Furness Fells

Furness Fells
Name	Furness Fells
Country	England
Region	Cumbria
County	Cumbria
Coordinates	54°13′N 3°05′W
Elevation m	400–712
Range	Southern Lake District
Parent mountain range	Lake District
Area km2	120

Furness Fells is a compact upland area in the southern sector of the Lake District in Cumbria, England, characterized by rolling moorland, steep crags and a series of isolated high points. The Fells occupy a transitional zone between the coastal plain near Barrow-in-Furness and the central Lakeland massif, and they have been shaped by successive glaciations, industrial exploitation and pastoral land use. The area supports a mosaic of habitats that link to broader conservation networks such as Morecambe Bay and the Duddon Estuary while intersecting historic transport corridors including the A590 road and the Furness Railway.

Geography

The Furness Fells lie south of Eskdale and west of the Coniston Fells, bounded to the west by the tidal expanse of Duddon Sands and to the east by the urban hinterland of Barrow-in-Furness and Ulverston. Principal summits include isolated highs that form local landmarks visible from Walney Island and the approaches to Windermere, and several watersheds feed tributaries of the River Duddon and the River Leven. The spatial arrangement links the Fells to regional routes such as the Cumbria Coastal Way and the historic packhorse tracks to Kendal and Millom, placing the area within the matrix of northern English uplands and coastal lowlands.

Geology and Topography

Bedrock of the Furness Fells comprises sequences of volcanic tuffs and andesitic lavas assigned to the Borrowdale Volcanic Group which also underpins higher Scafell country, overlain in places by Permo-Triassic sandstones correlated with exposures at Kirkby-in-Furness. Glacial sculpting during the Last Glacial Maximum created corrie-like hollows and moraine remnants that echo landforms found at Wasdale and Langdale. The topography is a mix of steep crags, peat-covered plateaux and dissected valleys, with notable tors and craglines that mirror lithological joints seen near Coniston Old Man and Raven Crag. Mineral veins exploited in the 18th and 19th centuries relate to regional ore systems also mined at Coniston Coppermines and Haweswater catchments.

Ecology and Wildlife

Ecologically the Fells form a transitional upland-heath complex supporting heather-dominated moorland, acid grassland and fragmented upland oakwoods akin to stands in Grizedale Forest and Roudsea Wood. Bird assemblages include upland species such as red grouse, merlin, peregrine falcon and seasonal visitors like ring ouzel which connect populations found in Borrowdale and Eskdale. Mammal fauna comprises red deer, badger, otter in riparian corridors and small mammals that sustain predators common to Pennine and Cumbrian uplands. Peatland patches host sphagnum communities comparable with sites designated under the Ramsar Convention elsewhere in Cumbria, while aquatic habitats support populations of brown trout and invertebrate assemblages analogous to those recorded in the River Duddon Special Area of Conservation.

Human History and Settlement

Archaeological evidence points to prehistoric transhumance and field systems with parallels to Bronze Age remains in Seathwaite and Neolithic traces near Lindale, while remnants of medieval shielings and township boundaries reflect settlement patterns documented in Cartmel and Ulverston. During the Industrial Revolution the Fells were influenced by the expansion of the Furness Railway and the mining and quarrying linked to Coniston Coppermines and Harthwaite slate works, provisioning nearby industrial towns such as Barrow-in-Furness and Millom. Land tenure historically involved large estates associated with families recorded in the archives of Holker Hall and the enclosure acts that reshaped commons across northern England, leaving a legacy of droveways and estate cottages similar to those found at Levens Hall and Gawthwaite.

Recreation and Access

The Furness Fells provide opportunities for hillwalking, birdwatching and heritage trails that connect to long-distance routes including the Cumbria Way and the Coast to Coast Walk. Access is facilitated by minor roads from Ulverston and Broughton-in-Furness, public footpaths and permissive routes often managed in partnership with organisations such as the National Trust and the RSPB which also promote visitor engagement at nearby reserves. Climbing and scrambling are concentrated on discrete crags used by local clubs affiliated with the British Mountaineering Council, while angling and kayaking take place on upland tarns and rivulets that feed into the Duddon and Leven catchments.

Conservation and Management

Conservation of the Furness Fells is delivered through a mixture of statutory designations and voluntary stewardship, with links to the Lake District National Park Authority landscape policies and biodiversity action plans that align with targets set by Natural England and the Environment Agency. Management priorities reflect peatland restoration, heather burning regimes coordinated with local estates, and invasive species control consistent with strategies employed across Cumbria and the North West England ecological networks. Collaborative projects involving the RSPB, local wildlife trusts and farming associations seek to reconcile grazing, recreation and ecosystem services while contributing to regional initiatives such as the Morecambe Bay Partnership and cross-boundary conservation frameworks.

Category:Geography of Cumbria Category:Lake District