Hard Knott Fort - Eskdale

[snozz]

Had an overnighter near Hard Knott fort on Friday. (http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/hardknott-pass.htm )

Was a very interesting spot - built on a knoll overlooking the valley with a very steep drop off to one side of it. Fantastic mist covered mountains. Can't imagine what the 500 Dalmation soldiers posted there thought of it. Was only inhabited about 20 years they reckon.

Had a bath house and sauna though

Snozz

 

[kodiakjoe]

bath house and a sauna - that's not exactly rough camping is it

Nice pics Snozz, Eskale is a lovely part of the Lakes.

Once came down the wrong valley at the end of a six hour walk and ended up on the other side of Hardknott pass from the car. Slogged over the pass back to the car, only to find it had a flat tyre at least it wasn't raining!

Did you camp in the lee of the walls?

 

[wattsy]

one of the most remote forts in britain surrounded by hostile brigantes, cold and wet to boot, i don't envy them their sauna one bit

matt

 

[Retired Member southey]

Brilliant looking spot! Unrelated, I cant wait for game of thrones to start again

 

[Paul_B]

We once walked over Harter Fell from Duddon valley to the pub on a wet day. Then spent an afternoon drinking in the pub. Just to allow our clothes to dry off honest!! Then a hard slog over Hard Knott pass and 1.5 miles back down the road from Cockley Beck. It is amazing how quickly the steepness of the hill sobered us up. It was dark, early January and the temp was dropping fast so it is still not an area I like even after all these years!!!

Great photos. The fort is worth a look see if you are in the area.

 

[Dreadhead]

braw pictures cheers for sharing them, looks like a great place tae camp out

 

[snozz]

bath house and a sauna - that's not exactly rough camping is it

Nice pics Snozz, Eskale is a lovely part of the Lakes.

Did you camp in the lee of the walls?

Actually, it was chucking it down the night before so we cheated and stopped at Dungeon Ghyll campsite (had to test the beer in the Hikers bar!)

 

[kodiakjoe]

(had to test the beer in the Hikers bar!)

love the Hiker's bar, great character pub. Heaving in summer, but great in winter when there's the chance of a seat

 

[Shewie]

Great pics snozz, I need to visit that way a bit more

 

[nickliv]

I've spent a night or 2 in the fort, years ago. More recently I was disappointed to learn that the walls you see today aren't roman.

 

[John Fenna]

I did my Summer ML over that way (about 30 odd years ago!) ... tried to drive over the pass Eto W but were stopped by ice ... we had to turn the car around on the straight bit of one of the top zig zags then go the long way round to Eskdale OB!
We did our night nav in snow over Crinkle Crags and I **** the assessor off by building a snowman on every summit we reached over the whole assessment .. muttering about it being a Summer ML
The walls may not be on Roman footings - but those stones look to be Roman cut blocks!
Looks a great place still

 

[wattsy]

yeah the walls were restored but they were quite substantial before the restoration if you look in the first and third pics on the OP you can clearly see a slate course in the wall which marks the original height (before restoration).

 

[Paul_B]

I think a lot of Roman sites consist of re-built walls but I think they are on the sites of the original usually. Think it was the Victorians who decided it was a good idea to build the walls up. Still makes a good tourist spot and nice views to boot!! Anyway I'm sure the stones would have been scavenged from the area anyway so likely to be Roman just not in the original spot perhaps. Would not enjoy being a Roman soldier there. More likely they were not Roman but from one of the tribes within the Empire. I always thought the worst places to be were mostly avoided by actual Romans soldiers but could be wrong.