Clough Head

Written and walked by Lee McCoy · Summited August 2023

Home › Fells › Clough Head

726 mWainwright — Eastern Fells+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Care needed in cloud

Clough Head at 726m (2,382ft) is the northernmost of the main Helvellyn ridge summits, a grassy whale-back that Wainwright noted as the ideal starting or finishing point for the full northern Dodds traverse.

Summit conditions on Clough Head

On the summit on Tuesday 27 October: 11° to 4°C, gusts to 57 mph, 17.2 mm of rain forecast over the whole day, midnight to midnight.

Against our lines, Tuesday 27 October: wind, cold and cloud from the Met Office UKV 2 km model (daylight hours, as in the verdict above); rain from the summit line’s forecast (the whole day). A tile is large when this top is past its line.

Wind on the top

Past the line

66 mph, our estimate for the open top in the worst daylight hour

The Met Office 2 km model’s gust of 54 mph times our exposure factor of 1.22. The summit line above gives Open-Meteo’s highest gust for the whole day, 57 mph, before any exposure factor.

The line Our line: 25 mph, where our wind Scale begins its 25–35 band: “balance affected; buffeting on exposed ground”. MWIS (opens in new tab) describes what wind does to a walker across a range rather than at a line: from about 20–25 mph it starts to affect your balance.

Estimated: it is not calibrated against summit readings, and the two forecasts can disagree by more than a band.

Rain, and the becks

Past the line

17.2 mm of rain over the whole day, midnight to midnight

The same figure as the summit line above and the 7-day forecast.

The line Our line: 6 mm in the day, where our scorer counts a day as soaking. We read rainfall, never river levels: becks in spate.

Open-Meteo’s forecast. It says nothing about rain already in the ground.

Also checked cold: feels like 0 °C, no ice or snow forecast; cloud: a clear-top reading of 29 out of 100, over our in-cloud line of 20. Under a line is not the same as fine: it means only that these figures are under the lines we use.

Not in these tiles Lightning, river levels, snow or ice already lying, and the ground under your feet. A tile cannot see them, so an empty space here never means they are absent.

Snow figures with a second opinion: Powered by Met Office data

Full 7-day summit forecast ↓

Wainwrights are scored for walking conditions each morning from the Met Office’s UK forecast model, read for each summit through Open-Meteo; the forecast figures are Open-Meteo’s, worked out for the summit’s height. How we check →

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Routes up Clough Head

Choose the way up before the car park: these two routes start from two places, and the last two rows give the parking and bus at each route’s own start. Full maps further down.

Compared	Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more	Threlkeld Knotts & Clough Head
Starts from	High Row	Wanthwaite Bridge Car Park
Distance and climb	21.89 km, 1,281 m of climb	11.2 km, 803 m of climb
Time, fast to steady	~6½–8¾ h	~3½–5 h
Scrambling	Not mentioned in the route’s notes	Not mentioned in the route’s notes
Exposure	Moderate	Not assessed
Navigation	Hard	Moderate
Steepest stretch	Descent of about 32% at 16.6 km (Hard)	Descent of about 48% at 7.5 km (Severe)
After the summit	No further tops	Over Calfhow Pike
Walked or planned	Walked by Lee, August 2023	Planned: drawn, not yet walked
Car park at the start	Low How (layby)	St John's in the Vale verge, High Rigg (free)
Bus to the start	509, 1.6 km walk from Dockray, outside The Royal Hotel. The UB1 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season.	509, 2.4 km walk from Threlkeld West End (near)

Times run from fast to steady pace (Naismith’s rule). Scrambling quotes each route’s own notes; “not mentioned” means they do not say, not that the ground has none. Each route’s page has its map, stages and GPX.

Distance, climb and the steepest stretch are measured from each route’s GPX track; the other grades are set on the ground, judged from the map or estimated from OpenStreetMap, and each route page says which. How we check →

Is Clough Head a difficult hike?

