Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more
Key facts
Difficulty profile
Five independent axes, not one score. “Desk” ratings come from maps and guidebooks, not yet walked — treat them as a guide, not a survey.
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.
Why this matters: 78% of Mountain Rescue call-outs come after midday — the day runs out on the way home, not on the way up. See also walking in bad weather and today’s conditions.
1 Hart Side2 Green Side (White Stones - Green Side)3 Stybarrow Dodd4 Raise5 Watson's Dodd6 Great Dodd7 Little Dodd (St John's Common)8 Clough Head
Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right).
This walk covers about 24.44 km with around 816 m of ascent, taking in 8 summits. The map above shows the line; the elevation profile and stage notes are below.
Access & barriers
Can a dog, a buggy or dodgy knees manage this route? A quick read from the gates and stiles mapped along the way.
- Dog: A stile of unmapped type — a dog may need lifting over.
- Buggy: Stiles or rough going on the route.
- Knees: A long, steep ~37% drop around the 14.7 km mark — hard on the knees.
On the line: 7 gates · 1 step-over stile · 2 stiles (type unmapped)
These are mapped barriers, from OpenStreetMap — coverage in the Lakes is good but not guaranteed complete. Spotted a stile or gate we’ve missed? Tell us (opens in new tab) and we’ll fix it. Barrier data as of 2026-07-18. Access data © OpenStreetMap contributors (via Overpass).
Pacing
| Summit | Cumulative | Ascent | Time (fast–steady) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hart Side | 4.6 km | 292 m | 1:24–1:52 |
| Green Side (White Stones - Green Side) | 8.3 km | 536 m | 2:33–3:24 |
| Stybarrow Dodd | 9.3 km | 576 m | 2:49–3:45 |
| Raise | 10.9 km | 576 m | 3:09–4:11 |
| Watson's Dodd | 13.6 km | 641 m | 3:48–5:03 |
| Great Dodd | 15.0 km | 646 m | 4:04–5:25 |
| Little Dodd (St John's Common) | 15.7 km | 646 m | 4:12–5:36 |
| Clough Head | 18.1 km | 758 m | 4:53–6:29 |
| Finish | 24.4 km | 816 m | 6:15–8:19 |
Naismith-based estimate — a fast/steady range. Your pace will vary.
The walk, stage by stage
Start → Hart Side (4.6 km, 292 m)
Climb of about 292 m over 4.6 km (around 6% average).
Hart Side → Green Side (White Stones - Green Side) (3.7 km, 244 m)
Climb of about 244 m over 3.7 km (around 7% average).
Green Side (White Stones - Green Side) → Stybarrow Dodd (1.0 km, 40 m)
Undulating section of about 1.0 km.
Stybarrow Dodd → Raise (1.6 km, 0 m)
Descent of about 41 m over 1.6 km.
Raise → Watson's Dodd (2.7 km, 66 m)
Climb of about 66 m over 2.7 km (around 2% average).
Watson's Dodd → Great Dodd (1.3 km, 5 m)
Undulating section of about 1.3 km.
Great Dodd → Little Dodd (St John's Common) (0.7 km, 0 m)
Undulating section of about 0.7 km.
Little Dodd (St John's Common) → Clough Head (2.4 km, 112 m)
Climb of about 112 m over 2.4 km (around 5% average).
Clough Head → Finish (6.4 km, 58 m)
About 6.4 km with 58 m of ascent.
Stage-by-stage field notes coming soon.
Summits bagged (8)
- Hart Side 756 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
- Green Side (White Stones - Green Side) 794 m · Eastern · Birkett, Synge, Nuttall
- Stybarrow Dodd 844 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
- Raise 883 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall
- Watson's Dodd 789 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge
- Great Dodd 857 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
- Little Dodd (St John's Common) 785 m · Eastern · Birkett
- Clough Head 726 m · Eastern · Wainwright, Birkett, Fellranger, Synge, Nuttall, HuMP
🅿️ Getting there & parking
Positions are approximate. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.
💧 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.)
🚌 Buses
Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com (opens in new tab) or Traveline before travelling.
⚠️ Safety & conditions
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.
Make it easier or harder
Short version: turn back at about 10.9 km (drop to Start) — roughly half the distance.
📚 Maps & guidebooks for Hart Side, Stybarrow Dodd, Raise, Watson's Dodd and more
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