Often said to be the `` backbone of England '' , they form an unbroken range stretching from the Peak District in the Midlands , through the Yorkshire Dales , parts of Greater Manchester , the West Pennine Moors of Lancashire and Cumbrian Fells to the Cheviot Hills on the Scottish border . Often described as the `` backbone of England '' , they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire , around the northern and eastern edges of Greater Manchester , through the Yorkshire Dales past the Cumbrian Fells to the Cheviot Hills on the Anglo-Scottish border .