx</ref> including the [[West Pennine Moors]]
# [[Dark Peak]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/dark_peak.aspx</ref>
# [[White Peak]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/white_peak.aspx</ref>
# [[Peak District|South West Peak]]<ref>http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/landscape/englands/character/areas/south_west_peak.aspx</ref>


The Pennines were an obstacle for [[Anglo-Saxon]] expansion westwards, although it appears the Anglo-Saxons travelled through the valleys. During the [[Dark Ages (historiography)|Dark Ages]] the Pennines were controlled by Celtic and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. It is believed that the north Pennines were under the control of the kingdom of [[Rheged]].
[[Image:Croasdale Forest of Bowland.jpg|thumb|Croasdale Forest of Bowland.]]
The Bowland area of the Pennines is dominated by a central upland landform of deeply incised gritstone fells covered with vast tracts of heather-covered [[peat]] moorland and [[blanket bog]]. The lower slopes of the fells are dotted with stone built farms and small villages and are criss-crossed by drystone walls enclosing reclaimed moorland pasture. Steep-sided wooded valleys, link the upland and lowland landscapes. To the south-east of the area are extensive coniferous plantations and the eastern limestone areas support high quality species rich meadows.<ref>
{{cite web
| last =
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| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| title =The Landscape of The Forest of Bowland Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
| work =
| publisher =Page managed by the Information Management Team in the Strategic Planning & Transport Section, Environment Directorate, Lancashire County Council
| date =06 June 2007<!-- 16:35:58.
-->| url =http://www.forestofbowland.com/wild_landscape.asp>
| format =
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| accessdate = 2007-12-07 }}
</ref>


During Norse times the Pennines were settled by [[History of Denmark|Viking Danes]] in the east and [[History of Norway|Norwegian Vikings]] in the west. The Vikings influenced place names, culture and genetics. When England was unified the Pennines were incorporated. The mix of Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Viking heritage resembled much of the rest of [[northern England]] and its culture developed alongside its lowland neighbours in northwest and northeast England. The Pennines were not a distinct political [[polity]], but were divided between neighbouring counties in northeast and northwest England; a major part was in the [[West Riding of Yorkshire]].
==Dales==
* [[Airedale]]
* [[River Calder, West Yorkshire|Calderdale]]
* [[River Dove, Derbyshire|Dovedale]]
* [[Nidderdale]]
* [[River Ribble|Ribblesdale]]
* [[Swaledale]]
* [[Teesdale]]
* [[Weardale]]
* [[Wensleydale]]
* [[Wharfedale]]


==Demography==
==Demography==
The Pennine region is sparsely populated by English standards. Larger population centres are in the foothills and lowlands fringing the southern Pennine range, such as [[Barnsley]], [[Chesterfield, Derbyshire|Chesterfield]], [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]], [[Huddersfield]], [[Macclesfield]], [[Oldham]], [[Bury, Greater Manchester|Bury]], [[Rochdale]], [[Middleton, Greater Manchester|Middleton]], and [[Stockport]] but most of the northern Pennine range is thinly populated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mypennines.co.uk/north-pennines/#sthash.0yKQHkOw.dpbs|title=North Pennines|work = My Pennines|access-date=15 April 2016}}</ref> The cities of [[Bradford]], [[Derby]], [[Leeds]], [[Manchester]], [[Sheffield]], [[Stoke-on-Trent]] and [[Wakefield]] are also in the surrounding foothills and lowlands. The Pennines contain the highest village in the United Kingdom, [[Flash, Staffordshire|Flash]], at {{convert|1519|ft|m|0}}, near the southern end of the range in [[Staffordshire]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=The UK's highest mountain? It's not what you think |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/articles/uk-highest-places/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/articles/uk-highest-places/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=The Telegraph |date=9 October 2017 |access-date=3 April 2024|last1=Smith |first1=Oliver }}{{cbignore}}</ref>
It is a relatively sparsely populated region by [[England | English]] standards, however large population centres in the Pennines are [[Leeds]] and [[Bradford]] and a few towns bordering the [[Peak District]], the rest of the Pennines is only thinly populated.


==Economy==
==Economy==
[[File:Tunstead Quarry - geograph.org.uk - 865006.jpg|right|thumb|Tunsted Quarry, Peak District]]
The main economic activities include [[sheep farm | sheep farming], [[quarry | quarrying]], finance and [[tourism]].
The main economic activities in the Pennines include [[sheep farm]]ing, [[quarry]]ing, finance and [[tourism]]. In the [[Peak District]], tourism is the major local employment for park residents (24%), with manufacturing industries (19%) and [[Peak District#Quarrying|quarrying]] (12%) also being important while 12% are employed in agriculture.<ref name="Place_called_home">{{cite web|url=http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/index/living-in.htm |title=A place called home |publisher=Peak District |year=2009 |access-date=5 November 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519001312/http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/index/living-in.htm |archive-date=19 May 2009 }}</ref> Limestone is the most important mineral quarried, mainly for roads and cement, while other extracted materials include shale for cement and [[gritstone]] for building stone.<ref name="Mineral_factsheet">{{cite web|url=http://www.peakdistrict-nationalpark.info/studyArea/factsheets/11.html#4 |title=Peak District National Park: Study Area |publisher=Peak District National Park |year=2003 |access-date=5 November 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20050620074557/http://www.peakdistrict-nationalpark.info/studyArea/factsheets/11.html |archive-date=20 June 2005 }}</ref> The springs at Buxton and Ashbourne are exploited to produce bottled [[mineral water]] and there are approximately 2,700 farms in the National Park.<ref name="Waugh">{{cite book |title=Geography An Integrated Approach |last=Waugh |first=D. |year=2000 |edition=3rd |isbn=0-17-444706-X |publisher=[[Wolters Kluwer|Nelson Thornes]]}}</ref> The [[South Pennines]] are predominantly industrial, with the main industries including textiles, quarrying and mining,<ref name="South Pennines">{{cite web|title=South Pennines|url=http://www.walkridesouthpennines.co.uk/about.php|website=Pennine Prospects|access-date=5 November 2017}}</ref> while other economic activities within the South Pennines include tourism and farming.<ref name="£1.2m fund available to South Pennines farm businesses">{{cite web|title=£1.2m fund available to South Pennines farm businesses|url=http://www.fwi.co.uk/business/1-2m-fund-available-to-south-pennines-farm-businessses.htm|website=Farmers Weekly|date=20 January 2017|access-date=5 November 2017}}</ref>


