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633 m · Wainwright — Western Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

Wainwright — Western FellsAlso a Birkett

Starling Dodd

Starling Dodd at 633m (2,077ft) is a broad, grassy summit above Ennerdale between Red Pike and Great Borne, giving fine views of Ennerdale Water and the remote Ennerdale valley.

633 m
Height
~4.5–5.5 h
Typical time
+10
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX → Parking & buses →
633 mWainwright — Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+10 bonus Birketts within 3 km Straightforward in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 633 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Fri 11 Sep): 12° to 8°C, gusts to 25 mph, 2.5 mm of rain forecast.

Fri 11 Sep
🌦️
12° / 8°
💨 25 mph
🌧 2.5 mm (100%)
Sat 12 Sep
🌧️
14° / 9°
💨 48 mph
🌧 28.1 mm (100%)
Sun 13 Sep
🌦️
12° / 7°
💨 14 mph
🌧 0.1 mm (74%)
Mon 14 Sep
🌧️
14° / 7°
💨 32 mph
🌧 13.5 mm (96%)
Tue 15 Sep
🌦️
12° / 8°
💨 30 mph
🌧 9.9 mm (100%)
Wed 16 Sep
🌦️
10° / 8°
💨 33 mph
🌧 4.6 mm (96%)
Thu 17 Sep
🌦️
10° / 8°
💨 37 mph
🌧 7.2 mm (98%)

Forecast snapshot from 11 Sep 2026, 08:30 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 633 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Starling Dodd at a glance

Starling Dodd

Starling Dodd, a Lake District fell
Photo: Stirzy at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Starling Dodd at 633m (2,077ft) is a broad, grassy summit above Ennerdale between Red Pike and Great Borne, giving fine views of Ennerdale Water and the remote Ennerdale valley. Wainwright described it as an unfrequented summit with good views. The ascent from Ennerdale or from Great Borne via the ridge is across open fell. Most naturally combined with Great Borne and Red Pike for a circuit of the northern Buttermere-Ennerdale fells.

Routes up Starling Dodd

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

Classifications & hill data

Wainwright
Western
Birkett
Fellranger
Synge
Nuttall
633 m
Height
2,077 ft
In feet
NY 1420 1574
Grid ref

The short answers

Is Starling Dodd a Wainwright?

Starling Dodd is a Wainwright. It is also on the Birkett list, the Synge list, the Nuttall list and the Fellranger list.

Where do you park for Starling Dodd?

We hold no car park within 2.5 km of the summit, so there is no short walk-in to recommend here. We only look within 2.5 km, measured straight-line: over longer distances a road may cross a pass and the drive bears no relation to the line.

Parking & buses for Starling Dodd

Best parking to hike Starling Dodd

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Rannerdale Knotts (layby) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Rannerdale Knotts (0.5 km), Lad Hows (1.6 km), Whiteless Pike (1.8 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Bowness Knott, Ennerdale (Forestry, paid) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)
Forestry England car park at the end of the Ennerdale valley road, on the lake's north shore (OS NY 110 154; parking charges apply since 2023) — Great Borne, Starling Dodd, and the long walk-ins to Pillar and Steeple. Fees: £2 for 1 hour; £3.50 for 2 hours; £5 for 4 hours; £8 all day (Forestry England charges, per notice on NT Ennerdale page) (NT, checked Aug 2026).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Rannerdale Knotts, south (layby) — 3.2 km from summit (straight line)
Nearest fells: Rannerdale Knotts (0.5 km), Lad Hows (1.6 km), Whiteless Pike (1.8 km). Free (OSM-tagged). Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Buttermere village LDNP car park (east) (paid) — 3.3 km from summit (straight line)
The 'Buttermere lake circuit' route starts 49 m away. Also serves 'Crummock Water shore circuit'. Unpaved surface (OSM-tagged). Toilets on site. Fees: pay and display; coins and cards; RingGo ID 37311 (LDNPA, checked Aug 2026).
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?
Car park for Rannerdale Knotts — 3.4 km from summit (straight line)
0.4 km from Rannerdale Knotts. Added from the 5 Aug 2026 OSM candidate review.
Directions (opens in new tab)Something changed here?

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Vehicles are left entirely at their owner’s risk. We list places people park; we cannot vouch for any of them. Judge it on the day: take valuables with you, leave nothing on show, and if a spot feels wrong when you get there, park somewhere else.

