The Dodds

Walked on 23/06/2015

Start Point: Dockray (NY 393 215)

Dockray – High Row – Randerside – Great Dodd – Watson’s Dodd – Stybarrow Dodd – White Stones on Green Side – Hart Side – Birkett Fell – Brown Hills – Swineside Knott – Watermillock Common – Common Fell – Dockray

Distance: 10.3 miles Total Ascent: 732 metres Time Taken: 4 hours Start Time: 10:00

Weather: Warm and hazy. 19°C

It’s not so long ago that I did this walk (back in January) but I wanted to have another walk around to check notes as this will be a featured walk soon in Trail magazine. It was really quite warm today, shorts and t-shirt all the way.

The Dodds Route Map

On the 11th June, there was a celeb visit to Love the Lakes, Keswick. Chemmy Alcott, Olympic skier, is the brand ambassador for The Lakes Distillery and was on a promotional visit to our shop. She seemed to get on well with Dougal and Fletcher!

Sing Fletcher. sing!

Promo shot - Chemmy, Louise and Katie (Lakes Distillery). If you like a drop of gin this is highly recommended!

Later that day at Bassenthwaite it was absolutely boiling so the boys were keen to get in for a dip. On with the walk...

Climbing the road out of Dockray.

Looking across to today's target.

Sheep spotting.

Great Dodd from Randerside.

A hazy view to Keswick from Great Dodd summit.

Heading for Watson's Dodd to the right then Stybarrow Dodd to the left.

Looking back to Great Dodd from Watson's Dodd.

Who's the King of the Castle on Watson's Dodd summit?

Watson's and Great from the climb to Stybarrow (Dodd!)

On Stybarrow Dodd, Catstycam and Helvellyn in the distance.

On Hart Side looking to White Stones on the left and Stybarrow Dodd to the right.

The proud cairn on Birkett Fell looking to Ullswater.

A panoramic view of Ullswater from Brown Hills.

When push comes to shove!

Looking to Patterdale and the head of Ullswater.

The Dodds

Walked on 09/01/2015

Start Point: Dockray (NY 393 215)

Distance: 10.7 miles Total Ascent: 775 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 40 minutes Start Time: 09:45

Weather: Windy with sunny spells, very cold on the tops, 4°C

Today was supposedly the calm before the storm, but I don’t think the weather necessarily knew that as once on the tops, the wind was howling and I ended up with more layers on than an onion. A very enjoyable round this was and it has been a year or two since I have been that way so it was good to get up there again. There wasn’t a single soul to be seen today apart from the lady farmer at High Row who took a shine to Fletcher – I think she had designs on him becoming a working dog up there – it was a good job he did’t gear otherwise I think he would have put his application form in!

The promise of a decent day looking back over Dockray from the climb to High Row.

Hole in the sky - the clouds were fairly whizzing along which told the tale of how things would be on the tops.

You go that a-way and I'll go this a-way! Great Dodd ahead.

The view from Randerside across Clough Head to Blencathra.

A diusting of snow now looking back from the climb to Great Dodd.

Once on the top of Great Dodd, the wind was fierce and piercing. I ended up with two pairs of gloves on, two hats and two insulated jackets and my fingers were too numb to take photos at one point.

Heading for Watson's Dodd.

The Vale of Keswick from Watson's Dodd.

Great Dodd from Watson's Dodd.

Clouds skitting over the tops across Thirlmere.

Heading for Stybarrow Dodd.

Watson's Dodd and Great Dodd from the climb to Stybarrow Dodd.

Frozen on Stybarrow Dodd (let it go, let it go...)

Mono shot looking across to Raise and Helvellyn.

You want some?

Raise from the path to White Stones.

Stybarrow Dodd.

Hart Side ahead.

The summit of Hart Side.

Ullswater from Birkett Fell.

The plaque in the summit cairn - the only summit I can recall that actually has a name plaque on it!

