Eastern Fells · Book 1

High Hartsop Dodd

High Hartsop Dodd is a Wainwright, one of the 214 Lake District fells in Alfred Wainwright’s Pictorial Guides. At 519 m (1,703 ft) it is the 164th highest of the 214 and the 28th highest in the Eastern Fells.

Height: 519 m; 1,703 ft
Rank: 164; of 214
In area: 28; of 35
Difficulty: Easy

High Hartsop Dodd in the Eastern Fells of the Lake District — Photo: Ericoides via Wikimedia Commons

About High Hartsop Dodd

A steep little rib that rises quickly above Hartsop Hall and Brothers Water, with views back down to the lake. Short enough to add to a bigger day over Little Hart Crag or the Dovedale skyline.

Look up from the fields around Brothers Water and High Hartsop Dodd is a steep pyramid with a pointed top. It is only the north east ridge of Little Hart Crag, and that outline is what won it a chapter of its own.

Park at Cow Bridge, at the northern foot of Kirkstone Pass, where there is room for a couple of dozen cars on either side of the bridge. Walk the track along the western shore of Brothers Water to Hartsop Hall, where a signpost points to Scandale Pass. Cross a field of big boulders to a stone barn, and the path starts straight up the nose behind it. The nose is grassy and steep, with zigzags and a few small rocky steps. Nothing needs your hands.

The top is only a small cairn where the ridge levels for a moment. Higher fells hide most of the distance, but Dove Crag stands close across Dovedale and you look back down the ridge to Brothers Water.

Few people stop here. The ridge carries on over peat and sedge to Little Hart Crag, and from there you can drop to Scandale Pass and return down Caiston Glen, or go the whole way round the Dovedale skyline over Dove Crag, Hart Crag and Hartsop above How. That round is about 11.6 km with 830 m of climbing.

On the Caiston Glen side of the fell, an 80 foot level survives from a trial for lead that never paid.

In winter

The nose above Hartsop Hall is steep enough to need zigzags, with small rocky steps and the odd gully that gets slippery, and Walk Lakes advises against coming down it when wet or frozen. Go up it rather than down, and come back by Scandale Pass and Caiston Glen.

Great Views
Dog Friendly

Sources: Wikipedia: High Hartsop Dodd, Walk Lakes: The Dovedale Round. Updated 24 September 2026.

Summit

OS grid ref: NY 393 107
Latitude: 54.48860° N
Longitude: 2.93767° W
Area: Eastern Fells

Walking up High Hartsop Dodd

The nearest car park on foot is Bunkhouse parking, 2.0 km (1.2 miles) from the summit along mapped paths. Directions to the car park

Route from Bunkhouse parking

Distance: 2.0 km; 1.2 miles, one way
Ascent: 359 m; Total climb to the summit
Time up: 56 min; Allow 1 to 2 hours

Height in metres along the path from Bunkhouse parking to the summit.

Times use Naismith’s rule, 5 km/h on the flat plus extra time for the climb, with Langmuir’s corrections. It’s a rule of thumb for the way up only, so add stops, weather and the walk back down.

The route follows paths mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors and isn’t a guided line. This car park was picked automatically and hasn’t been checked by hand yet, so compare it with a map. Check the mountain forecast before you go and carry a map and compass.

High Hartsop Dodd questions

Is High Hartsop Dodd a Wainwright?

Yes. High Hartsop Dodd is one of the 214 fells Alfred Wainwright described in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, in Book 1, The Eastern Fells.

How high is High Hartsop Dodd?

High Hartsop Dodd is 519 metres (1,703 feet) high. That makes it the 164th highest of the 214 Wainwrights and the 28th highest in the Eastern Fells.

Where do you park for High Hartsop Dodd?

The nearest car park on foot is Bunkhouse parking, 2.0 km (1.2 miles) from the summit along mapped paths.

How long does it take to climb High Hartsop Dodd?

From Bunkhouse parking it is 2.0 km with 359 m of ascent. Naismith's rule, with Langmuir's corrections, puts the climb at about 56 min, so allow 1 to 2 hours to reach the summit at your own pace, plus the walk back down.

How hard is High Hartsop Dodd?

Upfell rates High Hartsop Dodd as easy. Check the mountain weather forecast before you set out and carry a map and compass.

Which Wainwrights are near High Hartsop Dodd?

The closest are Little Hart Crag (637 m, 1.0 km SW), Middle Dodd (654 m, 1.3 km S) and Hartsop above How (581 m, 1.6 km NW).

What is the grid reference for the summit of High Hartsop Dodd?

The summit is at OS grid reference NY 393 107, or 54.48860, -2.93767 in latitude and longitude.