Pennines

Pennines or Pennine Hills, extensive range of hills, northern England, extending south from the Cheviot Hills on the southern border of Scotland to the Midland Plain of England. In the north-west, the Eden Valley separates the Pennines from the Lake District. In the south, the chain is broken by the Aire River, which traverses it in a general north-western to south-eastern direction, forming the Aire Gap. The Pennines cover parts of Northumberland; Cumbria; Durham; Lancashire; North, West, and South Yorkshire; Derbyshire; and Cheshire. The southern foothills extend into Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire. The highest point, Cross Fell, is 893 m (2,930 ft) above sea level. Many rivers drain the area, especially on the eastern side, most of them ultimately flowing into the Humber, Tees, or Tyne.

Sheep farming is the dominant land use, with tourism also playing an important role; the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, and Northumberland National Parks all take in parts of the Pennines. In 1965 the Pennine Way, a 400-km (250-mi) footpath, was established along the length of the Pennines, from the Vale of Edale in the Peak District, Derbyshire, to Kirk Yetholm in Borders, Scotland.