Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more
Photo: © Lee McCoy
Start High Row
Getting here Parking: Low How (layby), 0.0 km from the start (straight line). Bus: 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 this start. 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. Getting there ↓ · Route map ↓
Hardest part Severe distance: 21.89 km — a long day out.
Before you choose
- 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.
Conditions on this route
We score every Lakeland Wainwright each morning on cloud, wind, rain and underfoot, and this route crosses 6 of them. The worst summit governs the verdict — a route is only as kind as its roughest top.
Modelled guidance — not a substitute for the mountain forecast or your own judgement. See how every fell ranks today →
Daylight & turnaround
Daylight is short from October to February — check today’s sunrise and sunset before you set off, and carry a head-torch and spare batteries. On short days, decide your turn-back time before you start.
See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
Route map
1 Birkett Fell2 Hart Side3 Raise4 Stybarrow Dodd5 Watson's Dodd6 Great Dodd7 Clough Head
Easy 82%Moderate 16%Hard 2%Severe
Heights on this chart and its high point are read from the track itself (a terrain model sampled along the line, or a GPS recording), so a top can differ from its listed height, usually reading lower.
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap, with SRTM elevation data (switch layers top-right).
The elevation profile is under the map; the stage notes follow.
The walk, stage by stage
- 1
Start → Birkett Fell (4.1 km, 378 m)
Depart the High Row parking area (near Dockray) heading south, then south-west, dropping gently for about 1.5 km. The line then climbs south for about 1.5 km before it turns north-west up the grassy slope onto Birkett Fell.
WaypointsHigh Row parking area, Birkett Fell summit (725m).
Decision pointBirkett Fell is the first top on the ridge; carry a map and compass for the cloud.
Easy to get wrongA long, steady approach. The grassy ground can be damp and spongy after heavy rain.
If you need to get offTurn round at any point on the climb and go back the way you came, to High Row.
© Lee McCoy · 3 photographs - 2
Birkett Fell → Hart Side (0.6 km, 60 m)
From Birkett Fell, head west along the broad grassy ridge to the summit cairn on Hart Side, about 0.6 km.
WaypointsBirkett Fell summit, Hart Side summit cairn (756m).
Decision pointThe ridge leads directly to Hart Side's summit cairn.
Easy to get wrongOpen ground, exposed to the wind. Hart Side's southern edge drops steeply in the cliffs of Glencoyne Head, with precipitous views east.
If you need to get offThe way back is the way you came, over Birkett Fell.
© Lee McCoy - 3
Hart Side → Raise (3.8 km, 337 m)
From Hart Side, head south-south-west off the top. The line then runs west-south-west across the high, undulating ridge, passing about 200 m from Green Side (White Stones) above Glencoyne. It rises over the southern shoulder of Stybarrow Dodd, then drops south-south-east to the crossroads of paths at Sticks Pass. From the pass, climb south up the stony path to the summit cairn of Raise (located near the Lake District Ski Club tow huts).
WaypointsHart Side summit, White Stones and the Green Side ridge, the southern shoulder of Stybarrow Dodd, Sticks Pass crossroads cairn, Raise summit cairn & ski tow.
Decision pointSticks Pass is a major marked junction. The path up Raise is lined by old iron fence posts.
Easy to get wrongHigh exposure to winds across the open ridge, and the shallow dips hold water and peaty bog. The path up Raise is stony, with rocky steps. The ridge is high, open ground with little shelter, and Sticks Pass is a high crossing, fully exposed to wind and fast-changing weather.
If you need to get offWe have not checked a line down from White Stones, so none is offered here: the south side falls to the crags of Glencoyne Head. Before Sticks Pass, the way back is the way you came, to Hart Side. At Sticks Pass, the bridleway east goes down to Glenridding, and the bridleway west to Stanah in St John's in the Vale.
© Lee McCoy - 4
Raise → Stybarrow Dodd (1.7 km, 118 m)
From Raise, go back north down the stony path to Sticks Pass, about 0.8 km: Raise is an out-and-back from the pass. From the pass, climb north onto the broad summit dome of Stybarrow Dodd.
WaypointsRaise summit, Sticks Pass, Stybarrow Dodd summit cairn.
Decision pointFaint trods and intermittent old wooden fence posts across the grassy plateau.
Easy to get wrongNavigation in cloud: Stybarrow Dodd's top is a broad, featureless grassy dome. In cloud the small summit cairn is hard to find, with no edges or landmarks to go by; navigate by compass.
