Lake District
Hard Knott South Top
522M
1714FT
About Hard Knott South Top
Rising above the hairpin bends of the famous Hardknott Pass, this minor summit offers a rugged, rock-strewn landscape typical of the Southern Fells. While often overlooked for the main peak, it provides a quiet, heathery vantage point with a dramatic, steep-sided perspective down into the upper reaches of Eskdale.
Key Statistics
Rank
376th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Southern Fells
Prominence
?
23.6m
Nearest Town
Ulpha
Geology
Hard Knott South Top is built from layers of ancient lava and compressed volcanic ash, remnants of powerful eruptions that forged this rugged landscape.
Classifications
Find It
Latitude
54.4073°N
Longitude
3.1870°W
Did You Know?
- •The name derives from the Old Norse words 'harthr' and 'knutr', which combine to mean 'hard, craggy hill'—a fitting description for the fractured igneous rock that litters this terrain.
- •On the lower western slopes lies the spectacularly situated Hardknott Roman Fort (Mediobogdum), built during the reign of Hadrian to guard the strategic mountain pass.
- •The summit provides a clear, unencumbered view south across the Duddon Valley to the distinctive, conical profile of Harter Fell and the distant, shimmering sands of the Duddon Estuary.
- •Being slightly detached from the main Hard Knott summit, this top offers a superior angle for observing the Scafell massif, looking directly into the high wild basin of Great Moss.
- •It serves as an ideal, quiet grandstand for watching the slow, pained progress of motorists attempting the 1-in-3 gradients of the pass below, safely removed from the sound of grinding gears.