Great Shunner Fell

Infobox Mountain
Name = Great Shunner Fell
Photo = Shunner.jpg
Caption = The last few yards to the summit
Elevation = 716 m (2,349 ft)
Location = North Yorkshire, ENG
Range = Yorkshire Dales
Prominence = "c." 297 m
Parent peak = Cross Fell
Coordinates =
Topographic
OS "Landranger" 98
Grid_ref_UK = SD848972
Listing = Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall

Great Shunner Fell is the third highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England, and the highest point in Wensleydale [cite web |url=http://www.dalesman.co.uk/walks/cotterdale.htm |title=Cotterdale and Great Shunner Fell |publisher=Dalesman.co.uk |monthyear=December 2003] , at 716 metres above sea level.

The Pennine Way passes over its summit, on the way from Hawes to Keld. The popularity of this route had eroded vegetation from a strip 70 m wide across the moor, which has been alleviated since 1996 by the construction of a path made of flagstones [cite web |url=http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/ranger_service_pennine_way |title=Pennine Way |publisher=Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority |year=2006] .

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

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

The dominating rock type in the area is limestone, but millstone grit forms outcrops extensively on Great Shunner Fell, and coal seams have also been worked on its slopes [cite web |url=http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/wensleydale_character_areas |title=Wensleydale character areas |publisher=Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority |year=2006] .

Great Shunner Fell is the most southerly remaining outpost in Great Britain for the yellow marsh saxifrage, "Saxifraga hirculus" [cite web |url=http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/yellow_marsh_saxifrage_saxifaga_hirculus_sap.pdf |title=Yellow marsh saxifrage "Saxifaga hirculus" species action plan |publisher=Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority] .

ee also

*List of peaks in the Yorkshire Dales
* is at coordinates coord|54.37008|-2.23546|type:mountain_region:GB|display=inline,title

References