If you need to get offAt Sticks Pass, the bridleway east goes down to Glenridding, and the bridleway west to Stanah in St John's in the Vale. Once you are past the pass, the way back to it is the way you came.
© Lee McCoy · 2 photographs - 5
Stybarrow Dodd → Watson's Dodd (1.1 km, 52 m)
From Stybarrow Dodd, head north-north-west off the summit dome, then bear west-north-west along the broad grassy ridge to the cairn on Watson's Dodd, which looks over Thirlmere.
WaypointsStybarrow Dodd summit, Watson's Dodd summit cairn.
Decision pointA broad, clear grassy ridge.
Easy to get wrongOpen grass, exposed to westerly winds off Thirlmere.
If you need to get offFrom Watson's Dodd, the way back is the way you came, over Stybarrow Dodd to Sticks Pass. We have not checked a line west down to Legburthwaite, so none is offered here.
© Lee McCoy - 6
Watson's Dodd → Great Dodd (1.3 km, 105 m)
From Watson's Dodd, head north-east across the broad high saddle toward Great Dodd. Climb the gentle grassy slope to Great Dodd's top: a small cairn, with a wind shelter a short distance away.
WaypointsWatson's Dodd summit, broad saddle, Great Dodd summit cairn and wind shelter.
Decision pointIn clear weather the wind shelter near Great Dodd's top is a good target.
Easy to get wrongBroad, featureless plateau terrain that requires strict navigation in mist.
If you need to get offWe have not checked a line east off Great Dodd to High Row, so none is offered here; the way back is the way you came.
© Lee McCoy - 7
Great Dodd → Clough Head (2.9 km, 118 m)
From Great Dodd's top, head west-south-west. The line curves round to the north-west as it drops across the grassy plateau past Little Dodd (St John's Common). Cross the wide, boggy depression by Calfhow Pike. Then climb north-north-east up the stony, grassy flank of Clough Head to its summit trig point and stone shelter.
WaypointsGreat Dodd summit, Little Dodd, Calfhow Pike col, Clough Head summit trig point & shelter.
Decision pointDistinct path and line of old boundary stones leading up to Clough Head.
Easy to get wrongFeatureless grassy terrain around Little Dodd, easily lost in fog. The depression around Calfhow Pike holds water and can be wet underfoot.
If you need to get offWe have not checked a line down from the col before Clough Head, so none is offered here. The way on is over Clough Head and down to the Old Coach Road; the way back is the way you came.
Clough Head → Finish (6.4 km, 113 m)
From the summit of Clough Head, head north-east down the steep grassy spur of White Pike. At the foot of the spur, join the Old Coach Road and follow its wide gravel track east, beneath the northern flanks of Great Dodd and Hart Side, all the way back to High Row to complete the circuit.
WaypointsClough Head summit, White Pike spur, Old Coach Road junction, High Row finish.
Decision pointThe Old Coach Road is a clear gravel track leading straight back to the starting point.
Easy to get wrongThe descent off Clough Head is steep on grass, about 37% over its steepest 250 m. The long walk back along the Old Coach Road is easy going, but hard on tired feet.
If you need to get offThe Old Coach Road is a clear track all the way to the start.
GPX track for your GPS or phone. Walked by Lee, August 2023
Summits bagged (7)
- 1Birkett Fell725 m
- 2Hart Side756 m
- 3Raise883 m
- 4Stybarrow Dodd844 m
- 5Watson's Dodd789 m
- 6Great Dodd857 m
- 7Clough Head726 m
In the order you walk them — the same numbers the elevation profile, the stage notes and the pacing table use.
More about this walk
Conditions and timing
Check live conditions in the “From the fells” panel, on MWIS (opens in new tab) and the Met Office mountain forecast (opens in new tab) before you set off.
When the sun reaches the tops
Not sunrise — the moment the sun clears the skyline from that summit, which on a fell with high ground to its east can be a good deal later.
- Hart Side — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Raise — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Stybarrow Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Watson's Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00. It waits longest in late December — about half an hour after sunrise.
- Great Dodd — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
- Clough Head — in late March the sun reaches it around 06:15, with the sunrise. In late September, about 07:00.
How to read these times
The two equinoxes are shown because they fall in the walking season, and late December too wherever a top keeps you waiting then; the clock gap between the equinoxes is British Summer Time, not the hill. Rounded to the nearest quarter hour and meant as a general idea, not a schedule.
Modelled from a 30 m elevation model against each summit’s own skyline — the same figures the fell pages carry, never observed. Cloud is not in it.
