England
Lake District
England's toughest passes, framed by its biggest fells.
- Road guides
- 5
- Miles covered
- ≈ 50
- Twistiest
- Hardknott Pass
- Nation
- England
The Lake District packs lakes, fells and the hardest road passes in England into a small area. Hardknott and Wrynose are bucket-list climbs; Kirkstone and Honister are grand, and the A591 links it all together.
Single-track mountain passes with extreme gradients in the west, busier scenic A-roads in the centre. Tourist traffic is heavy from Easter to October.
Road guides
Roads in the Lake District
Hardknott Pass
Hardknott Pass shares the title of steepest road in England, with sections around 1 in 3 and tight hairpins on a single-track lane. Past the Roman fort, it is a bucket-list climb that demands respect.
Wrynose Pass
Wrynose Pass climbs from Little Langdale to the Three Shire Stone, where Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire once met. It is almost as steep as Hardknott and the two are usually driven together.
Kirkstone Pass
The A592 over Kirkstone Pass is the highest pass in the Lake District open to motor traffic. It climbs from Windermere past the Kirkstone Pass Inn and down to Brothers Water and Ullswater.
Honister Pass
Honister Pass climbs out of Borrowdale to the old slate mine, then drops dramatically into the Buttermere valley. Gradients reach around 1 in 4 and the scenery is some of the finest in the Lakes.
Windermere to Keswick
The A591 is the spine of the Lake District, passing Ambleside, Rydal Water and Grasmere before climbing over Dunmail Raise to Thirlmere and Keswick. It is more scenic than challenging, and the ideal link road.