Eskdale

Eskdale is a long, green valley running from the coast at Ravenglass up into the high fells around Scafell and Bowfell. It is one of the gentlest and least visited of the major Lakeland valleys, with oak woods, a fine river and scattered villages, chiefly Eskdale Green and Boot.

The best way in is by the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, the narrow gauge line known locally as La'al Ratty, which runs seven miles from Ravenglass to Dalegarth station near Boot. Boot is a tiny hamlet with a restored watermill, Eskdale Mill, and a couple of pubs, and from it paths climb to Burnmoor Tarn and on towards Wasdale. Stanley Ghyll Force, a waterfall in a deep wooded ravine, is a short walk from Dalegarth.

At the head of the valley, Hardknott Pass climbs in sharp bends to the remains of Hardknott Roman Fort, perched on a spur with a spectacular view down Eskdale to the sea. Above it lie the upper Esk, the wild amphitheatre of Great Moss and the long approach to Scafell Pike from the south. Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, when the woods are colourful and the railway still runs but the valley is quiet.

Hardknott Pass and Wrynose Pass, the road in from Langdale, are among the steepest roads in England, with gradients of up to one in three; they are unsuitable for caravans and difficult in winter. There is no bus up the valley, but the railway runs most of the year.