Getting there and back
Parking
2 more places to park near the start
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.
If the parking is full
There is no real plan B here. Every place we know beside this route serves the same walks and sits close together, so expect them to fill on the same mornings. Worth starting early, or having a different walk in mind before you set off.
- Low How (layby) — at the start
- Low How, north-east (layby) — at the start
We never say whether anywhere has spaces today. Walks to the line are measured along mapped paths (OpenStreetMap), not in a straight line. How we choose these places.
No signal when you get there? RoutePark keeps this list on your phone: choose this walk’s GPX at home, keep it, and it opens offline.
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 this start — 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.
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
Toilets and refreshments
The essentials
- Arrival Laybys at Low How, beside the start: free, as mapped. One has been seen full by about 08:00 on a Saturday. 12 m in a straight line, not a walking distance. (our parking audit, from OpenStreetMap; the Saturday sighting is Lee's own visit, checked 10 August 2026)
- Toilets No toilets are mapped within 250 m of the start. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Refreshments No café or pub is mapped within 250 m of the start: bring what you need. (OpenStreetMap, as mapped on 13 September 2026, checked 13 September 2026)
- Limitation Almost all grass with few features, the Dodds are easy to go wrong on in mist: take a compass bearing and trust it before you leave each summit. (our route notes (this route's own warnings), checked 28 September 2026)
No mapped drinking water or shelter on this route — that doesn’t mean there is none, and never drink untreated from a beck. (Facilities data © OpenStreetMap contributors.)
Getting there across the Lake District: Buses · Parking map · By train · By boat
Planning detail
How each grade on this page is set, and the timings stage by stage.
Difficulty profile
Severe overall — hardest: Length
Five independent axes, not one score. Three of the five were set on the ground; the rest are computed from the recorded track and the map, which measures the line rather than surveying the ground.
How we grade: each axis is Easy, Moderate, Hard or Severe, and a route between two bands takes the higher one. Length: under 8 km, 8–14 km, 14–20 km, over 20 km. Steepness, the steepest 500 m of the track: under 15%, 15–25%, 25–35%, over 35%. Terrain, navigation and exposure are judged rather than measured, and each note says why. How we grade.
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Birkett Fell | 4.1 km | 378 m | 1:27–1:55 |
| 2Hart Side | 4.7 km | 438 m | 1:40–2:13 |
| 3Raise | 8.5 km | 775 m | 2:59–3:58 |
| 4Stybarrow Dodd | 10.1 km | 893 m | 3:31–4:41 |
| 5Watson's Dodd | 11.3 km | 944 m | 3:50–5:06 |
| 6Great Dodd | 12.6 km | 1050 m | 4:16–5:41 |
| 7Clough Head | 15.5 km | 1168 m | 5:03–6:43 |
| Finish | 21.9 km | 1281 m | 6:31–8:40 |
A fast–steady range from Naismith’s rule, deliberately on the slow side. Breaks, weather, rough ground and the slowest person in your party all add to it. How we time walks.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route?
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~37% drop over 250 m around the 16.4 km mark — hard on the knees.
With a dog
Hardest for a dog here: stiles and gates. The steepest stretch is a sustained descent of about 32% around the 16.6 km mark.
- Stiles and gates: A stile of unmapped type at 16.9 km — a dog may need lifting over. (OpenStreetMap, mapped as of 18 July 2026)
- Drops and exposed ground: Moderate – graded by Lee on the ground. Graded on the ground.
- Rock and scrambling: Ground underfoot: Moderate – graded by Lee on the ground. Graded on the ground.
- Ways off early: None recorded for this route.
- Livestock, shade and water: Not recorded for this route yet. We never call a stream safe for a dog to drink, so carry enough for both of you. The lead rules, and what to do around cattle, are on dogs on the fells.
On the line: 3 gates · 1 step-over stile · 1 stile (type unmapped)
Barriers as mapped on OpenStreetMap, which can miss some. Spotted one? Tell us (opens in new tab). Barrier data as of 18 July 2026. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Places to stay near this start
- Lowthwaite Bed and Breakfast (opens in new tab) guest houseabout 4.0 km
We have not stayed at any of them. We take no bookings or affiliate fees. Distances are straight lines from the route start, never walking times. Properties found via OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab).
Walks from places nearby
- Walks from Aira Force — 2.4 km from this start
- Walks from Glenridding — 4.9 km from this start
Straight-line distance from this walk’s start. Those lists hold the routes we have mapped and every Wainwright and Outlying fell within about 5 km of the town, ranked nearest first.