Steep, and on the west side seriously so. At 726 m Clough Head is the northern full stop of the Dodds, and its whole western face above the Vale of St John is guarded by crags: Buck Castle, Wanthwaite Crags and Bram Crag. Fisher's Wife's Rake, a direct line up that side, is a very steep, loose break through the cliffs, not a walk. Come at it from the south along the ridge from Great Dodd and it is barely a climb at all, because you have already gained the height; from the north the slope drops abruptly in scree and crag. The gentle way is the ridge; the western face is for people who know what a loose rake is.

How we check →

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Modelled for the 726 m summit (Open-Meteo). Check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

Full 7-day forecast

Tue 27 Oct

11° / 4°

57 mph

17.2 mm (100%)

Wed 28 Oct

8° / 5°

46 mph

9.0 mm (100%)

Thu 29 Oct

8° / 6°

26 mph

0.6 mm (75%)

Fri 30 Oct

8° / 5°

25 mph

0.3 mm (8%)

Sat 31 Oct

7° / 3°

6 mph

4.2 mm (6%)

Sun 1 Nov

7° / 0°

13 mph

0.6 mm (2%)

Mon 2 Nov

5° / -3°

7 mph

0.0 mm (0%)

Taken 27 October 2026, 20:59 UTC; the live forecast replaces it when it loads. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (opens in new tab)

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

Parking & buses for Clough Head

Parking

Where do you park for Clough Head?

There is no car park at the foot of the fell, which is why this comes up so often. The closest options are the free verge parking in St John's in the Vale (about 2 km away, room for roughly five cars, so it goes early), Threlkeld village (free/donation, about 3 km, and the natural start if you want the Old Coach Road), and Legburthwaite at the southern end of the vale. Full details and directions are in the parking panel on this page.

Route starts first, then the car parks nearest the summit, which are not always a way up.

Low How (layby) — at the start of Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more

0.7 km from Low How. Seen full by about 08:00 on a Saturday - Lee's own visit; a single sighting rather than a pattern.

Gravel parking area at Low How on an August afternoon, full of cars, with woodland behind Taken August 2023

Directions Something changed here?

St John's in the Vale verge, High Rigg (free) — at the start of Threlkeld Knotts & Clough Head

Free verge parking for High Rigg and Naddle Fell, room for about five cars. The nearest parking to either summit.

Directions Something changed here?

High Rigg, north-east (layby) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Threlkeld Knotts, Clough Head, Calfhow Pike and High Rigg (Naddle Fell) — the 'Threlkeld Knotts & Clough Head' route starts 340 m away. Also serves 'High Rigg'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

3 more places to park near Clough Head

High Rigg (layby) — 1.9 km from summit (straight line)

Walking base for Threlkeld Knotts, Clough Head, Calfhow Pike and High Rigg (Naddle Fell) — the 'Threlkeld Knotts & Clough Head' route starts 347 m away. Also serves 'High Rigg'. Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Threlkeld Knotts (layby) — 2.3 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Threlkeld Knotts (1.7 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).

Directions Something changed here?

Threlkeld Old Station (paid) — 2.5 km from summit (straight line)

Nearest fells: Threlkeld Knotts (1.8 km). Fees: pay by app only (no cash) (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked August 2026). Overnight occupation of vehicles is not permitted (Lake District National Park car-parks directory, checked August 2026). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged). Pay by RingGo only; RingGo ID 37324 (LDNPA, checked August 2026).

Directions When people arrive, and what it costs →Something changed here?

Positions are approximate.

Vehicles are left at their owner’s risk: we list places people park and cannot vouch for any of them. Take valuables with you and leave nothing on show.

