Hartsop Dodd: Height, Walks and Views above Brothers Water

Hartsop Dodd rises steeply above Hartsop, its rounded northern face giving little away about the ridge stretching behind it towards Stony Cove Pike. At 619m, it is a modest-height Wainwright with a strong presence around Brothers Water. Walkers can appreciate it both as a summit in its own right and as part of a longer outing onto the higher Far Eastern Fells.

A steep fell above Hartsop

Seen from the valley around Hartsop and Brothers Water, Hartsop Dodd has a compact, rounded outline, with steep grassy slopes rising above the valley floor. Its appearance changes when understood as part of the surrounding ridge system: rather than standing alone, it forms the northern end of a ridge extending from Stony Cove Pike, also known as Caudale Moor.

Pasture Bottom separates Hartsop Dodd from Gray Crag to the east, while the valley leading towards Kirkstone Pass lies to the west. This position gives the fell a useful place in the landscape: it marks the meeting of the lower Hartsop country and the higher ground to the south. A stone wall follows the ridge across the summit area, adding a clear human-made line to the grassy fell.

Height and place among the Wainwrights

Hartsop Dodd reaches 619 metres, or 2,031 feet, and ranks 125th by height among the 214 Wainwrights. Its summit grid reference is NY411118. It appears in Book Two of Alfred Wainwright’s pictorial guides, The Far Eastern Fells, alongside the fells stretching eastwards from the Ullswater and Kirkstone country.

Its most immediate ridge relationship is with Stony Cove Pike. Gray Crag, Brock Crags and Angletarn Pikes are other nearby Wainwrights, though their proximity on a map should not be mistaken for a continuous high-level connection. The intervening valleys are an important part of this landscape. Hartsop Dodd should also not be confused with Lower Hartsop Dodd, a separate Wainwright on the other side of the Kirkstone valley. The similar names belong to distinct summits and different ridges.

Views and walking character

The outlook brings together the valleys around Hartsop, the Brothers Water landscape and the surrounding eastern and far eastern ridges. From different points on the fell, the contrast between the valley floor and the higher, more open ground becomes particularly clear. Gray Crag is a close neighbour across Pasture Bottom, while the ridge southwards draws the eye towards Stony Cove Pike.

Hartsop Dodd can be walked as a separate objective or included in a longer day involving Stony Cove Pike. Its relatively modest height does not mean gentle gradients: the northern slopes are steep, and the ridge is exposed to the weather. For planning an outing, use a dedicated walking guide alongside a current map and mountain forecast.

Where Hartsop Dodd stands

Summit at grid reference NY411118 · open full map

The real Hartsop Dodd

Walking Hartsop Dodd

We make artwork, not route guides — these are the guides we'd point a friend to:

• Hartsop Dodd - Caudale Moor walk (andrewswalks.co.uk)
• The Dovedale Round: Hartsop above How, Hart Crag ... (walklakes.co.uk)
• Best trails near Hartsop Dodd (alltrails.com)

Weather on Hartsop Dodd

Conditions estimated at summit height (619 m) via Open-Meteo. For a walker's forecast, use the Mountain Weather Information Service.

Hartsop Dodd on your wall

A painting of Hartsop Dodd can recall the quieter details of a day around Brothers Water: the steep grassy face, the ridge wall and changing fell colours. As a print or canvas, that familiar outline brings a little of the Hartsop landscape home.

Own “Hartsop Dodd in Vibrant Light” — our painting of Hartsop Dodd → or browse all Fells & Mountains artwork

Neighbouring Wainwrights in The Far Eastern Fells

• Brock Crags 561 m
• Stony Cove Pike 764 m
• Gray Crag 698 m
• Angletarn Pikes 566 m

Part of our guide to all 214 Wainwrights — see the full index.