Fell - Definition and Overview

In geography a fell is a treeless mountain landscape that has been shaped by glacier ice earlier in history. It is the name used in the North of England for a large hill or small mountain, especially in the Lake District, made famous by the Victorian era poet laureate William Wordsworth. The valleys are known as dales.

Fell comes from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, whereas the words hill, down, or tor, used in the South, have their roots in Old English or Celtic. Mountain—the word used most often in North America—is from the Latin mons montis (via middle English and old French).

See also:

• Keswick, Cumbria
• Yorkshire Wolds
• Yorkshire Dales
• JRR Tolkien
• James Herriot
• Fennoscandia
• Fell Pony
• Fell Rail