Records indicate the current structure as built A.D. 1496. The Inn was rebuilt after having fallen derelict in 1847.  The building sits at the top of the Kirkstone Pass at the junction of two roads, one leading to Ambleside, the other to Windermere. There are indications that records were destroyed as part of the wrecking acts of the Tudor and Elizabethan period before which it is said the site was a monks retreat going back many centuries. In the 17th Century, it provided warmth and comfort to travelers and traders. A tradition it upholds today.

Traders would travel between north Wales and Scotland (usually women) carrying wool and slate in back packs. The Kirkstone Pass Road is the highest road pass in the Lake District . The name of the road comes from the small church shaped boulder (kirk is Scot's for Church) that is situated close by.

The Kirkstone Pass Inn, at 1489 ft is the third highest public house in England . There are stunning views from the inn overlooking the aptly named ‘Struggle’ to Ambleside and beyond to Morecambe Bay.