Dodd in the sunshine

/ 25/09/2025

The last walk of our Lake District break before we were due to head off to Liverpool, for a couple of days sightseeing. The weather was still superb but we were still feeling the effects of two longer walks, earlier that week. We’d also got used to being a little lazy in the morning, so we needed a walk that wasn’t too many miles for the legs and not too far to drive to. Dodd is a perfect hill for that, set on the side of Skiddaw with trees all around until you get to the top. The forestry tracks are easy to walk and there are plenty of options to get near to the top, if you fancy a loop walk. Plus there a tearoom at the bottom if you fancy that, although we had flasks for a summit sit down, so we were covered on that. We were driving the A591 heading for the tearoom car park, when I spotted a pull off layby near to the tearoom. Never one to pay for parking when I don’t need to, I was off the road and parked up before Linda could say “we can park there”! We quickly booted up and set off up, the initially steep forest track, following the red arrows of the Skill Beck Path. We crossed a wooden bridge to join the main track to the summit, but on review we could have stayed on the same path and reached the junction at Long Doors, where the Skill Beck path meets to main path. At the junction we headed right and uphill to a fabulous view down to Derwent Water and the surrounding fells. The path then turned and wound its way up the the summit, where we found a quiet corner to have a coffee, with views along Lake Bassenthwaite and out to Scotland. All we had then was a simple return the way we came, only this time we continued along the main green arrowed path rather than turn for the Skill Beck red route. A lovely simple walk before heading back to the house to pack our things. The end of a lovely holiday and probably some of the best weather I’ve ever had across a week, some fantastic walks that will definitely be in the end of year roundup and some second visits to fells where I didn’t see a view, with cloud being down. So a lovely visit and a chance for Linda to add to her total of Wainwrights, taking her to 62 now.

Start – Roadside A591

Route – Skill Beck Path – Longside Wood – Long Doors – Dodd – Long Doors – Sawmill Tearoom

Distance – 3.5 miles   Start time – Midday  Time taken – 2hrs 30mins  Highest Point – Dodd 502 metres

Weather – Sunshine and a little bit of cloud

© Crown copyright 2025 Ordnance Survey FL 2025 SF
Our parking spot, not bad for midday on a Thursday
Off up the forestry tracks, Dodd summit puts in an early appearance through the trees
Lovely dappled sunlight as we climb the path
The woodland as a whole is a mix of native trees and plantations of fir. Here we are now on the main path having crossed Skill Beck on a bridge
The steep slopes up to Longside Edge to the right, one of the routes up to Skiddaw. Scotland is in the distance although not my finest camera work as it looks a little hazy, which it wasn’t
Rounding the corner at Long Doors, you get the wow view down to Derwent Water. Layers of fells all around
A ribbon of green pushing into the fells is Newlands Valley were we were 3 days before this. Back right is Crag Hill, which was our walk 4 days before this on the Coledale Horseshoe
Dodd summit
Looking east towards the Helvellyn range. Latrigg is the small hill nearest, behind that starts with Clough Head, before running back right across the photo through the Dodds (Great, Watson and Stybarrow), then Raise, White Side and finally Helvellyn itself is the high point at the back
Derwent Water and lots of fells
The Northwestern fells , pointy Grisedale Pike is pretty much in the centre
Up to the left is Skiddaw and Skiddaw Little Man
Lake Bassenthwaite, Scotland can be seen in the distance, total was probably the best views across the Solway to Scotland. The high point of Criffel is easily seen here, but we could also pick out layers of hills behind that running through Dumfries and Galloway
Heading back down now with view still to the Helvellyn Range
Into the trees
Our routes up
And to finish Skill Beck as it reaches the weir near the Sawmill tearooms, another glorious walk in Lakeland. We will be back in 2026 as we have a summer break booked with the family around Grasmere, but for now we have some superb memories of sunshine and fell walks over this week. The highlight would be sitting on the flanks of Robinson eating Minstrels (which Andy at Surfnslide reminds me had an advert which stated that they “melt in your mouth, not in your hand”)!!

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18 thoughts on “Dodd in the sunshine”

  1. Nice walk. I haven’t been to Dodd summit yet but walked several times in the forest. It is a nice area. And Mirehouse estate is definitely worth a visit in June when rhododendron trees are in full bloom.

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    • Thanks Jo, it was a superb outing for our last walk in Lakes (been offline for a couple of weeks as my laptop broke but all sorted now so have a bit to catch up on)

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  4. Nice walk with fantastic views. You seem to have the ‘midas touch’, with regards to the weather. Perhaps you could let us know when your next planned trip is, so that ‘we’ can get the same luck

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    • Its an easy one to bag plus it is one of the ways up to Carlside and skiddaw, with the small detour to reach Dodd summit (been offline for a couple of weeks as my laptop harddisk broke but all sorted now so have a bit to catch up on with all the blogs)

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  7. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Benafim | Still Restlessjo

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