Although the [[Forest of Bowland]] is mostly rural, the main economic activities in the area include farming<ref>{{cite web|title=Farming|url=http://forestofbowland.com/Farming|website=Forest of Bowland|access-date=3 January 2018}}</ref> and tourism.<ref>{{cite book |title=Local Heritage, Global Context: Cultural Perspectives on Sense of Place|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VrWoDQAAQBAJ&q=forest+of+bowland+economy+tourism&pg=PT61 |publisher=Routledge |date=2016 |first=Rosy |last=Szymanski|isbn = 9781351921640|access-date=3 January 2018}}</ref> In the [[Yorkshire Dales]], tourism accounts for £350 million of expenditure every year while employment is mostly dominated by farming, accommodation and food sectors. There are also significant challenges for managing tourism, farming and other developments within the [[Yorkshire Dales National Park|National Park]].<ref name="Yorkshire Dales – Economy">{{cite web|title=Economy|url=http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/looking-after/achievingourvision/economy|publisher=Yorkshire Dales National Park|access-date=5 November 2017}}</ref> The main economic activities in the [[North Pennines]] include tourism, farming, timber and small-scale quarrying, due to the rural landscape.<ref name="North Pennines – Economy and business">{{cite web|title=Economy and business |url=http://www.northpennines.org.uk/about-us/annual-reviews/annual-review-2013-14/economy-and-business/|website=North Pennines AONB|access-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107002426/http://www.northpennines.org.uk/about-us/annual-reviews/annual-review-2013-14/economy-and-business/|archive-date=7 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Main settlements==
[[Image:Cross Fell summit.jpg|right|thumb|280px|The summit of Cross Fell with Great Dun Fell in the background.]]
* [[Buxton]]
* [[Hawes]]
* [[Keld, North Yorkshire|Keld]]
* [[Leek, Staffordshire|Leek]]
* [[Muker]]
* [[Reeth]]
* [[Stanhope]]
* [[Thwaite, North Yorkshire|Thwaite]]


==Transport==
==Transport==
[[File:Gaps through Pennine Mountains UK topographic map.gif|thumb|right|The Pennines are traversed by several passes, mostly aligned with major rivers]]
The three main gaps in the Pennines have always afforded communications links between the areas to the east and west. These gaps are the Tyne Gap between [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]] and [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] along which the A69 road and the [[Tyne Valley Line|Tyne Valley railway]] run, the Stainmore Gap between the Eden Valley in Cumbria and [[Teesdale]] in [[County Durham]] and the Aire Gap linking [[Lancashire]] and Yorkshire via the valleys of the rivers Aire and Ribble. The Pennines are also traversed by the [[Leeds and Liverpool Canal]] and the [[M62 motorway]]. In many places, the Pennines remain a formidable barrier to be crossed by tunnel or roads which may be blocked by snow for several days in winter.
Gaps that allow west–east communication across the Pennines include the Tyne Gap between the Pennines and the Cheviots, through which the [[A69 road]] and [[Tyne Valley Line|Tyne Valley railway]] link [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]] and [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. The [[A66 road]], its summit at {{convert|1450|ft}}, follows the course of a [[Roman Britain|Roman]] road from [[Scotch Corner]] to [[Penrith, Cumbria|Penrith]] through the [[Stainmore]] Gap between the [[River Eden, Cumbria|Eden Valley]] in Cumbria and [[Teesdale]] in County Durham. The [[Aire Gap]] links Lancashire and Yorkshire via the valleys of the [[River Aire|Aire]] and [[River Ribble|Ribble]]. Other high-level roads include [[Buttertubs Pass]], named from [[limestone]] [[pothole]]s near its {{convert|1729|ft|adj=on}} summit, between [[Hawes]] in [[Wensleydale]] and [[Swaledale]] and the [[A684 road]] from [[Sedbergh]] to Hawes via [[Garsdale Head]] which reaches {{convert|1100|ft}}.<ref name="TPCrossings">{{citation|title=Transpennine Crossings |url=http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Transpennine_Crossings |publisher=Sabre roads |access-date=14 August 2013}}</ref>


Further south the [[A58 road]] traverses the [[Calder Valley]] between [[West Yorkshire]] and [[Greater Manchester]] reaching {{convert|1282|ft}} between Littleborough and [[Ripponden]], while the [[A646 road]] along the Calder Valley between [[Burnley]] and [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]] reaches {{convert|764|ft}} following valley floors. In the Peak District the [[A628 road|A628]] Woodhead road links the [[M67 motorway]] in Greater Manchester with the [[M1 motorway]] in [[South Yorkshire]] and [[Holme Moss]] is crossed by the [[A6024 road]], whose highest point is near [[Holme Moss transmitting station]] between [[Longdendale]] and [[Holmfirth]].<ref name="TPCrossings"/>
Rail services are operated along the [[Huddersfield Line|Huddersfield line]] between [[Huddersfield railway station|Huddersfield]] and [[Manchester Victoria|Victoria]] and [[Manchester Piccadilly|Piccadilly]] stations in Manchester. The name of the train-operating company [[First TransPennine Express]] comes from such journeys - its trains connect the North West with the North East.


The Pennines are traversed by the [[M62 motorway]], the highest motorway in England at {{convert|1221|ft}} on [[Windy Hill (Pennines)|Windy Hill]] near Junction 23.<ref name="TPCrossings"/>
There are three trans-pennine canals built during the [[Industrial Revolution]] which, as the name suggests, cross the range in various locations:
*The [[Huddersfield Narrow Canal]] connects the town of [[Huddersfield]] in the east with the city of [[Manchester]] in the west. When it reaches the pennines at [[Marsden]], it flows underneath the hills through a specially-crafted tunnel to [[Diggle, Greater Manchester|Diggle]] on the other side. Once-a-month during the summer season, it is possible to pass-through the tunnel on a public narrowboat.
*The [[Rochdale Canal]] flows over the pennines via [[Rochdale]], connecting the market town of [[Sowerby Bridge]] with Manchester.
*The [[Leeds & Liverpool Canal]], the longest and most northerly of the three, flows beneath the pennines, connecting [[Leeds]] in the east with [[Liverpool]] in the west.


Three trans-Pennine canals built during the [[Industrial Revolution]] cross the range:
==National Parks and AONB's==
* The [[Huddersfield Narrow Canal]] connects [[Huddersfield]] in the east with [[Manchester]] in the west. When it reaches [[Marsden, West Yorkshire|Marsden]], it passes under the range through the [[Standedge Tunnels|Standedge Tunnel]] to [[Diggle, Greater Manchester|Diggle]]. Fortnightly during the summer season, one can pass through the tunnel on a public narrowboat.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/standedge-tunnel-and-visitor-centre |title=Standedge Tunnel & Visitor Centre: Opening times and prices |publisher=Canal and River Trust |access-date=15 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130907224517/http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/standedge-tunnel/visit-us/opening-times-and-prices |archive-date=7 September 2013 }}</ref>
* The [[Rochdale Canal]] crosses the Pennines via [[Rochdale]], connecting the market town of [[Sowerby Bridge]] with Manchester.
* The [[Leeds and Liverpool Canal]], the longest and most northerly, crosses the Pennines via [[Skipton]], Burnley, [[Chorley]] and [[Wigan]] connecting [[Leeds]] in the east with [[Liverpool]] in the west.


[[File:Class 76 locomotives 76033 and 76031 at Woodhead on 24th March 1981.jpeg|thumb|A [[British Rail]] train about to enter the western portal of [[Woodhead Tunnel|Woodhead 3]], shortly before closure in 1981]]
The Pennines fall largely under [[National parks of England and Wales | UK national parks]] and [[Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty]], playing host to three national parks: [[Northumberland National Park]] (9), [[Yorkshire Dales | Yorkshire Dales National Park]] (7) and the [[Peak District | Peak District National Park]] (1).