Buses

The 509, 559 and UB1 stop at Dockray, outside The Royal Hotel. From there it is 1.6 km and 130 m of ascent to the start of Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more — a route we rate Severe overall (hardest: distance) — a walk in before the walk. And the same back: about 25.1 km in all, with the walk. The UB1 runs until 1 November 2026, the last day of its season. The last bus is 19:09 towards Troutbeck (UB1) and 18:02 towards Grasmere (559) and 16:12 towards Keswick (509), every day. Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026; that timetable runs to 1 November 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 509

Penrith ↔ Keswick around Ullswater — calls at Pooley Bridge, Watermillock, Glenridding, Patterdale, Hartsop, Dockray, Matterdale, Mungrisdale and Threlkeld

Catch it from: Penrith · Keswick

The Ullswater side of the Penrith–Keswick corridor, and a second option where we previously showed only the 508. Reaches Helvellyn and Catstye Cam from Glenridding, Place Fell and Angletarn Pikes from Patterdale, the Hartsop fells, and Gowbarrow from Dockray. Frequency and season for the whole service are not listed here; where a stop's times have been checked, they are given above with the date. Note the Troutbeck on this route is the one on the A66 near Penrith, not the Troutbeck near Windermere.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat

Hazards on Clough Head

Hazard & Incident Information for Clough Head

Checked by Lee McCoy, 14 June 2026. Draws on published material from Keswick Mountain Rescue Team. Editorial background, not a live callout feed.

Hazard: Moderate

The abrupt northern end of the Helvellyn range above Threlkeld and St John's in the Vale. Its broad grassy top is easy walking, but the whole western face is guarded by steep crags — Buck Castle, Wanthwaite Crags and Bram Crag — and Fisher's Wife's Rake, a direct line up that side, is a very steep, loose break through the cliffs. The northern slope also drops abruptly in scree and crag. Keswick Mountain Rescue Team covers this ground.

The crag-guarded western face: Steep rocky crags (Wanthwaite Crags, Bram Crag, Buck Castle) wall the whole western side above St John's in the Vale. Don't try to descend the west face — keep to the established routes — and stay back from the western edge near the top in cloud or wind.
Fisher's Wife's Rake: This steep grassy-and-scree break is a direct line up through the western cliffs, but it is very steep, loose and committing, with awkward route-finding (the rowan tree marks its foot). For fit, confident walkers in dry conditions only — and a poor choice as a descent.
Abrupt northern scree face & summit navigation: North of the summit the ground falls away in steep scree and crag at the end of the range. The broad grassy top has few features, so navigate by compass in cloud and keep clear of the northern and western edges.

Who should attempt this fell: Clough Head is an easy grassy top reached by gentler routes (the Old Coach Road and White Pike, or from the Dodds), but its western and northern faces are steep and crag-bound. Don't be tempted to drop off the west side, treat Fisher's Wife's Rake as a steep, committing scramble for the experienced in dry conditions only, and navigate the broad top by compass in cloud. Full winter care on the steep ground when iced.

What to watch for: Walkers attempting to descend the crag-bound western face · Slips and route-finding trouble on the steep, loose Fisher's Wife's Rake · Straying onto the abrupt northern scree/crag in poor visibility · Navigation errors on the broad featureless summit in cloud

Local Mountain Rescue: Keswick Mountain Rescue Team (opens in new tab)

Safety: Always check current conditions, carry proper navigation equipment, and seek qualified instruction before heading onto the fells. In an emergency, call 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Report incorrect information (opens in new tab)

Navigating in cloud

Care needed

Of the three things our terrain model measures, the highest reading here is the amount of steep ground within half a kilometre of the summit. Take care in poor visibility — carry map and compass, and know how to use them.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How Clough Head compares with all 214: the Clag Index (experimental).

If you need Mountain Rescue

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

Before you call, have ready: where you are (a grid reference if you can – the OS Locate app shows yours on your phone), what has happened, how many of you there are, and your mobile number.

Then stay where you are until the rescue team contacts you.

If you cannot make a voice call because of a hearing or speech impairment, emergency SMS works only if you have registered first: text “register” to 999.

From Mountain Rescue England and Wales’s guidance on calling them out (opens in new tab) (read 26 October 2026).

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).

Parking, toilets and buses: Parking & buses ↑.

Birketts within 3 km of Clough Head

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits. Distances are straight lines: check the ground and access on a map before adding one.

