Be warned, 1 in 3 gradients, sharp bends and a narrow road make this the
most difficult pass in the Lakes to drive over. You reach the top at 1291
feet and there are fine views . At the western end of the pass are the ruins
of a Roman Fort - hardy people the Romans
Ravenglass
An attractive coastal village. Ravenglass was the Romans main port for northern
Britain, and there are many Roman remains in the area today. It continued
as a port until the Industrial Revolution, when its importance declined. Eventually
the ore from the local iron mines went by train, and by the 1880's its days
as a commercial port were over.
One by-product of the mining was the construction of a narrow gauge railway
from the port to Boot, seven miles up into the fells. Over the years the railway
has survived a number of closures and is still carrying passengers today
Broughton
An interesting little market town on the southern edge of the National Park
where the River Duddon joins the sea. Although Broughton has a Norman church
and castle, the town is essentially 18th century
Millom
The town developed in the 19th century with the growth of iron mining, but
the Iron Works closed in 1968. There is now a museum in the town re-calling
the age of the iron mining.
The sit eof the old iron works is being re-developed as parkland, with the
emphasis on wildlife, including Natterjack toads