The first of three [[Woodhead Tunnel]]s was completed by the [[Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway]] in 1845, engineered by [[Charles Vignoles]] and [[Joseph Locke]]. At the time of its completion in 1845, Woodhead 1 was one of the world's longest railway tunnels at a length of 3&nbsp;miles 13&nbsp;yards (4,840&nbsp;m); it was the first of several trans-Pennine tunnels including the [[Standedge Tunnels|Standedge]] and [[Totley Tunnel|Totley]] tunnels, which are only slightly longer. The first two tunnels were replaced by Woodhead 3, which was longer at 3 miles 66 yards (4860m). It was bored for the overhead electrification of the route and completed in 1953. The tunnel was opened by the transport minister [[Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton|Alan Lennox-Boyd]] on 3 June 1954.<ref name=RB_W>{{cite web|url=http://railways-of-britain.com/Woodhead.html|title=The Woodhead Route|work=Railways of Britain|access-date=27 January 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302082848/http://railways-of-britain.com/Woodhead.html|archive-date=2 March 2008}}</ref> It was designed by Sir [[William Halcrow]] & Partners. The line was closed in 1981.
[[File:National Parks in England and Wales.png]]


The [[London and North Western Railway]] acquired the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway in 1847 and built a single-line tunnel parallel to the canal tunnel at Standedge with a length of 3 miles, 57 yards (4803 m). Today rail services along the [[Huddersfield Line|Huddersfield line]] between [[Huddersfield railway station|Huddersfield]] and [[Manchester Victoria railway station|Victoria]] and [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Piccadilly]] stations in [[Manchester]] are operated by [[TransPennine Express]] and [[Northern (train operating company)|Northern]]. Between 1869 and 1876 the [[Midland Railway]] built the [[Settle-Carlisle Line]] through remote, scenic regions of the Pennines from near [[Settle, North Yorkshire|Settle]] to [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]] passing [[Appleby-in-Westmorland]] and other settlements, some a distance from their stations. The line has survived, despite difficult times<ref>{{cite web |title=History |url= http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/explore-the-line/history/ |publisher=settle-carlisle.co.uk|access-date=15 August 2013}}</ref>
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are protected in much the same way as National Parks, but are not generally suitable for national park status due to a number of reasons, some of the most important being the effects of recreation and mass-tourism on such areas.
and is operated by Northern Rail.<ref name="northern">{{cite web |url=https://settle-carlisle.co.uk/tickets-times-travel/timetables/ |title=Timetables – The Settle Carlisle Railway |date=1010 |publisher=The Settle–Carlisle Railway |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref>


The [[Trans Pennine Trail]], a long-distance route for cyclists, horse riders and walkers, runs west–east alongside rivers and canals, along disused railway tracks and through historic towns and cities from [[Southport]] to [[Hornsea]] ({{convert|207|mi|km|disp=x|/}}).<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/template.asp?ID=0&parentID=481 |title=Welcome to the Trans Pennine Trail |publisher=transpenninetrail.org.uk |access-date=14 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019201343/http://www.transpenninetrail.org.uk/template.asp?ID=0&parentID=481 |archive-date=19 October 2013 }}</ref> It crosses the north–south [[Pennine Way]] ({{convert|268|mi|km|disp=x|/}}) at [[Crowden-in-Longdendale]].
[[File:AONBSUK.png]]


==National Parks and AONBs==
Pergaps the most important AONB in the Pennines is the [[North Pennines]] just north of the [[Yorkshire Dales]] and rivalling it in size. The North Pennines are amongst some of the Pennine's highest peaks and some of its most isolated and sparsely populated areas.
[[File:National Parks and AONBs in Northern England.svg|thumb|right|250px|National parks {{Colorsample|#85c676ff}} and AONBs {{Colorsample|#f288b5ff}} in Northern England]]
Considerable areas of the Pennines are protected as [[National parks of the United Kingdom|UK national parks]] and [[Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] (AONBs). Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are afforded much the same protection as national parks. The national parks within the Pennines are the [[Peak District|Peak District National Park]] (1) and the [[Yorkshire Dales|Yorkshire Dales National Park]] (7) with the [[Northumberland National Park]] (9) sometimes also included.


The [[North Pennines]] AONB just north of the Yorkshire Dales rivals the national park in size and includes some of the Pennines' highest peaks and its most isolated and sparsely populated areas. Other AONBs are [[Nidderdale]] east of the Yorkshire Dales, and the [[Forest of Bowland|Bowland Fells]], including [[Pendle Hill]], west of the Yorkshire Dales.
==History==
[[Image:Harkerside Moor.jpg|thumb|305px|left|none|A prehistoric settlement on Harkerside Moor in Swaledale.]]


==Language==
===Early inhabitants===
The language used in pre-Roman and Roman times was [[Common Brittonic]]. During the [[Early Middle Ages]], the [[Cumbric language]] developed. Little evidence of Cumbric remains, so it is difficult to ascertain whether or not it was distinct from [[Old Welsh language|Old Welsh]]. The extent of the region in which Cumbric was spoken is also unknown.
The area contains many examples of [[Bronze Age]] settlements, and evidence of [[Neolithic]] settlement (including many [[stone circles]] or [[henges]], such as [[Long Meg and Her Daughters]].)<ref>[http://www.outofoblivion.org.uk/ Out of Oblivion: A landscape through time<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


During [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] times the area was settled by Anglian peoples of [[Mercia]] and [[Northumbria]], rather than the [[Saxon people]] of [[Southern England]]. [[Celtic languages|Celtic speech]] remained in most areas of the Pennines longer than it did in the surrounding areas of England. Eventually, the Celtic tongue of the Pennines was replaced by early [[English language|English]] as Anglo-Saxons and Vikings settled the area and assimilated the Celts.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Social History of English|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dy-EAgAAQBAJ&q=Celtic+speech+remained+in+most+areas+of+the+Pennines+longer+than+it+did+in+the+surrounding+areas+of+England&pg=PA15|page=15 |publisher=Routledge |date=2005 |first=Dick |last=Leith |isbn=113471145X |access-date=9 November 2017}}</ref>
===Celtic and Roman times===
The Pennines would have come under the tribal federation of the [[Brigantes]]. This tribal federation was made up of mainly small tribes who inhabited the Pennines and cooperated on defence and external affairs. The Brigantes later evolved into an early form of kingdom.


During the [[Viking Age]] Scandinavian settlers brought their language, [[Old Norse]]. The fusion of Norse influences into Old English was important in the formation of [[Middle English]] and hence Modern English, and many individual [[List of English words of Old Norse origin|words of Norse descent]] remain in use in local dialects, such as [[Yorkshire accent and dialect|that of Yorkshire]], and in local place names.
During Roman times, the Brigantes came under Roman domination. The Romans exploited the Pennines for the natural resources and wild animals found there.


