Through Dunnerdale Forest and Over Hardknott Pass: A Wild, Forgotten Road into the Past

by Veer Shah | Finding Solace in the Lake District

There are roads that take you forward.

And there are roads that take you back. Not just in direction, but in time.

To walk from the shadowy hush of Dunnerdale Forest, over Hardknott Pass, and into the desolate mystery of Eskdale, is to traverse a path carved not for efficiency but for memory. For echoes. For the quiet murmur of hooves and sandals worn by Roman legions, shepherds, wanderers. For those, like you and me, who walk not to arrive, but to understand.

Beginning: Among Trees That Whisper

If you begin in Dunnerdale Forest, the trail is hushed, moss-draped, and pulsing with that particular kind of silence only ancient woods hold. You feel as though you are being watched — not by people, but by the land itself. Oak and pine stretch upward through mist, and fallen trunks, furred with lichen, bridge invisible streams. There is an uncanny stillness here. A woodland poised between myth and memory.

You might hear voices. Or perhaps just leaves brushing against one another like old friends. There’s folklore in these woods of shadowy figures by the water, restless spirits caught in the glens, and Celtic tales of warriors swallowed by the land.

Climbing the Pass: Where the Road Grows Wild

The ascent to Hardknott Pass from here is both a physical and emotional climb. It’s not an easy path, and it wasn’t meant to be. The Roman soldiers who once built this route likely cursed its gradients just as much as modern-day cyclists and hikers do. But what a reward it offers.

Hardknott Pass, one of the steepest roads in England, curls up the fells like a silver snake: dizzying, defiant, dramatic. Whether you walk it or drive it, the land feels cinematic. Crags loom, streams burst through stone, and every bend reveals a new loneliness.

Look back as you climb. Coniston’s distant outline softens into haze. Ahead, the mountains of Eskdale rise, stark and brooding.

Hardknott Roman Fort: Standing in Ruins, Listening for Empires

Near the top, if you veer off slightly from the road, you’ll find the crumbled remains of Mediobogdum, the Hardknott Roman Fort and Thermae. It stands oddly intact against the harshness of its surroundings. A square of stone, wrapped in wind and cloud, staring down the valley like a memory refusing to be forgotten.

In the quiet, you can still feel the weight of time. You can still hear the march of sandals in gravel.

Even in ruin, the fort speaks: of empire, endurance, and the impossibility of permanence.

Descent into Eskdale: The Trail Dissolves

Beyond the pass, Eskdale unfolds in wide, windblown solitude. The trail begins to fade. You follow sheep tracks and water lines more than a marked path. But that’s part of the enchantment.

Tongue Pot and the River Esk call out for a stop. The terrain shifts again from harsh moor to green softness, tiny streams threading through rock, mist curling around you like a breath held too long.

You can end here. Or you can continue onward, as I did, toward Wasdale Head — the deep heart of this journey. But that’s another story. One I invite you to find within the pages of my book.

Trail Info

Start: Dunnerdale Forest (or continue west from Old Man of Coniston)

Route: Dunnerdale —> Climb Hardknott Pass —> Visit Hardknott Roman Fort —> Descend into Eskdale via river paths

Time: 5–6 hours with stops

Terrain: Moderate to challenging. Steep ascents, exposed ridgelines, boggy descent.

You can find the full 2 week Lake District route, including maps, stories, and wild stays, in my book:

Finding Solace in the Lake District: Written While Wandering

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