My daughter is in Cumbria while her youngest does her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Expedition in the higher Lakeland Fells.

Abi's first few days were atrocious weather but her group came through with honours and enjoyed a glorious sunny last day to finish their expedition.

That day Paula, also a D of E instructor but who wasn't allowed to get involved, also fancied a nice fell walk, so it was to Eskdale we ventured.

Someone's happy to be out walking . . . with his daughter !

We started at Jubilee Bridge at the foot of Hardknott Pass, at the head of Eskdale.

Parking for ten or so cars, on the wide if slightly rough road side verges.

Parking at the foot of the steep hill meant that we gained height rapidly from the start.

This was the first view looking west down Eskdale towards the sea.

By avoiding the road and walking the various footpaths, we soon come across the Roman Fort.

Someone we met on the way back, who did the opposite and missed the fort completely !

The impressive walls of the fort benefited from the lack of stone robbing for other local buildings due to the isolated nature of the location.

When the fort was investigated and partially restored, the archaeological team recovered and replaced a few obvious wall stones back into their old positions.

Inside the fort the foundations of the many of the buildings are still there to see.

We didn't linger too long but did walk across the fort to enjoy the classic view of the Scafells from the North West Gateway.

The north eastern exit took us out of the top of the fort,

where we had the prospect ahead of Hard Knott's Border End summit and the road snaking away, up and over Hardknott Pass.

Rather than fight the bracken we headed across to the tarmac and started up the next section of road.

Stopping to enjoy the view back mean we could pace ourselves nicely during the climb.

Paula stops briefly with Dougal at the summit cairn on the side of the road.

While we were there the classic "Mountain Goat" tour bus climbed from the Duddon side of the pass.

To my great regret I totally failed to photograph a guy separately following it up the road on a "Segway" a two wheeled balancing scooter.

That would have been a great shot had I been quick-witted enough to focus and press the shutter a second time!

Paula and I set off on the off road part of the climb, passing a cyclist who has been resting on a nearby rock.

The path around the back of Border End can be a little damp at times, as it follows a small stream up between the crags.

The dry footed option was to climb slightly out of the valley onto the drier high ground.

From up here you also get that wonderful view north, much sooner than from the path below.

The top of Border End is quite undulating and Dougal sits on one of the many summits,

for a photo looking west down Eskdale.

A perfect day for walking . . . with a great view north to admire from the high ground.

What a lovely place to stop and admire the view.

The passing shadows and bright local sunshine highlighted a Swaledale Sheep who was looking down into Upper Eskdale from an adjacent crag.

Odd stones on other high rocks around provided foreground to the view of White Maiden and Caw Fell across the Duddon Valley.

Similarly, if I moved around myself (couldn't move the rock), I could enjoy a view of Wrynose Pass and the distant Troutbeck Fells.

Time to be heading onward, passing this small rocky pool, hardly a tarn for us but somewhere for Dougal to get wet !

The path across the top from Border End was, shall we say "undefined", as the direct path was missed out on our initial summit.

The undulating, peaty ground held water (and presumably carbon) beautifully. No doubt recent weather has increased to the water level quite a bit.

Summitting out on Hard Knott . . . and a new "Wainwright Point" awarded to Paula.

Cheer up Dougal, you can have a point (and a biscuit) as well if you want.

Next I had promised Paula a view of Eskdale Needle, so all I had to do now was to find it . . .

The view towards Upper Eskdale with Lingcove Bridge below the waterfall, just where the sunlight turns to shadow.

'The Needle' is somewhere below us, along this western edge of Hard Knott, but of course it's well hidden from above.

We've circled, around and down from the summit, till we were about level with the high ground that we had climbed just a short while ago.

The Needle should be here somewhere !

We walked ten yards further to the right and we suddenly had a clear view of the impressive rock . . . in fact it was in the last picture but I didn't realise.

We sat for a brief moment and whilst doing so, noticed this tall yellow orchid (?) amongst the heather.

We've passed the point of no return and now it's downhill all the way.

We leave the Needle behind as we traverse across and down the side of the valley .

It's not surprising that the Needle isn't so well known,

as it blends into the fell side and almost disappears when viewed from below.

Rounding the corner of Border End we re-gain our view of Eskdale and The Roman Fort, still some distance below us.

A craggy descent, including some deep bracken patches, brought us out on 'The Parade Ground' close to the fort.

Back through the North East gateway into the fort.

Another brief stop to soak up the atmosphere of the place and read some of the signs.

The above was the Commandant's House but by this time we had left through the fourth gateway, the old Main Gate.

There's one more Roman structure to see as we make our way to the road.

This was the old Bathhouse with it's plunge pool, cool, warm and hot rooms. Apparently the furthest room had the main fire and under floor heating.

The final round building would have been the Sauna . . .

you can imagine the Roman soldiers sitting around on wooden benches if you are suitably imaginative.

[ No wonder Eskdale is devoid of trees if in the olden days they heated this large Bathhouse and Sauna with timber fires.]

We sheepishly returned via the road, towards the car parked a short distance below.