===Early Middle Ages===
==Folklore and customs==
The folklore and customs are mostly based on [[Celts|Celtic]], [[Anglo-Saxon]] and [[Viking]] customs and folklore.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} Many customs and stories have their origin in Christianised pagan traditions.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} In the Peak District, a notable custom is [[well dressing]], which has its origin in pagan traditions that became Christianised.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ritual Journeys With Great British Goddesses|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t6xf9nYgsxAC&q=peak+district+well+dressing+pagan+traditions+christianised&pg=PA148|page=148|first=Susie |last=Fox |publisher=Trafford Publishing |isbn=978-1466946521 |date=2012 |access-date=9 November 2017}}</ref>
The Pennines were a major obstacle for [[Anglo-Saxon]] expansion west, although it appears they travelled through the Pennine valleys. During the [[Dark Ages]] the Pennines came under a number of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. It is believed that the north of the area first came under the kingdom of [[Rheged]]. There were later three kingdoms which were solely based in the Pennines though.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} These were: The Kingdom of the Pennines and later the Kingdom of the Pennines broke up{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}} and was succeeded by [[Dunod Fawr|Dunoting/Kingdom of the North Pennines]] and [[Peak District|The Peak/Kingdom of the South Pennines]].


==Flora==
During Norse times the Pennines were settled by [[Denmark|Viking Danes]] in the east and [[Norway|Norwegian Vikings]] in the west. The Vikings left a lot of influence on place names, culture and genetics. When England was unified the Pennines were incorporated into it.
Flora in the higher Pennines is adapted to [[moorland]] and subarctic landscapes and climates. The flora found there can be found in other areas of moorland in [[Northern Europe]] and some species are also found in areas of [[tundra]]. In the Pennine millstone grit areas above an altitude of {{convert|900|ft}} the topsoil is so acidic, [[pH]] 2 to 4, that it can grow only [[bracken]], [[Ericaceae|heather]], [[sphagnum]], and coarse grasses<ref name="DB" /> such as [[cottongrass]], [[Molinia caerulea|purple moor grass]] and [[Juncus|heath rush]].<ref name=kelsall>{{cite book |title=The Yorkshire Dales: South and West |last1=Kelsall |first1=Dennis |first2=Jan |last2=Kelsall |year=2008 |publisher=Cicerone |location=Milnthorpe |isbn=978-1-85284-485-1 |page=26}}</ref> As the [[Ice age]] [[Ice sheet|glacial sheets]] retreated c.&nbsp;11,500 BC trees returned and archaeological [[palynology]] can identify their species. The first trees to settle were willow, birch and juniper, followed later by alder and pine. By 6500 BC temperatures were warmer and woodlands covered 90% of the dales with mostly pine, elm, lime and oak. On the limestone soils the oak was slower to colonize and pine and birch predominated. Around 3000 BC a noticeable decline in tree pollen indicates that neolithic farmers were clearing woodland to increase grazing for domestic livestock, and studies at [[Linton, North Yorkshire|Linton Mires]] and [[Eshton|Eshton Tarn]] find an increase in grassland species.<ref name=landcape>{{Cite book |last=White |first=Robert |title=The Yorkshire Dales, A landscape Through Time |orig-year=1997 |edition=new |year=2005 |publisher=Great Northern Books |location=Ilkley, Yorkshire |isbn=1-905080-05-0}}</ref> On poorly drained impermeable areas of millstone grit, shale or clays the topsoil gets waterlogged in winter and spring. Here tree suppression combined with the heavier rainfall results in [[blanket bog]] up to {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on|0|order=flip}} thick. The erosion of peat still exposes stumps of ancient trees.<ref name=landcape/>
The Pennines with their mixture of Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Viking heritage resembled much of the rest of [[Northern England]] and the culture developed along with the area's lowland neighbours in North West and North East England. The Pennines did not form a distinct political entity of their own, but instead were subdivided between neighbouring counties in North East and North West England, with a major part being in the ceremonial county of [[Yorkshire]].
{{blockquote|text="In digging it away they frequently find vast fir trees, perfectly sound, and some oaks&nbsp;..."|sign= [[Arthur Young (writer)|Arthur Young]]|source= ''A Six Months' Tour of the North of England'' (1770)<ref name="young">{{cite book |author-link=Arthur Young (agriculturist) |first=Arthur |last=Young |date=1770 |title=A Six Months' Tour of the North of England |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TOA_AQAAMAAJ&q=in+digging+it+away&pg=PA270 |page=270 |publisher=W. Strahan}}</ref>}}


Limestone areas of the Pennines in the [[White Peak]],<ref name="cressbrook">{{cite web |url=https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/nature-reserves-important-plant-areas/nature-reserves/deep-dale |title=Deep Dale |publisher=Plantlife |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref> Yorkshire Dales<ref name="dales_plantlife">{{cite web |url=https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/nature-reserves-important-plant-areas/important-plant-areas/yorkshire-dales-limestone |title=Yorkshire Dales Limestone IPA |publisher=Plantlife |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref> and [[Upper Teesdale]]<ref name="plantlife_teesdale">{{cite web |url=https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/nature-reserves-important-plant-areas/important-plant-areas/moor-house-upper-teesdale |title=Moor House to Upper Teesdale IPA |publisher=Plantlife |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref> have been designated as nature reserves or Important Plant Areas by the botanical conservation charity [[Plantlife]],<ref name="ipas">{{cite web |url=https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/nature-reserves-important-plant-areas/important-plant-areas |title=Important Plant Areas |publisher=Plantflie |access-date=1 August 2020}}</ref> and are nationally important for their wildflowers.
===Other history===
The Pennines were the major route for the [[Jacobite Rising|Jacobite]] attacks on England. They also became highly exploited in the [[Victorian era]].


==Language==
==Fauna==
[[File:Two grouse "picked" after the previous day's shoot. - geograph.org.uk - 547403.jpg|thumb|left|Shooting of [[red grouse]] is an economically important activity in the Pennines.{{Citation needed|reason=I can't find any sources which confirm significant economic importance.|date=March 2023}}]]
The language used in pre-Roman and Roman times was [[British language|British]]. During the [[Early Middle Ages]], the [[Cumbric language]] developed. However, little evidence of Cumbric remains, so it is difficult to ascertain whether or not it was a language in its own right or simply a dialect of [[Old Welsh language|Old Welsh]]. It is also uncertain as to the extent of the region in which Cumbric was spoken.


Fauna in the Pennines is similar to the rest of [[Fauna of England|England]] and [[Fauna of Wales|Wales]], but the area hosts some specialised species. Deer are found throughout the Pennines and some species of animals that are rare elsewhere in England can be found here. [[Arctic hare]]s, which were common in Britain during the Ice Age and retreated to the cooler, more tundra-like uplands once the climate warmed up, were introduced to the [[Dark Peak]] area of the [[Peak District]] in the 19th century.
During [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] times (the area was settled by Anglian peoples of [[Mercia]] and [[Northumbria]], rather than the [[Saxon people]] of [[Southern England]]). [[Celtic languages|Celtic speech]] remained in most areas of the Pennines longer than it did in the surrounding areas of [[England]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} Eventually, the Celtic tongue of the Pennines was replaced by early [[English]] as Anglo-Saxons and Vikings settled the area and assimilated the Celts.


