HARDKNOTT CASTLE

Cumberland

A more dramatic setting is hard to imagine than the Roman Fort known as Hardknott Castle standing high in the Lake District's hills.  The approach along the winding Hardknott Pass is not for the faint-hearted - particularly if the weather is anything less than perfect!  When we first visited the weather was so bad that the tripod sank into the ground.

However, the torturous drive IS worth it for some of the most breathtaking views in Britain, which tend to overshadow the Castle completely.

The Fort dates to shortly before the construction of Hadrian's Wall, and is one of a set of three (the other survivor being at Ambleside) and covers around 3 acres, with a flattened parade ground to the North (from where this picture was taken). It can't have been a very popular place for Roman soldiers to be stationed as in anything but the best of weather the site is bleak in the extreme.

The Fort is owned by English Heritage and is accessible as anything could be in such a remote place. But a visit is strongly recommended if only because a more exciting drive cannot be found in this country!

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2002