Hardknott Pass, Cumbria

Hardknott Pass

Location : Boot
Map - Ordnance Survey - NY 222015

The foot of Hard Knott Pass.
The foot of Hard Knott Pass in Eskdale. The left track leads to Brotherilkeld Farm.

Hardknott Pass, and then Wrynose Pass in the Lake District, is a single track road right through the middle of the Lake District, and is very steep and twisting, but great fun.

Hardknott Pass carries the minor motor road between Eskdale and the Duddon Valley. Wrynose Pass then continues, taking the road to the Langdale Valley, and on to Ambleside.

The Hardknott Pass vies with Rosedale Chimney in North Yorkshire for the title of steepest road in England, with both achieving a gradient of 1 in 3 (about 33%).

Hard Knott Roman Fort
Hard Knott Fort and Eskdale, with Brotherilkeld Farm lower right.
Photo by Ann Bowker

Hard Knott Fort (known to the Romans as MEDIOBOGDUM) is near the Eskdale end of Hard Knott Pass The fort, one of the loneliest outposts of the Roman Empire, built between AD120 and AD138, is on a spectacular site overlooking the pass which forms part of the Roman road from Ravenglass to Ambleside and Brougham at Penrith.

Hard Knott Pass.
Hard Knott Pass from the Roman Fort. Photo by Matthew Emmott

Hard Knott Pass.
Just below the steepest of the hairpin bends on Hardknott Pass.
Notice all the tyre marks on the road. Photo by David Hall

Hard Knott Pass.
From near the top of Hard Knott pass, looking back into Eskdale.
Photo by Mick Knapton - April 19th 2005.

Hard Knott Pass.
The road snakes its way up the Duddon Valley side of the pass.
Photo by Christopher Kennett - 18th June 2004.

Hard Knott Pass.
And the save view at night.
Photo by Roger Savage, ABIPP, Greystoke, Penrith.