Large areas of heather moorland in the Pennines are managed for [[driven grouse shooting|driven shooting]] of wild [[red grouse]]. The related and declining [[black grouse]] is still found in northern parts of the Pennines. Other birds whose English breeding strongholds are in the Pennines include [[European golden plover|golden plover]], [[common snipe|snipe]], [[Eurasian curlew|curlew]], [[dunlin]], [[Merlin (bird)|merlin]], [[short-eared owl]], [[ring ouzel]] and [[twite]],<ref name="BTO93Atlas">{{cite book |title=The New Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland: 1998–1991 |author=Gibbons|publisher=T & A D Poyser |isbn=0-85661-075-5 |year=1993|display-authors=etal}}</ref> though many of these are at the southern limit of their distributions and are more common in Scotland.
In [[Old Norse|Norse]] times, [[Viking]] settlers brought their languages of Old Norse, [[Danish language|Old Danish]] (mainly in the [[Yorkshire Dales]] and parts of the [[Peak District]]) and [[Old Norwegian]] (mainly in the western Pennines). With the eventual consolidation of England by the Saxon [[Wessex|kingdom of Wessex]], the pure Norse speech died out in England, though it survived in the Pennines longer than in most areas{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}. However, the fusion of Norse and Old English was an important part of the formation of Middle (and hence, Modern) English, and many individual words of Norse descent remain in use in local dialects, such as [[Yorkshire accent and dialect|that of Yorkshire]], and in local place names.

[[Anglo-Norman language|Norman French]] had little effect on the language of the Pennines though.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} All of the above languages have had an influence, either large or small on the modern placenames of the Pennines. The modern language of the Pennines is English.

==Folklore and customs==
The folklore and customs are mostly based on [[Celtic]], [[Anglo-Saxon]] and [[Viking]] customs and folklore. Many customs and stories have their origin in Christianised pagan traditions.


== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Dark Peak]]
* [[Geography of England]]
* [[White Peak]]
* [[Geology of Great Britain]]
* [[Yorkshire Three Peaks]]
* [[Geology of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Geology of Yorkshire]]
* [[Geology of Yorkshire]]
*[[North Pennines]]
* [[South Pennines]]
* [[South Pennines]]
* [[Yorkshire Three Peaks]]


== References ==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
* Arthur Raistrick, 'The Pennine Dales', Eyre Methuen Ltd 1968, ISBN 0413267601


== External links ==
== External links ==
{{Commons category|Pennines (hills)}}
* [http://www.pennineedgeforest.org.uk The Pennine Edge Forest Network]
* [http://www.pennineprospects.co.uk Pennine Prospects]
* [http://www.pennineedgeforest.org.uk/ The Pennine Edge Forest Network]
* [http://www.pennineprospects.co.uk/ Pennine Prospects]
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Pennine Chain |short=x}}


{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Europe]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of the Pennines|*]]
[[Category:Physiographic provinces]]


[[Category:Pennines| ]]
[[be:Пенінскія горы]]
[[Category:Mountain ranges of England]]
[[br:Peninoù]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Derbyshire|Pennines]]
[[ca:Penins]]
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[[Category:Mountains and hills of Cumbria|Pennines]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Greater Manchester|Pennines]]
[[da:Penninerne]]
[[de:Pennines]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of Yorkshire|Pennines]]
[[Category:Hills of Northumberland|Pennines]]
[[es:Peninos]]
[[Category:Hills of Staffordshire]]
[[eu:Peninoak]]
[[Category:Mountains and hills of England]]
[[fr:Pennines]]
[[Category:Physiographic provinces]]
[[id:Pennines]]
[[Category:Northern England]]
[[is:Pennínafjöll]]
[[it:Monti Pennini]]
[[lt:Peninai]]
[[hu:Pennine-hegység]]
[[nl:Penninisch Gebergte]]
[[ja:ペナイン山脈]]
[[no:Penninene]]
[[pl:Góry Pennińskie]]
[[pt:Peninos]]
[[ru:Пеннинские горы]]
[[simple:Pennines]]
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[[sv:Penninerna]]
[[tr:Pennine Dağları]]
[[uk:Пеннінські гори]]
[[zh:奔宁山脉]]

Latest revision as of 00:49, 26 October 2024

Pennines
Northern England and adjoining areas, showing the general extent of the Pennines
Highest point
PeakCross Fell
Elevation893 m (2,930 ft)
Coordinates54°42′10″N 2°29′14″W / 54.70278°N 2.48722°W / 54.70278; -2.48722
Geography
Map
LocationNorthumberland, Cumbria, County Durham, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire
CountriesEngland, United Kingdom

The Pennines (/ˈpɛnnz/), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills,[1] are a range of uplands mainly located in Northern England. Commonly described as the "backbone of England" because of its length and position, the range runs from Derbyshire and Staffordshire in the north of the Midlands to Northumberland in North East England. From the Tyne Gap in the north, the range extends south through the North Pennines, Yorkshire Dales, South Pennines, and Peak District to end near the valley of the River Trent.[2][3] The Border Moors and Cheviot Hills, which lie beyond the Tyne Gap, are included in some definitions of the range.

The range is divided into two by the Aire Gap, a wide pass formed by the valleys of the rivers Aire and Ribble. There are several spurs off the main Pennine range east into Greater Manchester and Lancashire, comprising the Rossendale Fells, West Pennine Moors, and Bowland Fells.[4][5] The Howgill Fells and Orton Fells in Cumbria are also sometimes considered to be Pennine spurs.[6][7] The Pennines are an important water catchment area, with numerous reservoirs in the head streams of the river valleys.

Most of the range is protected by national parks and national landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Running north to south, and including the Cheviots, the range is within Northumberland National Park, the North Pennines National Landscape, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Nidderdale National Landscape, the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, and the Peak District National Park.[8][9] The only significant unprotected gap is the area between Skipton and Marsden.

Britain's oldest long-distance footpath, the 268-mile (429 km) Pennine Way, runs along most of the Pennines.[10]

Name

[edit]

Various etymologies have proposed treating "Pennine" as a native Brittonic/Modern Welsh name related to pen- ("head").[12] It did not become a common name until the 18th century and almost certainly derives from modern comparisons with the Apennine Mountains, which run down the middle of Italy in a similar fashion.[11][dubiousdiscuss]

Following an 1853 article by Arthur Hussey,[13] it has become a common belief that the name derives from a passage in The Description of Britain (Latin: De Situ Britanniæ),[15] an infamous historical forgery concocted by Charles Bertram in the 1740s and accepted as genuine until the 1840s. In 2004, George Redmonds reassessed this, finding that numerous respected writers passed over the origin of the mountains' name in silence even in works dedicated to the topological etymology of Derbyshire and Lancashire.[11] He found that the derivation from Bertram was widely believed and considered uncomfortable.[11] In fact, Redmonds found repeated comparisons with the Italian Apennines going back at least as early as William Camden (1551–1623),[16] many of whose placenames and ideas Bertram incorporated into his work. Bertram was responsible (at most) with popularizing the name against other contenders such as Daniel Defoe's "English Andes".[11] His own form of the name was the "Pennine Alps" (Alpes Peninos), which today is used for a western section of the continental Alps. Those mountains (the area around the St. Bernard Pass) derive their name from the Latin Alpes Pœninæ whose name has been variously derived from the Carthaginians,[17] a local god,[18] and Celtic peninus.[19] The St. Bernard Pass was the pass used in the invasions of Italy by the Gallic Boii and Lingones in 390 BC. The etymology of the Apennines themselves—whose name first referred to their northern extremity and then later spread southward—is also disputed but is usually taken to derive from some form of Celtic pen or ben ("mountain, head").[20][21][22]

Various towns and geographical features within the Pennines have names of Celtic origin, including Pennington, Penrith, Pen-y-ghent, Pendle Hill, the River Eden, and Cumbria. More commonly, local names result from Anglo-Saxon and Norse settlements. In Yorkshire, Teesdale, and Cumbria, many words of Norse origin, not commonly used in standard English, are part of everyday speech: for example, gill/ghyll (narrow steep valley), beck (brook or stream), fell (hill), and dale (valley).[23] Northumbrian/borders terms are used in South Tynedale, Weardale, and Allendale, such as burn (stream), cleugh (ravine), hope (valley), law (hill) and linn (waterfall).