Getting to Starling Dodd by bus

The 77 stops at Buttermere, outside Court Hotel, 100 m from the start of Great Borne & Starling Dodd. Seasonal: the 77 does not run all year. 1 November 2026 is its last day, and it is not daily before then — a bus on 31 of the 56 days from 7 September. We don’t know when it returns. Confirmed with the operator, 29 August 2026. Last bus: Monday to Friday 19:23 towards Cockermouth (77A) and 18:20 towards Keswick (77); Saturday 19:23 towards Cockermouth (77A) and 18:20 towards Keswick (77); Sunday 18:20 towards Keswick (77). Checked against the operator’s timetable, 7 September 2026. Times here are a guide, not a promise — leave yourself more than the minute.

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

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

Hazards on Starling Dodd

No hazard card for this fell. The usual open-fell rules apply: check the forecast, carry a map and compass, and turn back in cloud if the ground is not what you expected.

Navigating Starling Dodd in cloud

Straightforward

A broad, gently-sloping top with little to steer by — easy to lose your bearings and hard to relocate in mist. Navigation here is relatively straightforward even in cloud — but carry map and compass and know how to use them; a low score never means “safe”.

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 Starling Dodd compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Rannerdale Knotts (layby), about 3.2 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near Starling Dodd (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.7 km ESELittle Dodd (Ennerdale)590 m · Western
1.0 km NWGale Fell518 m · Western
2.2 km NNEScale Knott338 m · Western
2.2 km EDodd (Buttermere)641 m · Western
2.5 km WNWHerdus562 m · Western
2.6 km NWFloutern Cop451 m · Western
2.6 km SLingmell (Ennerdale)427 m · Western
2.7 km WBrown How (Ennerdale)330 m · Western
2.9 km ESEHigh Stile (Grey Crag)806 m · Western
3.0 km WBowness Knott333 m · Western

Routes over Starling Dodd

15.97 km · ~1100 m ascent · loop · ~5–6.5 h
Summits: Red Pike (Buttermere)Starling DoddGreat Borne

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass. How to use this guide.

On the hill: terrain and water on Starling Dodd

Water & shelter on the way up

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

The view from Starling Dodd

The 360° skyline from Starling Dodd

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
Computed 360-degree skyline from Starling Dodd36 labelled tops shown (16 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWHelvellyn · 20 kmIll Crag · 12 kmGreat Gable · 9 kmPillar · 5 kmRaise · 20 kmBlencathra · 22 kmGrasmoor · 6 kmScoat Fell · 5 kmCrag Hill · 7 kmBlack Crag · 5 kmHigh Stile · 3 kmHaycock · 5 kmRed Pike · 2 kmRobinson · 6 kmLittle Gowder Crag · 5 kmClough Head · 20 kmRed Beck Top · 12 kmWhiteside East Top · 7 kmCaw Fell · 5 kmIron Crag · 4 kmGreat Borne · 2 kmLank Rigg · 6 kmCriffel · 50 km · clear daysBlake Fell · 5 kmCarling Knott · 5 kmCrag Fell · 5 kmGale Fell · 1 kmMellbreak · 3 kmMellbreak North Top · 4 kmHigh Pen · 4 kmGraystones · 11 kmLow Fell · 7 kmDarling Fell · 7 kmGodworth · 5 kmLittle Dodd · 4 kmSkelgill Bank · 11 kmGreat End · 11 kmEel Crag · 7 kmGreen Gable · 9 kmSail · 7 kmWhiteside · 7 kmCalfhow Pike · 20 kmKnott Rigg · 6 kmGavel Fell · 4 kmWhoap · 5 kmGavel Fell · 4 kmKirk Fell · 11 kmLow Pen · 5 kmLad Hows · 5 kmWalla Crag · 15 kmSwarth Fell · 9 kmBowness Knott · 3 kmBrown How · 3 kmClints Crags · 20 kmGrange Fell · 67 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 173 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 100 km · a rare clear dayBroad Law · 108 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 79 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 99 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 82 km · a rare clear daySlieve Croob · 173 km · a handful of days a yearGreen Lowther · 99 km · a rare clear dayDivis · 174 km · a handful of days a yearCulter Fell · 114 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 116 km · a rare clear dayBeneraird · 119 km · a rare clear dayAgnew's Hill · 172 km · a handful of days a yearWisp Hill · 87 km · a rare clear dayColt Hill · 94 km · a rare clear dayDun Rig · 116 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from Starling Dodd, by direction
  • North-east: Grasmoor (6 km), Crag Hill (7 km), Whiteside (7 km), Eel Crag (7 km), Sail (7 km), Whiteside East Top (7 km), Scar Crags (8 km), Knowe Crags (20 km), Gategill Fell Top (21 km), Blencathra (22 km), Atkinson Pike (22 km)
  • East: Red Pike (2 km), High Stile (3 km), High Stile (3 km), Robinson (6 km), Hindscarth (7 km), Dale Head (8 km), Helvellyn Lower Man (20 km), White Side (20 km), Calfhow Pike (20 km), Helvellyn (20 km), Raise (20 km), Nethermost Pike (20 km), Clough Head (20 km), Catstye Cam (21 km)
  • South-east: Pillar (5 km), Black Crag (5 km), Kirk Fell (8 km), Great Gable (9 km), Green Gable (9 km), Great End (11 km), Ill Crag (12 km), Red Beck Top (12 km)
  • South: Steeple (4 km), Scoat Fell (5 km), Little Gowder Crag (5 km), Caw Fell (5 km), Haycock (5 km)
  • South-west: Iron Crag (4 km)
  • West: Great Borne (2 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (173 km, Ireland), Merrick (100 km, Scotland), Broad Law (108 km, Scotland), Snaefell (79 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (99 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (82 km, Scotland), Corserine (96 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (94 km, Scotland).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