0.6 km NWThrelkeld Knotts514 m · Eastern

1.4 km SSWCalfhow Pike660 m · Eastern

2.1 km SERanderside729 m · Eastern

2.2 km SLittle Dodd (St John's Common)785 m · Eastern

2.9 km WSWHigh Rigg (High Rigg South Top)343 m · Central

3.0 km SWWren Crag311 m · Central

Routes over Clough Head

Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more

Summits: Birkett Fell Hart Side Raise Stybarrow Dodd Watson's Dodd Great DoddClough Head

Download GPX Walked by Lee, August 2023

Warnings: Watson's Dodd: The flat grassy top has almost no features and only a small cairn at its western edge — in mist it's easy to cross the plateau without finding the summit, or to leave on the wrong bearing. Navigate by compass and don't rely on spotting the cairn. Raise catches and keeps snow, and its slopes can be hard enough that step-kicking alone won't get you up or down safely. When there's snow or ice you need an ice axe, crampons and the skills to use them; the steep flanks toward Keppel Cove and Sticks Gill are unforgiving of a slip. Almost all grass with few features, the Dodds are a notorious place to go wrong in mist or whiteout — easy to drift off a vague bearing into the wrong valley. Take and trust a compass bearing before leaving the summit; don't navigate by the feel of the slope. Great Dodd: The wide grassy dome has almost nothing to fix on, and in thick cloud you may not see the cairn until you're on it. This is a notorious place to wander off line. Take and trust a compass bearing before leaving the top; don't navigate by the lie of the slope.

From the hazard notes for Watson's Dodd · Great Dodd, each with its sources.

Route guide: Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more →

Threlkeld Knotts & Clough Head

Summits: Threlkeld KnottsClough HeadCalfhow Pike

Download GPX Planned route · not yet walked

Route guide: Threlkeld Knotts & Clough Head →

Every line here is a guide, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate for yourself and carry a map and compass. How to use this guide.

About Clough Head

The summit gives outstanding views north to Skiddaw and Blencathra, east to the Pennines and south along the full length of the Helvellyn range. The steep northern face above the Vale of St John is particularly impressive. Approached from Wanthwaite or Dockray, or as the turnaround point of the excellent ridge walk from Thirlspot over Raise and the northern Dodds.

Field notes

Few agree with me when I assert that Clough Head is my favourite of all Wainwright fells. My logic is less logical and more emotional. I had spent most of the walk in the clag. I was cheesed off that I couldn't see much and messed around at Stybarrow Dodd trying to work out where the summit was. The whole day was a damp, unrewarding squib until I sullenly walked off Clough Head. As I got a few metres down the clag lifted and a gorgeous view over White Pike over Great Mell Fell and Penrith opened up. Neither of those features are archetypal Lakeland vistas, but to me it made me think there must be a Creator for all this - it just can't be random. Proof it may not be, but the conclusion still stays with me.

— Lee McCoy, who walked it on our Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more route in August 2023

My Strava hikes over Clough Head

1 logged hike pass over this summit:

Crappy Weather Up There But a Nice Leisurely Jaunt Up 6 Wainwrights (opens in new tab) — 22.1 km · 1105 m ascent · 5h 03m moving · 20 August 2023

Data from Strava.

Classifications & hill data

Is Clough Head a Wainwright?

Clough Head is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list, the Fellranger list, the HuMP list and the Hewitt list.

Selected lists

726 m

Height

2,382 ft

In feet

NY 3339 2254

Grid ref

This is the summit’s grid reference. If you call from anywhere else, give your own position, not this one.

The summit is also a Birkett.