Geography

[edit]
Rombalds Moor, South Pennines

The northern Pennine range is bordered by the foothills of the Lake District, and uplands of the Howgill Fells, Orton Fells, Border Moors and Cheviot Hills. The West Pennine Moors, Rossendale Valley[4] and Forest of Bowland[5] are western spurs, the former two are in the South Pennines. The Howgill Fells[6] and Orton Fells[7] are sometimes considered to be part of the Pennines, both inside the Yorkshire Dales National Park.[24] The Pennines are fringed by extensive lowlands including the Eden Valley, West Lancashire Coastal Plain, Cheshire Plain, Vale of York, Humberhead Levels and the Midland Plains.

Scenery in the Forest of Bowland

The main range of the Pennines start from its southern end at the Weaver Hills in the Peak District.[25] The southern foothills of the range merge into the valley and basin of the River Trent,[26] separating the range from the Midland Plains to the south. The Pennines continue northwards across the Peak District and adjoin the South Pennines approximately around the Tame Valley, Standedge and Holme Valley. The South Pennines are separated from the Forest of Bowland by the Ribble Valley, and include the Rossendale Valley and West Pennine Moors in the west.[27] The range continues further north into the Aire Gap which separates the Yorkshire Dales from the South Pennines to the south and the Forest of Bowland to the southwest.[28] The main range then continues northwards across the Yorkshire Dales to the Stainmore Gap where it adjoins the North Pennines. The range continues into its northern end at the Tyne Gap,[29] separating it from the Border Moors and Cheviot Hills across the Anglo-Scottish border.

Although the Pennines cover the area between the Peak District and the Tyne Gap, the Pennine Way affects perceptions of the southern and northern extents of the defined area. The southern end of the Pennines is said to be in the High Peak of Derbyshire at Edale, the start of the Pennine Way,[6] but the main range continues south across the Peak District to the Weaver Hills,[25] with its foothills merging into the Trent Valley.[26] This encompasses eastern Cheshire, northern and eastern Staffordshire, and southern Derbyshire.[6][30][31] Conversely, the Border Moors and Cheviot Hills, separated by the Tyne Gap and Whin Sill, along which run the A69 and Hadrian's Wall, are not part of the Pennines but, perhaps because the Pennine Way crosses them, they are treated as such.[6]

Stanage Edge in the Peak District

Most of the Pennine landscape is characterised by upland areas of high moorland indented by more fertile river valleys, although the landscape varies in different areas. The Peak District consists of hills, plateaus and valleys, divided into the Dark Peak with moorlands and gritstone edges, and the White Peak with limestone gorges.[32] The South Pennines is an area of hills and moorlands with narrow valleys between the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales.[33] Bowland is dominated by a central upland landform of deeply incised gritstone fells covered with tracts of heather-covered peat moorland, blanket bog and steep-sided wooded valleys linking the upland and lowland landscapes.[34] The landscape is higher and more mountainous in the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines. The Yorkshire Dales are characterised by valleys, moorlands and fells[35] while the North Pennines consist of plateaus, moorlands, fells, edges and valleys, with most of the higher peaks in the west.[29]

Elevation

[edit]
Cross Fell, the highest point of the Pennines

Rising less than 3,000 feet (900 m), the Pennines are fells, with most of the mountainous terrain in the north. The highest point is Cross Fell in eastern Cumbria, at 2,930 feet (893 m) and other principal peaks in the North Pennines are Great Dun Fell 2,782 ft (848 m), Mickle Fell 2,585 ft (788 m), and Burnhope Seat 2,451 ft (747 m). Principal peaks in the Yorkshire Dales include Whernside 2,415 ft (736 m), Ingleborough 2,372 ft (723 m), High Seat 2,328 ft (710 m), Wild Boar Fell 2,324 ft (708 m) and Pen-y-ghent 2,274 ft (693 m). Principal peaks in the Forest of Bowland include Ward's Stone 1,841 ft (561 m), Fair Snape Fell 1,710 ft (521 m), and Hawthornthwaite Fell 1,572 ft (479 m). Terrain is lower towards the south and the only peaks which exceed 2,000 ft (610 m) are Kinder Scout 2,087 ft (636 m) and Bleaklow 2,077 ft (633 m) in the Peak District. Other principal peaks in the South Pennines and Peak District include Black Hill 1,909 ft (582 m), Shining Tor 1,834 ft (559 m), Pendle Hill 1,827 ft (557 m), Black Chew Head 1,778 ft (542 m), Rombalds Moor 1,319 ft (402 m) and Winter Hill 1,496 ft (456 m).

Drainage

[edit]
Ribblesdale, Yorkshire Dales

For much of their length the Pennines are the main watershed in northern England, dividing east and west. The rivers Eden, Ribble, Dane and tributaries of the Mersey (including the Irwell, Tame and Goyt) flow westwards towards the Irish Sea.

On the eastern side of the Pennines, the rivers Tyne, Wear, and Tees all drain directly to the North Sea. The Swale, Ure, Nidd, Wharfe, Aire, Calder and Don all flow into the Yorkshire Ouse, and reach the sea through the Humber Estuary.

The River Trent flows around the southern end of the Pennines and northwards on the eastern side taking water from tributaries, principally the Dove and Derwent. The Trent drains the east and west sides of the southern Pennines, also reaching the North Sea through the Humber Estuary. The Trent and Ouse meet and enter the Humber at Trent Falls. Maximum discharge through the Humber can reach 1,500 m3/s (53,000 cu ft/s).[36]

Climate

[edit]
A snow-covered Whernside, Yorkshire Dales

According to the Köppen classification, the Pennines generally have a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) like the rest of England, but the uplands have more precipitation, stronger winds and colder weather than the surrounding areas. Some of the higher elevations have a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc), which may border a tundra (ET) and subarctic climate (Dfc) in areas like Great Dun Fell.[37]

More snow falls on the Pennines than on surrounding lowland areas due to the elevation and distance from the coast; unlike lowland areas of England, the Pennines can have quite severe winters.

The northwest is amongst the wettest regions of England and much of the rain falls on the Pennines. The eastern side is drier than the west—the rain shadow shields northeast England from rainfall that would otherwise fall there.

Precipitation is important for the area's biodiversity and human population. Many towns and cities are located along rivers flowing from the range and in northwest England the lack of natural aquifers is compensated for by reservoirs.

