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Journey to Cross
Fell
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A Journey up to Cross-fell Mountain.
THE following account of Cross-fell, will entertain
such of your readers whose genius inclines them to the
description of romantic scenes.
A mountain that is generally ten months bury'd in snow, and
eleven in clouds, cannot fail of exciting the attention and
curiosity of a traveller.
That immense ridge of mountains, which are reputed the
British Alps, make their first appearance in
Derbyshire, and are thence continu'd in one chain of
different elevations to the river Tweed. The
Lancashire and Copland heights, with those in
Yorkshire and Durham, being only detach'd
parts of this great body, such as are remarkably eminent
have particular names assign'd them, whilst the general
ridge bears one appellation for several miles together.
Cross-fell, tho' distinguished in none of our county
maps, is most singularly eminent, whether you regard its
height, or the immense base it stands on, being above 20
miles in circumference; in some parts the rise is very
leisurely and gradual, in others more rugged and
perpendicular, emitting considerable streams to both seas.
This insensible ascent removes its top to a very great
distance from the inhabited plains, and being in a manner
encompassed with other desolate and barren mountains, it
retains the snow much longer than any other we can see in
Britain, there being some who affirm that it has
continued sometimes for seven whole years together.
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