Hardknott and Wrynose

The two steepest passes in the Lake District, one after the other: over Wrynose from Little Langdale, then up the hairpins of Hardknott to the Roman fort above Eskdale. Then it's over Birker Fell to the Duddon Valley, and down to Broughton.

The drive

From Ambleside the road runs out past Skelwith Bridge into Little Langdale, and starts to climb. Wrynose Pass is steep, narrow and twisting, and at the top stands the Three Shire Stone, where Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire used to meet. The far side drops to Cockley Beck, at the head of the Duddon Valley.

Then comes Hardknott, which shares the title of England's steepest road, with stretches of 1 in 3 and hairpins to match. Below the top on the Eskdale side, the Romans built a fort on a shelf above the valley, and its walls still stand.

Eskdale is gentler. At Boot the little railway from Ravenglass reaches the end of its line, and from there the road climbs over Birker Fell, open moor with the fells all round, then drops to Ulpha in the Duddon Valley and runs down to Broughton in Furness.

Worth knowing

• Wrynose and Hardknott are single track, with passing places and hairpins tighter than they look. Give yourself, and your clutch, plenty of time.
• They're no place for a caravan or anything long, and they close in snow and ice.
• Use a low gear on the way down as well as the way up, and pull in to let others by.
• The Roman fort is free to walk round, from a small car park by the road.