Water has carved out limestone landscapes in the North Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and Peak District, with gorges and caves present in the Yorkshire Dales and Peak District. In some areas, precipitation has contributed to poor soils, resulting in part in moorland landscapes that characterize much of the range. In other areas where the soil has not been degraded, it has resulted in lush vegetation.

For the purpose of growing plants, the Pennines are in hardiness zones 7 and 8, as defined by the USDA. Zone 8 is common throughout most of the UK, and zone 7 is the UK's coldest hardiness zone. The Pennines, Scottish Highlands, Southern Uplands and Snowdonia are the only areas of the UK in zone 7.

Climate data for Great Dun Fell, North Pennines
WMO ID: 03227; coordinates 54°41′02″N 2°27′05″W / 54.68401°N 2.45132°W / 54.68401; -2.45132 (Great Dun Fell 2); elevation: 847 m (2,779 ft); 1991–2020 normals
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.6
(34.9)
1.6
(34.9)
2.8
(37.0)
5.4
(41.7)
8.6
(47.5)
11.0
(51.8)
12.5
(54.5)
12.3
(54.1)
10.1
(50.2)
6.8
(44.2)
4.0
(39.2)
2.1
(35.8)
6.6
(43.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.4
(31.3)
−0.5
(31.1)
0.6
(33.1)
2.7
(36.9)
5.6
(42.1)
8.2
(46.8)
10.0
(50.0)
9.8
(49.6)
7.8
(46.0)
4.8
(40.6)
2.1
(35.8)
0.0
(32.0)
4.2
(39.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.4
(27.7)
−2.6
(27.3)
−1.6
(29.1)
0.0
(32.0)
2.7
(36.9)
5.5
(41.9)
7.5
(45.5)
7.4
(45.3)
5.6
(42.1)
2.8
(37.0)
0.2
(32.4)
−2.1
(28.2)
1.9
(35.4)
Source: Met Office[38]

Geology

[edit]
Limestone scenery at Thor's Cave, Peak District

The Pennines have been carved from a series of geological structures whose overall form is a broad anticline whose axis extends in a north–south direction. The North Pennines are coincident with the Alston Block and the Yorkshire Dales are coincident with the Askrigg Block. In the south the Peak District is essentially a flat-topped dome.

Each of the structures consists of Carboniferous limestone overlain with Millstone Grit. The limestone is exposed at the surface in the North Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District. In the Dales and the White Peak, limestone exposure has caused the formation of large cave systems and watercourses. In the Dales the caves or potholes are known as "pots" in the Yorkshire dialect. They include some of the largest caves in England at Gaping Gill, more than 350 ft (107 m) deep and Rowten Pot, 365 ft (111 m) deep. Titan in the Peak District, the deepest shaft known in Britain, is connected to Peak Cavern in Castleton, Derbyshire, the largest cave entrance in the country. Erosion of the limestone has led to geological formations, such as the limestone pavements at Malham Cove.

Between the northern and southern areas of exposed limestone between Skipton and the Dark Peak is a belt of exposed gritstone. Here the shales and sandstones of the Millstone Grit form high hills occupied by moorland covered with bracken, peat, heather and coarse grasses;[39] the higher ground is uncultivable and barely fit for pasture.

History

[edit]
A prehistoric settlement on Harkerside Moor in Swaledale

The Pennines contained Bronze Age settlements, and evidence remains of Neolithic settlement including many stone circles and henges, such as Long Meg and Her Daughters.[40]

The uplands were controlled by the tribal federation of the Brigantes, made up of small tribes who inhabited the area and cooperated on defence and external affairs. They evolved an early form of kingdom. During Roman times, the Brigantes were dominated by the Romans who exploited the Pennines for their natural resources including the wild animals found there.

The Pennines were an obstacle for Anglo-Saxon expansion westwards, although it appears the Anglo-Saxons travelled through the valleys. During the Dark Ages the Pennines were controlled by Celtic and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. It is believed that the north Pennines were under the control of the kingdom of Rheged.

During Norse times the Pennines were settled by Viking Danes in the east and Norwegian Vikings in the west. The Vikings influenced place names, culture and genetics. When England was unified the Pennines were incorporated. The mix of Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Viking heritage resembled much of the rest of northern England and its culture developed alongside its lowland neighbours in northwest and northeast England. The Pennines were not a distinct political polity, but were divided between neighbouring counties in northeast and northwest England; a major part was in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Demography

[edit]

The Pennine region is sparsely populated by English standards. Larger population centres are in the foothills and lowlands fringing the southern Pennine range, such as Barnsley, Chesterfield, Halifax, Huddersfield, Macclesfield, Oldham, Bury, Rochdale, Middleton, and Stockport but most of the northern Pennine range is thinly populated.[41] The cities of Bradford, Derby, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and Wakefield are also in the surrounding foothills and lowlands. The Pennines contain the highest village in the United Kingdom, Flash, at 1,519 feet (463 m), near the southern end of the range in Staffordshire.[42]

Economy

[edit]
Tunsted Quarry, Peak District

The main economic activities in the Pennines include sheep farming, quarrying, finance and tourism. In the Peak District, tourism is the major local employment for park residents (24%), with manufacturing industries (19%) and quarrying (12%) also being important while 12% are employed in agriculture.[43] Limestone is the most important mineral quarried, mainly for roads and cement, while other extracted materials include shale for cement and gritstone for building stone.[44] The springs at Buxton and Ashbourne are exploited to produce bottled mineral water and there are approximately 2,700 farms in the National Park.[45] The South Pennines are predominantly industrial, with the main industries including textiles, quarrying and mining,[46] while other economic activities within the South Pennines include tourism and farming.[47]

Although the Forest of Bowland is mostly rural, the main economic activities in the area include farming[48] and tourism.[49] In the Yorkshire Dales, tourism accounts for £350 million of expenditure every year while employment is mostly dominated by farming, accommodation and food sectors. There are also significant challenges for managing tourism, farming and other developments within the National Park.[50] The main economic activities in the North Pennines include tourism, farming, timber and small-scale quarrying, due to the rural landscape.[51]

Transport

[edit]
The Pennines are traversed by several passes, mostly aligned with major rivers

Gaps that allow west–east communication across the Pennines include the Tyne Gap between the Pennines and the Cheviots, through which the A69 road and Tyne Valley railway link Carlisle and Newcastle upon Tyne. The A66 road, its summit at 1,450 feet (440 m), follows the course of a Roman road from Scotch Corner to Penrith through the Stainmore Gap between the Eden Valley in Cumbria and Teesdale in County Durham. The Aire Gap links Lancashire and Yorkshire via the valleys of the Aire and Ribble. Other high-level roads include Buttertubs Pass, named from limestone potholes near its 1,729-foot (527 m) summit, between Hawes in Wensleydale and Swaledale and the A684 road from Sedbergh to Hawes via Garsdale Head which reaches 1,100 feet (340 m).[52]

Further south the A58 road traverses the Calder Valley between West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester reaching 1,282 feet (391 m) between Littleborough and Ripponden, while the A646 road along the Calder Valley between Burnley and Halifax reaches 764 feet (233 m) following valley floors. In the Peak District the A628 Woodhead road links the M67 motorway in Greater Manchester with the M1 motorway in South Yorkshire and Holme Moss is crossed by the A6024 road, whose highest point is near Holme Moss transmitting station between Longdendale and Holmfirth.[52]

