English Lake District Guided Tours, Wild Mountain Pass

Tour E - Wild Mountain Pass Tour

An exhilarating journey over the steepest passes in England to Wastwater - voted by ITV viewers as Britains' most favourite view!

Tour Highlights

Hardknott Roman Fort
Steam train through the beautiful valley of Eskdale
The deepest darkest lake of Wastwater - voted as Britains favourite view by ITV viewers
Sweeping moorland and sea views
Beautiful Coniston Water
Optional Pub lunch.

This tour follows narrow mountain roads on what must be one of the most spectacular drives in England over the passes of Wrynose and Hardknott. View the high mountains, moors, raging rivers, waterfalls and mysterious lakes - if you like your scenery wild but your ride in comfort then this is the tour for you!.

09:30	Pick up from your guesthouse. We travel up the eastern shore of Lake Windermere towards Ambleside, enjoying superb views of mountain and lake. Leaving the main road we enter the beautiful valley of Little Langdale. Old miner's cottages and isolated farms dot the landscape as we climb up the steep road with gradients of 1 in 3 to reach the summit of Wrynose Pass at 1281ft.
10:00	After enjoying the far reaching views we begin our descent following the old Roman Road that served the soldiers stationed at Hardknott Fort – our next stop. To get there we take the even steeper road that switchbacks to reach the summit of Hardknott Pass at 1291ft. From here we can see the sea and Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England that looms over the remains of Hardknott Fort.
10:30	We have time to wander the walls of the Fort, enjoy the views and wonder what it must have been like to live in this remote outpost of the Roman Empire.
11:15	It is a short drive to Eskdale one of the Lake Districts most beautiful and hard to reach valleys. We stop at Dalegarth station to board the narrow gauge steam train known as 'Lil Ratty' for the delightful journey through Eskdale.
12:00	Rejoin your tour bus for a pub lunch in a traditional English Inn.
13:20	After lunch we visit Wastwater which at 360 feet is the deepest of all the lakes. Approx 3 miles long and half a mile wide it occupies an almost spiritual setting surrounded by high mountains and towering screes. We stop here with time to stretch our legs and take photos. At the head of the valley is St Olafs church – the smallest in England and host to England's biggest liar competition.
15:00	Our journey continues through the red sandstone houses of Gosforth enjoying sweeping views of the sea. We pass Muncaster Castle before heading inland across the wild moorland of Corney Fell. Here we enjoy the uninterrupted views to the mountains on one side and the sea on the other before arriving at Coniston village and the picturesque lake.
16:15	Arrive back in Bowness / Windermere to end a perfect day out.
	TOUR PRICE PER PERSON Adult £38 Child (aged 4-11) £25 Tour operates Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon with a minimum of four persons. Other days may be available on request. WHAT YOUR TOUR INCLUDES o Services of driver guide o Pick up and drop off in the Bowness, Windermere, Kendal, Ambleside area o Reasonable deviations from normal schedule on request o Train ride on Lil Ratty o The most beautiful scenery in England! WHAT YOUR TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE o Lunch o Personal expenses/tips BOOK HERE