harter Fell Route 1
Climb the striking triangular peak of Harter Fell and visit Hardknott Roman fort on a short circular walk over quiet moorland with Jonathan Cook.
Find spectacular views from eskdale
This short but rewarding circular walk into the picturesque moorland lying above the Esk Valley takes walkers away from the crowds into a world of craggy outcrops and grassy knolls.
The route starts at the foot of Hardknott Pass – said to be the steepest road in England – and begins by crossing Jubilee Bridge, the little packhorse bridge spanning Hardknott Gill that commemorates the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. Initially, the path traverses the fellside, climbing steadily before the impressive pyramidal peak of Harter Fell comes into view, a fell Wainwright described as simply ‘beautiful’.
After crossing the barren and wet-attimes Birker Fell the real climb begins, tackling a series of grassy knolls before crossing a short plateau and following a series of cairns to the three rocky tors and triangulation point that mark the summit of Harter Fell. On a clear day, spectacular views stretch as far as the Duddon Estuary to the west while the impressive Eskdale skyline can be seen to the north.
The descent re-crosses the pathless-at-times Birker Fell below the rocky Demming Crag and joins the forest edge en route to a little tarn just below Peathill Crag before finally joining the Hardknott Pass road. The final section descends Hardknott via a roadside path. Be sure to explore the spectacular Roman fort remains and walls, which sit high up on the grassy spur, concluding an original and varied walk.