The Pennines are traversed by the M62 motorway, the highest motorway in England at 1,221 feet (372 m) on Windy Hill near Junction 23.[52]

Three trans-Pennine canals built during the Industrial Revolution cross the range:

A British Rail train about to enter the western portal of Woodhead 3, shortly before closure in 1981

The first of three Woodhead Tunnels was completed by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway in 1845, engineered by Charles Vignoles and Joseph Locke. At the time of its completion in 1845, Woodhead 1 was one of the world's longest railway tunnels at a length of 3 miles 13 yards (4,840 m); it was the first of several trans-Pennine tunnels including the Standedge and Totley tunnels, which are only slightly longer. The first two tunnels were replaced by Woodhead 3, which was longer at 3 miles 66 yards (4860m). It was bored for the overhead electrification of the route and completed in 1953. The tunnel was opened by the transport minister Alan Lennox-Boyd on 3 June 1954.[54] It was designed by Sir William Halcrow & Partners. The line was closed in 1981.

The London and North Western Railway acquired the Huddersfield and Manchester Railway in 1847 and built a single-line tunnel parallel to the canal tunnel at Standedge with a length of 3 miles, 57 yards (4803 m). Today rail services along the Huddersfield line between Huddersfield and Victoria and Piccadilly stations in Manchester are operated by TransPennine Express and Northern. Between 1869 and 1876 the Midland Railway built the Settle-Carlisle Line through remote, scenic regions of the Pennines from near Settle to Carlisle passing Appleby-in-Westmorland and other settlements, some a distance from their stations. The line has survived, despite difficult times[55] and is operated by Northern Rail.[56]

The Trans Pennine Trail, a long-distance route for cyclists, horse riders and walkers, runs west–east alongside rivers and canals, along disused railway tracks and through historic towns and cities from Southport to Hornsea (207 miles/333 km).[57] It crosses the north–south Pennine Way (268 miles/431 km) at Crowden-in-Longdendale.

National Parks and AONBs

[edit]
National parks and AONBs in Northern England

Considerable areas of the Pennines are protected as UK national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are afforded much the same protection as national parks. The national parks within the Pennines are the Peak District National Park (1) and the Yorkshire Dales National Park (7) with the Northumberland National Park (9) sometimes also included.

The North Pennines AONB just north of the Yorkshire Dales rivals the national park in size and includes some of the Pennines' highest peaks and its most isolated and sparsely populated areas. Other AONBs are Nidderdale east of the Yorkshire Dales, and the Bowland Fells, including Pendle Hill, west of the Yorkshire Dales.

Language

[edit]

The language used in pre-Roman and Roman times was Common Brittonic. During the Early Middle Ages, the Cumbric language developed. Little evidence of Cumbric remains, so it is difficult to ascertain whether or not it was distinct from Old Welsh. The extent of the region in which Cumbric was spoken is also unknown.

During Anglo-Saxon times the area was settled by Anglian peoples of Mercia and Northumbria, rather than the Saxon people of Southern England. Celtic speech remained in most areas of the Pennines longer than it did in the surrounding areas of England. Eventually, the Celtic tongue of the Pennines was replaced by early English as Anglo-Saxons and Vikings settled the area and assimilated the Celts.[58]

During the Viking Age Scandinavian settlers brought their language, Old Norse. The fusion of Norse influences into Old English was important in the formation of Middle English and hence Modern English, and many individual words of Norse descent remain in use in local dialects, such as that of Yorkshire, and in local place names.

Folklore and customs

[edit]

The folklore and customs are mostly based on Celtic, Anglo-Saxon and Viking customs and folklore.[citation needed] Many customs and stories have their origin in Christianised pagan traditions.[citation needed] In the Peak District, a notable custom is well dressing, which has its origin in pagan traditions that became Christianised.[59]

Flora

[edit]

Flora in the higher Pennines is adapted to moorland and subarctic landscapes and climates. The flora found there can be found in other areas of moorland in Northern Europe and some species are also found in areas of tundra. In the Pennine millstone grit areas above an altitude of 900 feet (270 m) the topsoil is so acidic, pH 2 to 4, that it can grow only bracken, heather, sphagnum, and coarse grasses[39] such as cottongrass, purple moor grass and heath rush.[60] As the Ice age glacial sheets retreated c. 11,500 BC trees returned and archaeological palynology can identify their species. The first trees to settle were willow, birch and juniper, followed later by alder and pine. By 6500 BC temperatures were warmer and woodlands covered 90% of the dales with mostly pine, elm, lime and oak. On the limestone soils the oak was slower to colonize and pine and birch predominated. Around 3000 BC a noticeable decline in tree pollen indicates that neolithic farmers were clearing woodland to increase grazing for domestic livestock, and studies at Linton Mires and Eshton Tarn find an increase in grassland species.[61] On poorly drained impermeable areas of millstone grit, shale or clays the topsoil gets waterlogged in winter and spring. Here tree suppression combined with the heavier rainfall results in blanket bog up to 7 ft (2 m) thick. The erosion of peat still exposes stumps of ancient trees.[61]

"In digging it away they frequently find vast fir trees, perfectly sound, and some oaks ..."

— Arthur Young, A Six Months' Tour of the North of England (1770)[62]

Limestone areas of the Pennines in the White Peak,[63] Yorkshire Dales[64] and Upper Teesdale[65] have been designated as nature reserves or Important Plant Areas by the botanical conservation charity Plantlife,[66] and are nationally important for their wildflowers.

Fauna

[edit]
Shooting of red grouse is an economically important activity in the Pennines.[citation needed]

Fauna in the Pennines is similar to the rest of England and Wales, but the area hosts some specialised species. Deer are found throughout the Pennines and some species of animals that are rare elsewhere in England can be found here. Arctic hares, which were common in Britain during the Ice Age and retreated to the cooler, more tundra-like uplands once the climate warmed up, were introduced to the Dark Peak area of the Peak District in the 19th century.

Large areas of heather moorland in the Pennines are managed for driven shooting of wild red grouse. The related and declining black grouse is still found in northern parts of the Pennines. Other birds whose English breeding strongholds are in the Pennines include golden plover, snipe, curlew, dunlin, merlin, short-eared owl, ring ouzel and twite,[67] though many of these are at the southern limit of their distributions and are more common in Scotland.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "What are the landforms of England?". Project Britain. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. ^ Poucher, W. A. (1946). The Backbone of England. A photographic and descriptive guide to the Pennine range from Derbyshire to Durham. Guildford and Esher: Billing and Sons Limited.
  3. ^ Edwards, W.; Trotter, F. M. (1975). The Pennines and Adjacent Areas. Handbooks on the Geology of Great Britain (3rd ed.). London: HMSO (published 1954). p. 1. ISBN 0-11-880720-X.
  4. ^ a b Dudley Stamp, L. (1946). "Britain's Structure and Scenery". Nature. The Fontana New Naturalist Series. 158 (4023) (1960 ed.). London and Glasgow: Collins: 809. Bibcode:1946Natur.158..809T. doi:10.1038/158809a0. S2CID 4074834.
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