Hardknott Pass & Wrynose Pass. Is this one of the most dangerous roads in England?

I've ridden these passes often enough, they are a lot of fun. The video flattens everything out a lot, it's much much steeper than it looks, especially Wrynose

Did this one 50 years ago with me and 3 friends in my dear old 1965 Hillman Minx car. Talk about brake fade! Two way traffic as well - terrifying and brilliant!

The problem is NONE of the youtube videos fully capture how tricky/scary it is. The cameras just don't do the gradients and turns justice.

I got to drive the pass shortly before I took my driving test (ca 1970). Both directions. Mother, brother and sister along for the ride: sister in nail-biting silence, brother lapping it up and mother having kittens all the way. My dad was of the opinion that if I could drive up without stalling and down again correctly using the gears for breaking I'd pass easily. Seems he was right.

Thank you for bringing back happy memories my husband and I had our honeymoon in the lakes, he worked in a garage in Ambleside and had to go and rescue drivers who had gotten into trouble. In the video I was fascinated by the cloud formations because I love clouds, so thank you again😊

Very much underrates the true impressiveness of the terrain!

Beautiful scenery-makes me appreciate what gorgeous countryside we have.

Happy memories! Our first time in the Lake District we booked the campsite at the other end of the pass (in complete ignorance of it) - arriving after dark in a rented and staggeringly underpowered Peugeot 208. Roads got smaller and smaller and suddenly it was pitch black with steep inclines and drops and no traffic. After dodging the occasional sheep suddenly appearing in the headlights, I hit the brake at the S-bend in the intro to avoid going over the edge. Then found the car literally could not hill-start in those conditions! After panicked rolling backwards towards the previous bend (in dark, with drops and walls) I only made it, with much clutch-burning, after my wife got out to lighten the load *just* enough...

Ancient yellow VW Golf 3 door hatchback with a worn clutch: rock climbing trip. It couldn’t make the last incline. The passenger door didn’t open….not did the handbrake hold it. The passenger slid his foot onto the brake pedal whilst myself and mate got out from the back ‘seat’ (no…no seat….sitting on foam sleeping mats with backpacks for a backrest) We then gave manual assistance to crest the hill. Good times…

Great memories, this has brought back, but the roads, wow, look really bad now.

Great film Yevhen,brought a lot of memories back of when my parents lived at nearby Seascale. We used to visit the Roman fort back in the 50s, early excavations then, massive difference now! Those two 1 in 3 bends (Eskdale side) were killers for clutches and nerves, my father would not risk it in his 1938 Austin 10 , rod brakes no discs and hydraulics then.

I spent a month up there on an outward bound course in 1968 , i was from a big dirty city and this was my first taste of what beauty was, I moved to New Zealand because of the lake districts affect on me, Thank you for this reminder.

Drove it once in August 1985 in a Saab 900 Turbo with a dodgy ignition controller. Quite interesting, especially as I was "enjoying" the wettest holiday of my entire now 77 year life.

We drove this in our 1956 Morris 1000 in 1975. It was a heatwave and the road surface was soft and melting. Every time I applied the brakes, the tyres squealed. Ascending blind hairpin bends on at times 1 in 3 hills was very scary. I had to apply full power and steering lock and pray. At least once the car couldn't make the hill, and I had to back and try and build up more speed. I was so hot and sweaty my shirt was stained red from the leatherette seat! Happy days! Thankyou for posting this video!

Wow, this brings back the memories, first time in 1973 in a knackered 850cc mini with 4 up. Car radiator boiled up by the time we got to the top of Hardknott and again at Wrynose. Fortunately we had enough water on board to cope with these incidents. If you really want a brown trouser experience try the Bealach na Ba in western Scotland. I traversed it in 1974 in a mk2 Jag, no boil ups this time, but the car's length and lack of power steering made the hairpins very difficult. At the time, the coast road was being built, so the pass was the only way to get to Applecross.

Duke's Pass, Callander to Aberfoyle. Just passed my test at 17 (1981) decided to go for a drive in my mums Renault five (remember those). All Renault five brakes felt like they were made out of compressed grass. On the very long steep descent into Aberfoyle I suffered severe brake fade. OMG I have never been so scared of dying before or since.

Lovely road through beautiful scenery. Best in Spring or Autumn - Summer gets too busy. Love the lack of heavy metal soudtrack that so many would try to add.

Loved driving the pass but the highlight is the remains of the Roman fort they must have been tough it’s bleak up there in winter.

What a great vid'. No "me-me-me" Commentary. Just the joy of my favourite drive. Mind you! It does need driving skills that are sadly lacking in a lot of people. Such as thinking ahead with courtesy and consideration for other road users.

I did it a few times about 40 years or more ago. It was one of the most challenging roads even back then when there were no potholes to contend with. I'm not at all sure I would want to do it again now at the age of 72 and with potholes seemingly everywhere!