Lists, height and summit position from the Database of British and Irish Hills; the feet are converted from its metres and the grid reference from that position. How we check →

The view from Clough Head

The 360° skyline from Clough Head

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys

The skyline as a list, by direction

North: Gategill Fell Top (5 km), Blencathra (5 km), Atkinson Pike (6 km)
South-east: High Raise (15 km), High Street (16 km)
South: Great Dodd (2 km), Raise (5 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (7 km), Helvellyn (8 km)
South-west: Great Gable (17 km), Great End (18 km), Esk Pike (18 km), High Stile (18 km), Bowfell (18 km), High Stile (18 km), Ill Crag (19 km), Broad Crag (19 km), Lingmell (19 km), Shelter Crags (19 km), Pillar (19 km), Crinkle Crags (19 km), Scafell Pike (19 km), Crinkle Crags (19 km), Crinkle Crags (20 km), Crinkle Crags (20 km), Crinkle Crags South Top (20 km), Scafell (20 km), Red Pike (21 km), Steeple (21 km)
West: Crag Hill (14 km), Eel Crag (14 km), Grasmoor (16 km)
North-west: Knowe Crags (5 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (8 km), Skiddaw Little Man (8 km), Skiddaw South Top (10 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (10 km), Skiddaw (10 km), Skiddaw North Top (10 km), Broad End (10 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Snaefell (100 km, Isle of Man), The Cheviot (114 km, England), Cairnsmore of Fleet (94 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (105 km, Scotland), Cadair Berwyn (192 km, Wales), Cairnharrow (87 km, Scotland), Moel Famau (161 km, Wales), Wisp Hill (77 km, Scotland).

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills v18.4 (opens in new tab) (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

Sunrise and sunset on Clough Head

Clough Head sits close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its longest wait of the modelled year (at midwinter) first light is only 2 minutes after almanac sunrise, so the published sunrise time is a fair guide here.

Midsummer. The filled shape is the skyline as seen from the summit; the line is the sun’s path. Where they meet is first light — everything left of that point is the wait.

Times for 2026, in Lakeland clock time (GMT in winter, BST in summer) — and model outputs rather than observations.
	First light	Almanac sunrise	Difference
Midsummer	04:32 BST ±5.0 min	04:36	-4 min
Equinox	06:13 GMT ±5.0 min	06:15	-2 min
Midwinter	08:35 GMT ±5.0 min	08:33	+2 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean -0.05°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Clough Head

The evening here runs close to the flat-horizon case. Even on its earliest evening of the modelled year (on 1 June) last light is only 12 minutes before almanac sunset, so the published sunset time is a fair guide on Clough Head.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
	Last light	Almanac sunset	Difference
Midsummer	21:43 BST ±5.0 min	21:53	-10 min
Equinox	18:27 GMT ±5.0 min	18:26	+1 min
Midwinter	15:48 GMT ±5.0 min	15:48	—

These are daylight figures, not a descent plan: the light goes on fading for a good while after the sun leaves, and going down in it is a decision about your own ground and party, not about this table.

What you can see from Clough Head

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.

101Wainwrights in view+11 marginal

39 kmFurthest sightlineGreat Dun Fell

—Sea in viewnone from here

Far horizons

Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 39 km clear
Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 37 km clear

All 101 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Great Dodd, Watson's Dodd, Hart Side, Raven Crag, Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Bleaberry Fell, Walla Crag, White Side, Latrigg, Bannerdale Crags, High Seat, Lonscale Fell, Great Mell Fell, Souther Fell, Gowbarrow Fell (Wainwright summit), Helvellyn, High Tove, Bowscale Fell, Skiddaw Little Man, Place Fell, Little Mell Fell, Cat Bells (Catbells), Carl Side, Skiddaw, Great Crag (Stonethwaite), Dodd (Skiddaw), Hallin Fell, Bakestall, Maiden Moor, Barrow, Beda Fell (Beda Head), Carrock Fell, Steel Fell (Dead Pike - Steel Fell), Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa - Steel Knotts), Causey Pike, High Spy, Eagle Crag, Bonscale Pike, Outerside, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Barf, Scar Crags, Sergeant's Crag, Arthur's Pike, Ard Crags, Dale Head, Hindscarth, Wether Hill, Grisedale Pike, Lord's Seat, Tarn Crag (Easedale), Sail, High Raise (High White Stones), Knott Rigg, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Robinson, Sergeant Man, Whinlatter (Brown How - Whinlatter), High Raise (High Street), Rampsgill Head, Broom Fell, Wandope, Hopegill Head, Glaramara, Blea Rigg, Base Brown, High Street, Sale Fell, Whiteless Pike, Harrison Stickle, Grasmoor, Seathwaite Fell (Wainwright summit), Green Gable, Allen Crags, Rossett Pike, Great Gable, High Crag (Buttermere), Great End, Esk Pike, Lingmoor Fell (Brown How), Bowfell, High Stile, Kirk Fell, Red Pike (Buttermere), Lingmell, Pillar, Scafell Pike, Crinkle Crags - Long Top (Second Crinkle), Starling Dodd, Scafell, Red Pike (Wasdale), Steeple, Wetherlam, Great Borne, Great Carrs, Swirl How, Caw Fell, Grey Friar, Brim Fell, The Old Man of Coniston (Coniston Old Man), Dow Crag

