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| North Pennines | |
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 Cauldron Snout in the North Pennines AONB
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| Country | England |
| County | County Durham, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Cumbria |
| Location | North-east England |
| Animal | Red Squirrel |
The North Pennines is the northernmost part of the so-called 'backbone of England', the range of hills which runs through the centre of the northern half of England, from north to south.
Overview
It has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for its moorland scenery, the product of centuries of farming and leadmining. It was designated as an AONB in 1988 and at almost 2000 square km it is the second largest of the 40 AONBs in England and Wales. Isaac's Tea Trail is a circular route of 58 kilometers around the area, running from Ninebanks via Allendale, Nenthead and Alston. In addition to this, a large section of the Pennine Way falls in the AONB, including one of the most celebrated stretches through Teesdale, a lush valley with dramatic river scenery including the twin attractions of High Force and Cauldron Snout.
The AONB is notable for rare flora and fauna, including wild alpine plants not found elsewhere in Britain. It is also home to red squirrels, diverse birds of prey and 40% of England's remaining hay meadows. These features, along with a unique geological heritage, resulted in the AONB becoming Britain's first UNESCO-designated European Geopark in 2003. A year later the area become one of the founding members of the UNESCO Global Geopark family.
Another of the North Pennines' oddities is that it is home to England's only named wind, the Helm Wind. It has caught out many walkers traversing the plateaux around Cross Fell, the Eden Valley fellside, and the valleys in between Alston and Dufton.
The great English poet W. H. Auden spent much time in this area and some forty poems and two plays are set here. He referred to the region as his "Mutterland" his "great good place" and equated it with his idea of Eden. Scores of Pennine place-names are found in his work, including Cauldron Snout.
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