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

Sunrise and sunset on Starling Dodd

Starling Dodd waits for the sun. Its longest wait of the modelled year falls on 1 October, when the sun is up for 27 minutes before it clears this skyline — first light 07:43 against an almanac sunrise of 07:16. You are standing in shadow while the valley below is already lit. The sun comes up to the east from here (100.0°), and the skyline on that bearing stands at 3.53°.

30°40°50°60°70°04:54
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 lightAlmanac sunriseDifference
Midsummer04:54 BST ±5.0 min04:38+16 min
Equinox06:21 GMT ±5.0 min06:16+5 min
Midwinter08:48 GMT ±5.0 min08:34+14 min

A low, open northern horizon — the ground falls away northwards (mean 0.03°).

Last light — when the sun leaves Starling Dodd

Starling Dodd holds the light. On not one of the sixteen dates modelled does the sun leave this summit before almanac sunset — the ground falls away westward rather than standing over you, and at midsummer it is still in the sun 3 minutes after the valley has lost it.

The evening of the same three days. A negative difference means a ridge takes the sun before the valley loses it.
Last lightAlmanac sunsetDifference
Midsummer21:57 BST ±5.0 min21:54+3 min
Equinox18:33 GMT ±5.0 min18:27+6 min
Midwinter15:57 GMT ±5.0 min15:50+7 min

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 Starling Dodd. 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. 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 Starling Dodd

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
43Wainwrights in view+4 marginal
101 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 101 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 80 km clear
  • Great Dun Fell North PenninesENE · 59 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 51 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 39 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterW · 32 km in view
All 43 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

How Starling Dodd’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), 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

Bridge Hotel (opens in new tab) hotel

about 0.0 km from the start, in a straight line

It is 20 m from where all five Buttermere routes begin and it is the only hotel in the valley that says it takes dogs, in a cluster where three of the other four beds state a pet restriction. It also states its own size - "21 EN-SUITE BEDROOMS AND 6 SELF-CATERING APARTMENTS" - and its own food and ales, so a party coming off Red Pike at six can eat and sleep without moving the car. Set against that: only its home page is in the cache and that page answers nothing about parking, drying, children or family rooms, and it publishes no email and no phone at all, so this is a place you book online or ring on OSM's number, not one you email.

The bedrooms are deliberately unwired - no television, no radio, and no mobile signal to lose.

  • Dogs “A true dog-friendly hotel in the Lake District”
  • Evening meal “Exceptionally friendly and professional service, homemade food, carefully selected local real ales with our staff who naturally go the extra mile to ensure your needs meet your expectations.”

Worth knowing before you book

These places state on their own site that they do not take children.

What each place says about itself, quoted from their own site. We have not stayed at any of them, and there are no prices, no booking and no affiliate links. Distances are straight lines from each route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).

Frequently asked questions about Starling Dodd

Is Starling Dodd a hard walk?

No difficulty in the fell — it is a broad grassy top on the ridge above Ennerdale with an easy summit and no rock to speak of. What makes it a real day is distance from anywhere: this is deep in the western fells and every approach is long.

Our round with Great Borne is 16.0 km with 1100 m of ascent, steepness graded severe — almost all of that on Great Borne rather than here. Plan the walk out as carefully as the walk in; there are no short cuts off this ridge.

Questions drawn from real Google “People also ask” searches; answers written and fact-checked by us. · Reviewed 2026-08-30 · Suggest a question or correction (opens in new tab)

Other fells near Starling Dodd