Dougal kept wanting to climb this wall for some reason - but we aren't going that way Dougal!

On Brown Hills.

A great view across Ullswater to Place Fell.

The head of Ullswater.

Dougal watching the world go by.

Common Fell looking to Little Mell Fell.

Constantly shifting sky.

Hallin Fell across Ullswater.

Before I knew it, the sun was setting and the sky taking on a pinkish tinge.

Watson’s Dodd

Height: 789 metres / 2589 feet Grid reference: NY 33568 19560 Category: The Eastern Fells

High Rigg and St John’s in the Vale from Watson’s Dodd. Beyond is Keswick, Bassenthwaite Lake, Dodd and Skiddaw (in mist)

A retrospective view from Great Dodd – in the distance is the pointed Catstycam with Helvellyn in cloud. Centre left is Stybarrow Dodd with Watson’s Dodd to the right.

The Dodds

Walked on 09/01/2009

Start point: Stanah (NY 318 189)

Stanah – Sticks Pass – Stybarrow Dodd – Watson’s Dodd – Great Dodd – Calfhow Pike – Fornside – Stanah

Distance: 6.8 miles Total Ascent: 795 metres Time Taken: 3 hours

Weather: Mainly in mist, cold wind. 3°C

I think me and Casper were both chomping at the bit to get back on the fells today even though the weather seemed a bit murky. The climb to Sticks Pass gave a fleeting hope of a temperature inversion but the wind higher up ended that notion and the higher tops were walked coldly in the freezing fog.

The Dodds

Climbing to Sticks Pass from Stanah.

Falls on Stanah Gill.

The A591 below with High Rigg to the right.

Climbing higher.

A beam of sunlight on High Rigg as the mist descends into St John's in the Vale with Dodd in the distance.

Suddenly, blue skies approaching Sticks Pass.

Looking over into Glencoyne and the last of the clear weather. The wind was picking up now ruining any chance of an inversion and it was back into the freezing fog for the rest of the walk.

Winter sun on the climb to Stybarrow Dodd.

Casper gives the eye with a frozen beard and face fur.

The summit of Stybarrow Dodd.

Watson's Dodd.

The wind shelter on Great Dodd.

A brief clearing in the mist heading for Calfhow Pike.

Iced up Casper.

From Calfhow Pike I took the steep descent into St John's in the Vale via Fornside, below.

The Dodds

Walked on 29/09/2006

Start point: Dockray, adjacent to the bridge. (NY 393 215)

Dockray – Bracken How (492) – Round How (493) – Common Fell – Watermillock Common –Swineside Knott – Brown Hills – Birkett Fell – Hart Side – White Stones on Green Side – Stybarrow Dodd – Watson’s Dodd – Great Dodd – Little Dodd (St John’s Common) (494) – Calfhow Pike (495) –Clough Head (496) – Dockray

Distance: 13.4 miles Total Ascent: 1156 metres Time Taken: 4 hours 45 minutes

Weather: Overcast, rain later. 14oC.

Another grey day today with just the odd glimmer of sunshine and heavy rain at the end. This is quite a long circuit but relatively easy going across boggy grass. I visited a couple of small tops at the beginning of the walk that I had never been to before which offered great views over Ullswater with little effort. It was very quiet up there though, and we never saw a single soul all day.

About the only blue sky of the day over Great Mell Fell, from Bracken How.

Common Fell from Round How. The bracken is turning brown now.

Sunrays over Ullswater looking to Place Fell.

Great Dodd from Common Fell.

Casper having a rest on Swineside Knott.

Looking to the head of Ullswater.

Brown Hills from Watermillock Common.

Ullswater.

Angus and Casper above Ullswater.

Looking over to Place Fell.

Sheffield Pike.

Catstycam appears from the mist.

