Hard Knott
549m (1802ft)
The Southern Fells, The Lake District, Cumbria, England
You can find Hard Knott & all the walks that climb it on these unique free-to-access Interactive Walk Planning Maps: (click/TAP to select)
1:25,000 scale OS Explorer Map (the ones with orange/yellow covers):
1:50,000 scale OS Landranger Maps (the ones with pink/magenta covers):
See Hard Knott and the surrounding tops on our free-to-access 'Google Style' Peak Bagging Maps:
See Hard Knott and the surrounding tops on our downloadable PDF Peak Bagging Maps:
*Walk & bag all 30 Wainwrights in The Southern Fells area of The Lake District in just 11 easy-to-follow circular walks.
*This version is marked with the walk routes you need to follow to Walk all 214 Wainwrights in just 59 walks. Click here for more information.
NB: Whether you print off a copy on to paper or download it to your phone, these PDF Peak Baggers Maps will prove incredibly useful when your are up there on the tops and you cannot get a phone signal!
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 6.25ml (10km) |
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| Ascent: | 1,756ft (535m) |
| Time: | 4 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Moderate) |
Route Summary:
Eskdale - Jubilee Bridge - Hardknott Pass - Hardknott Castle. (Roman Fort) - Hardknott Pass - Hard Knott - Yew Bank - Lingcove Beck - Lingcove Bridge - Great Moss - River Esk - Jubilee Bridge - Eskdale
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Vital Statistics:
| Length: | 12.25ml (19.5km) |
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| Ascent: | 3,568ft (1,087m) |
| Time: | 8 hrs |
| Grade: |  (Hard) |
Route Summary:
Eskdale - The Woolpack Inn - Doctor Bridge - Low Birker - Birker Force - Low Birker Tarn - Green Crag (Ulpha Fell) - Crook Crag - Harter Fell (Eskdale) - Dunnerdale Forest - Hardknott Pass - Hardknott Gill - Hard Knott - Yew Bank - Lingcove Beck - Lingcove Bridge - Great Moss - Brotherilkeld - Taw House Farm - Wha House Farm - The River Esk - The Woolpack Inn - Eskdale
Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Hard Knott
Tim Winn walked up Hard Knott on May 17th, 2025 [from/via/route] Hard Knott Pass [with] Jane [weather] Dry. Sunny.
James Hughes climbed Hard Knott on April 29th, 2025 [from/via/route] c402 Harter Fell & Hard Knott from Eskdale [weather] Glorious sunny day. Warm & clear. - Up to Green Crag from Woolpack Inn. Issue locating path initially as permissive path at Low Birker overshoots it. Boggy between Green Crag & Harter Fell. Awesome views at top. Relatively easy ascent to Hard Knott. Long descent back to WoolpackInn alongside beautiful Lingcove Beck.
Caroline Winter bagged Hard Knott on October 11th, 2024 [from/via/route] Hardknott pass by cairn, raven crag edge, Border End, Hardknott fell [with] Solo [weather] Predicted good views, sun & cloud, but drizzle & cloud descending over Scafell. - Reasonable views over Scafell ranges. At the grassy knoll below Border End could view the needle. Decided to go up to Border End cairn & could see great aerial views of the Roman ruins
Richard Fulcher hiked Hard Knott on June 22nd, 2024 [from/via/route] Drove around the back of the Lakes to Eskdale & parked near Hardknott Castle. After having a look at the Roman remains we walked up a path that joined with the road near the top of Hardknott pass. From there we turned left & followed a stony & later boggy path up to Hard Knott. Returned by the same route. [with] Jen [weather] Sunny with some cloud, no rain but blustery on the tops. - Fantastic view towards Scafell & Scafell Pike.
Christine Shepherd summited Hard Knott on August 19th, 2009 [from/via/route] Walked from the bottom of Hard Knott Pass Climbed again on 20.11.2021. Walked from Jubilee Bridge for my third ascent on 10.5.24.in glorious weather. Had the best views I have ever had from the summit. [with] On my own [weather] Wet & warm
Ian Ashton conquered Hard Knott on July 8th, 2023 [from/via/route] Jph [with] JPH
Richard Marchant scaled Hard Knott on September 17th, 2022 [from/via/route] Parked at at a forest car park about 4 miles from Cockley Beck further down in Dunnerdale. From here I walked North up to Hard Knott Pass & across the road up to Hard Knott. I returned to the pass & headed south up on to Harter Fell then on again to Green Cragg. Then from here I headed Eastward across the moor to Dunnerdale Forest & descended back to the car. [with] On my Own [weather] Clear Sunny day with little or no breeze.
Michael Nolan walked up Hard Knott on October 13th, 2021 [from/via/route] hard Knott pass [with] Morag [weather] Drizzled
John King climbed Hard Knott on September 4th, 2021 [from/via/route] Hard Knott Pass [weather] Overcast & cool & little wind
John Fenwick bagged Hard Knott on September 27th, 2020 [from/via/route] Walked from the wool pack in. Weather was perfect for walking. Followed walk c402 took a couple of wrong turns along the way. [with] Romany [weather] Sunny with some clouds & some wind. - There is no cattle grid top of Hard Knott Pass as stated on the directions. Headed back via roman hill fort from Hard Knott back down road as we ran out of time to finish.
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More Photographs & Pictures of views from, on or of Hard Knott
From left to right: Slight Side and Sca Fell, Mickledore, Scafell Pike, Ill Crag and Great End, Esk Hause, Esk Pike, Bow Fell (Bowfell), Crinkle Crags (Long Top), Cold Pike, Little Stand and finally the shoulder of Grey Friar from the summit of Hard Knott
Harter Fell (Eskdale) (back), Hard Knott and The Lingcove Valley from Bow Fell (Bowfell) summit cairn
*Northernly Panorama from the summit of Hard Knott featuring Sca Fell, Scafell Pike, Esk Pike, Bow Fell (Bowfell), Gunson Knott, Crinkle Crags (Long Top) and Crinkle Crags (South Top)
Hard Knott summit cairn - with Esk Pike, Bow Fell (Bowfell) and Crinkle Crags gracing the skyline
Looking south west towards Hard Knott, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Lingcove Bridge and Eskdale from the summit of Bow Fell (Bowfell)
Send us your photographs and pictures on, of, or from Hard Knott
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