How the view from Clough Head compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

How the skyline, light and sightlines are computed

Computed, not photographed. First light is the first minute the sun’s upper limb clears this summit’s own skyline and last light the last minute it is still clear of it, both solved against the 360° horizon profile behind The View from Clough Head. Almanac sunrise and sunset are the flat-horizon convention. Every time carries a ± band from the 30 m elevation model — it smooths arêtes and cornices, so nothing here claims better than five minutes.

Sightlines from the Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model, which is a surface model: each 30 m cell holds the top of whatever stands there, trees and buildings included, rather than bare ground. Corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Places to stay near this fell

From Wanthwaite Bridge: 4 places in Keswick

Frequently asked questions about Clough Head

Is Clough Head a difficult hike? Answered above.

Is Clough Head good for beginner hikers?

It can be, but not by the direct route. The steep western face is a poor introduction — relentless, pathless in places, and dispiriting in poor visibility. A more forgiving option is the Old Coach Road, the broad track running east from Threlkeld, which gains height gradually and gives an obvious line to leave for the summit. Either way this is a proper fell of over 700 m with a broad, featureless top, so treat it as a full hill day: map, compass and the ability to use them, and check the conditions before you set off.

How long does it take to climb Clough Head? Answered above: Routes up Clough Head.

Where do you park for Clough Head? Answered above: Parking for Clough Head.

What can you see from the top of Clough Head?

Its position is the whole point: standing at the northern end of the Dodds with nothing in front of it, Clough Head looks straight across the valley at Blencathra and Skiddaw, with the Vale of St John directly below and the Eden valley and the Pennines away to the east. It is a far better viewpoint than its modest reputation suggests, largely because the higher Dodds behind it are rounded and grassy while this one has an edge to stand on.

What other fells are near Clough Head?

The obvious continuation is south along the ridge to Great Dodd and the rest of the Dodds — Watson's Dodd, Stybarrow Dodd and on towards Raise and Helvellyn. Calfhow Pike, a rocky little top, sits on that link and is easily collected on the way. Across the valley to the west is High Rigg, a much smaller and gentler outing from the same parking.

Questions from Google’s “People also ask”. · Last updated 2026-08-08 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Clough Head

Summit conditions on Clough Head

Wind on the top

Rain, and the becks

Routes up Clough Head

Is Clough Head a difficult hike?

Conditions and 7-day summit forecast

Parking & buses for Clough Head

Parking

Where do you park for Clough Head?

Buses

Hazards on Clough Head

Hazard & Incident Information for Clough Head

Navigating in cloud

If you need Mountain Rescue

Map, GPX and nearby Birketts

Birketts within 3 km of Clough Head

Routes over Clough Head

About Clough Head

Field notes

My Strava hikes over Clough Head

Classifications & hill data

Is Clough Head a Wainwright?

Selected lists

The view from Clough Head

The 360° skyline from Clough Head

Sunrise and sunset on Clough Head

Last light — when the sun leaves Clough Head

What you can see from Clough Head

Places to stay near this fell

Frequently asked questions about Clough Head

Other fells near Clough Head