You can't miss Birkett Fell with its name plaque set in the cairn. Named after Baron Birkett, KC MP, an early advocate of National Parks and a fierce opposer to Manchester Corporation's attempts to take water from Ullswater. He also went to the same school as me (though he wasn't in my class, I hasten to add!).

Angus on Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd behind.

Looking down Stanah Gill on Stybarrow Dodd to Thirlmere.

Great Dodd from Stybarrow Dodd.

High Rigg and St John's in the Vale from Watson's Dodd. Beyond is Keswick, Bassenthwaite Lake, Dodd and Skiddaw (in mist).

Thirlmere from Watson's Dodd.

The wind was howling across Watson's Dodd.

A retrospective view from Great Dodd - in the distance is the pointed Catstycam with Helvellyn in cloud. Centre left is Stybarrow Dodd with Watson's Dodd to the right.

Skiddaw from Little Dodd. Below is the next objective, the spur of Calfhow Pike.

Angus has spotted the rain coming on our final summit, Clough Head - the end of the Helvellyn massif.

Blencathra from Clough Head. Now it was time to put on the jacket and put the camera away for a very damp descent to the Old Coach Road and a wet trudge back to Dockray.

The Dodds

Walked on 08/07/2004

Start point: New Road, Dockray (NY 380 218)

New Road, Dockray – Low How (88) – High Brow (89) – Randerside (90) – Great Dodd (91) – Watson’s Dodd (92) – Stybarrow Dodd (93) – White Stones on Green Side (94) – Hart Side (95) – Birkett Fell (96) – Brown Hills (97) – Swineside Knott (98) – Common Fell (99) – New Road, Dockray

Weather: Rain and mist. Strong winds on The Dodds

Today’s walk was The Dodds from the end of the Old Coach Road joining Dockray and St. John’s in The Vale. The day started off dull and grew much worse as height was gained.

Entrance to Matterdale Common is through a gate and onto the coach road, then it’s an immediate left to ascend the grassy shoulder to Low How.

The start of the walk and the entrance to Matterdale Common.

Great Mell Fell and Little Mell Fell from the top of Low How. From Low How, there is a descent into a dip and then a climb alongside the wall, past an old mine level to the broad, grassy top of High Brow.

Stybarrow Dodd, Great Dodd and Randerside from the summit of High Brow. Immediately after this picture was taken, the heavens opened and the cloud set in on the tops for the day. From here it was a slight descent and then a climb up to Randerside after joining the main path. The main path continues, steepening until the summit of Great Dodd is reached.

Randerside summit cairn..

and 'dog not impressed by the wind and rain' on Great Dodd. From Great Dodd summit, I took the path south east to the wind shelter; from here it's an easy traverse to Watson's Dodd. A simple climb follows to reach the summit of Stybarrow Dodd.

Watson's Dodd

and Stybarrow Dodd. It was an easy descent west which took me to a grassy col, from there an ascent to the bouldery top of White Stones on Green Side.

White Stones

and Hart Side, complete with ditch mentioned in detail by AW. Another rise to the top of Hart Side, still in the mist. From Hart Side it was another grassy traverse to Birkett Fell, named after Lord Birkett who did much to preserve the environment of Ullswater from the demands of the Water Authority.

Birkett Fell complete with name plaque. The descent from Birkett Fell followed the line of a recently renovated wall. Through the clearing mist I caught sight of Ullswater. Over the new stile and onward to Brown Hills, a grassy, indistinct top.

A magnificent view of Ullswater from Brown Hills.

The southern end of Ullswater from Swineside Knott looking to Hartsop Dodd and Thornthwaite Crag. From Brown Hills, it's another grassy traverse to Swineside Knott and then across the boggy expanse of Watermillock Common to ascend Common Fell.

Blencathra, Bannerdale Crags and Souther Fell from Common Fell summit. Following Blake Sike from the summit of Common Fell, head over the Aira Beck and onto the tarmac at Crookwath which leads directly back to the starting point at The Old Coach Road end.