Great Dun Fell
{{Short description|Mountain in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox mountain
| photo = Great_dun_fell.jpg
| photo_caption = The radar station on the summit
| photo_alt = Photo shows a large white golfball-style radar dome, with two smaller radar domes and a number of other antenna; all set against a dramatic cloudy sky.
| map = England
| map_caption = Location of Great Dun Fell within England
| map_alt = Map of England, showing the location of Great Dun Fell within Cumbria
| parent_peak = Cross Fell
| country = United Kingdom
| subdivision1 = Cumbria
| subdivision1_type = County
| range = North Pennines
| coordinates = {{coord|54.6831|-2.4513|region:GB-CMA_type:mountain_source:enwiki-osgb36(NY710321)}}
| coordinates_note =
| grid_ref_UK = NY710321
| topo = OS Landranger 91
}}
At a height of {{convert|848|m}}, Great Dun Fell is the second-highest mountain in England's Pennines, lying {{convert|2|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} south along the watershed from Cross Fell, its higher neighbour. Together with its smaller twin, Little Dun Fell, which reaches {{convert|842|m|abbr=on}},{{cite web | url = http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/mountaindetails.php?rf=2709| title = Little Dun Fell | publisher = Hill Bagging | accessdate = 26 July 2016}} it forms a stepping-stone for the Pennine Way on its long climb up from Dufton. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Westmorland, the ceremonial county of Cumbria, and the modern unitary authority area of Westmorland & Furness.
Radar station
At the summit there is a radar station which is operated by National Air Traffic Services and is a key part of the Air Traffic Control system for Northern England and Southern Scotland. A radome containing Primary Surveillance radar (PSR) and Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) antennas, various towers and fencing crown the summit. Alfred Wainwright abhorred the old radio station (removed in the 1980s) in his book Pennine Way Companion.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}
The construction of the radar station led to the repaving of a tarred road to the summit, which became Britain's highest road. This road is marked as private from just above the village of Knock, and is not open to public motor vehicles. However, it is a bridleway until shortly before the radar station, so it is open to walkers, cyclists and horseriders.{{cite book|first=Rob|last=Ainsley|title=50 Quirky Bike Rides|publisher=Eye Books|year=2008|page=187|isbn=9781903070550 |url=http://www.bike99.com/44.html|access-date=2012-11-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325041542/http://www.bike99.com/44.html|archive-date=2013-03-25|url-status=dead}}
= Field station =
The University of Manchester formerly had a permanent meteorological observatory at the Great Dun Fell site. It has hosted a number of field experiments doing research into clouds and their interactions with pollution. As the summit is in cloud for two thirds of the year it is an ideal location for this type of research. The university still has the option to use the site for short-term measurement periods.{{cite web |url=http://www.cas.manchester.ac.uk/restools/fieldstations/greatdunfell/ |title=Great Dun Fell Field Station | publisher=University of Manchester Centre for Atmospheric Science |access-date=19 July 2014}}
Hushing
There are the remains of hushing gulleys on the slopes of the mountain, created during lead mining of the Industrial Revolution.
Climate
Under the Köppen climate classification, Great Dun Fell has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc), closely bordering both a subarctic climate (Dfc) under the {{convert|0|C|F}} isotherm and an alpine tundra climate (ET) due to a July mean of exactly {{convert|10|C|F}}. The Met Office station publishes only temperature and frost averages. The summers are cool due to elevation. Considering its elevation and a latitude of over 54 degrees, winters are relatively mild due to oceanic influences.{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gcwr04zvq|title=Great Dun Fell 2 climate|publisher=Met Office|accessdate=5 August 2015}}
{{Weather box
|location = Great Dun Fell {{Convert|847|m|ft|abbr=on}}, 1991-2020 averages, 2000–present records.{{efn|Mean monthly absolute maximum and minimum temperatures are for the period 2000–2021.}}
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C= 15.3
|Feb record high C= 12.1
|Mar record high C= 14.7
|Apr record high C= 18.0
|May record high C= 22.0
|Jun record high C= 21.6
|Jul record high C= 27.2
|Aug record high C= 29.7
|Sep record high C= 21.0
|Oct record high C= 18.7
|Nov record high C= 17.2
|Dec record high C= 14.3
|year record high C=
| Jan avg record high C = 7.5
| Feb avg record high C = 7.9
| Mar avg record high C = 9.9
| Apr avg record high C = 12.6
| May avg record high C = 15.7
| Jun avg record high C = 18.1
| Jul avg record high C = 20.0
| Aug avg record high C = 17.6
| Sep avg record high C = 15.8
| Oct avg record high C = 12.5
| Nov avg record high C = 10.2
| Dec avg record high C = 8.1
| year avg record high C = 22.0
| 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 =
| Jan mean C = -0.4
| Feb mean C = -0.4
| Mar mean C = 0.7
| Apr mean C = 2.7
| May mean C = 5.7
| Jun mean C = 8.3
| Jul mean C = 10.0
| Aug mean C = 9.9
| Sep mean C = 7.9
| Oct mean C = 4.8
| Nov mean C = 2.1
| Dec mean C = 0.1
|year mean C =
| Jan low C = -2.4
| Feb low C = -2.5
| Mar low C = -1.5
| 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 = -2.0
|year low C =
| Jan avg record low C = -6.6
| Feb avg record low C = -7.1
| Mar avg record low C = -5.9
| Apr avg record low C = -3.8
| May avg record low C = -1.7
| Jun avg record low C = 1.7
| Jul avg record low C = 4.0
| Aug avg record low C = 3.9
| Sep avg record low C = 1.6
| Oct avg record low C = -1.3
| Nov avg record low C = -4.6
| Dec avg record low C = -5.9
| year avg record low C = -8.5
|Jan record low C= -12.5
|Feb record low C= -11.3
|Mar record low C= -9.0
|Apr record low C= -8.2
|May record low C= -5.6
|Jun record low C= -1.1
|Jul record low C= 1.3
|Aug record low C= 0.0
|Sep record low C= -1.2
|Oct record low C= -5.7
|Nov record low C= -9.9
|Dec record low C= -10.4
|year record low C=
|source 1 = Met Office{{cite web
| url =http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gcwr04zvq | title = Great Dun Fell 2 climate| accessdate =22 December 2021|publisher = Met Office}}
|source 2 = Meteomanz{{cite web | url=http://www.meteomanz.com/sy4?l=1&cou=6040&ind=03227&y1=2000&y2=2021 | title=GREAT DUN FELL NO2 - Weather data by years }}
}}
{{noteslist
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://cyclinguphill.com/great-dun-fell/ Cycling Uphill]
{{North Pennines}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Air traffic control in the United Kingdom
Category:Mountains and hills of the Pennines
Category:Mountains and hills of Cumbria
{{Cumbria-geo-stub}}