Farlam is a fell-side parish set at the foot of the North Pennine Fells, some 400 feet above Brampton. It falls to a large extent within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It was the sight of these fells that prompted Francis Jollie, the early 19th-century writer to say:-We now approach the mountains on the borders of Northumberland, which are heavy and disagreeable, but to atone for their bare surface and unpleasant appearance, they produce great quantities of coal and limestone (Jollie’s Cumberland Guide and Directory,I8II Chap 9 route from Carlisle by the east).
This coal and stone helped provide income for the Earls of Carlisle and led to the area’s involvement with early rail development.
These disagreeable hills have a far more agreeable use today because they are largely used for recreation, with a large area under the management of the RSPB as the Geltsdale Bird Sanctuary. It is ideal for walkers and bird watchers.
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