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A trip to the
Roman fort at Hardknott is
probably not for those of a nervous disposition!!
The drive up
the steep, winding, narrow road through Hardknott and Wynose passes is
often tricky and always a little frightening (especially when icy), but
this adds to the experience, as the setting of the fort is spectacular and
the scenery incredible. Surely this must have been one of the most
isolated and remote Roman outposts in the UK.
The Roman road, called the 10th iter, ran
from the coastal fort at Ravenglass (Glannaventa) up the Eskdale Valley to
Hardknott Fort before continuing over the Hardknott and Wynose passes
towards the other Roman forts at Ambleside (Galava) and Kendal beyond.
Hardknott Roman Fort is situated on the western side of Hardknott pass
with commanding views down the Eskdale valley.
Built between AD120 and AD138 during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, Hardknott Fort (Mediobogdum)
appears to have been occupied initially only briefly before being
re-occupied probably in the late 2nd century. It housed a cohort of
500 men, the fourth Cohort of Dalmatians, infantry soldiers from
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Living at 815ft above sea
level, they guarded the Roman road between Ambleside and Ravenglass
from invasion by the Scots and Brigantes. The fort is 375 feet square, and covers an area of
around 2 and three quarter acres. The fort was sacked in 197AD.
A short walk
from small parking area brings you to the bath house, situated just
outside the main gate of the fort. Upslope from here are the remains
of the parade ground.
Main
Gate
Excavation of the fort took place in the
late 19th century and again in the 1950s and 60s. Much of the fort has
been rebuilt from rubble at the site: the walls surround the fort on all
four sides, some stand to over 8 feet high in places. Inside
the fort, the foundations and walls of the soldiers
barracks, the commanders house and the granaries can still be seen.
The fort had towers at each corner and gateways on the four sides.
The entire site is very well signed with information boards by the
National Trust and English Heritage, explaining the layout and the
history.
The views from the fort on all sides are
stunning.
View
from inside the fort down the valley to the sea
During bad weather in the winter,
Hardknott and Wynose passes may be impassable: during the busy summer
months, the passes may be equally as difficult to navigate, due to the
number of vehicles and the narrowness of the road (only wide enough
for one car at a time) and the tight bends!
View of the fort taken from the pass. Note the commanding
position of the fort looking down the valley to the sea - and the
narrowness of the road!
© HUK
How to get here:
Hardknott Fort is in Eskdale in
the western Lake District, beside the road connecting Raveglass on
the Cumbrian coast with Ambleside.
On
guard at Hardknott Fort
USEFUL
LINKS
English Heritage - Hardknott Fort
Accommodation in
The Lake District
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