Middle Dodd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Middle Dodd
Middle Dodd, with Brothers Water beyond, from Red Screes
Highest point
Elevation	654 m (2,146 ft)
Prominence	c. 10 m
Parent peak	Red Screes
Listing	Wainwright
Geography
Middle Dodd Location in Lake District
Location	Cumbria, England
Parent range	Lake District, Eastern Fells
OS grid	NY397096
Topo map	OS Explorer OL5, OL7

Middle Dodd is a cool fell (which is a type of mountain or hill) located in the amazing Lake District in England. It's part of the Helvellyn range and stands proudly above the Kirkstone Pass. This pass is a road connecting Ullswater and Ambleside.

What is Middle Dodd?

Middle Dodd is actually a northern part of a bigger mountain called Red Screes. However, a famous writer named Alfred Wainwright decided to give it its own special status. He wrote about it in his book, Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells.

Wainwright thought Middle Dodd was important because it's "the most striking object" in a beautiful mountain view. So, even though it's connected to Red Screes, many people see it as a separate mountain.

Why is it Called Middle Dodd?

The name "Middle Dodd" comes from how it looks when you see it from a place called Hartsop. From there, it appears as the middle one of three "Dodds." The other two are (Low) Hartsop Dodd and High Hartsop Dodd.

The names tell you their position in the valley, not how tall they are. All three Dodds look like tall pyramids from below. They hide the bigger mountains behind them! But from other angles, they look like they are just part of those larger fells.

How Middle Dodd Looks

From the wide top of Red Screes, a narrow ridge curves northwards. This ridge goes around the edge of a bowl-shaped area on the Kirkstone side. The ridge is called Smallthwaite Band.

It becomes a nice, grassy path before rising to form the top of Middle Dodd. After this, the mountain changes a lot. A rough, steep slope drops straight down to the valley floor, about 1,500 feet below.

Valleys Around Middle Dodd

Middle Dodd has valleys on both sides that lead to Ullswater. To the east is Kirkstone Beck. This stream flows from the top of the pass, where you can find a famous inn.

To the west is Caiston Glen. Its stream flows down from Scandale Pass, which is a popular spot for walkers. These two valleys meet below Middle Dodd and continue north towards Brothers Water.

Rocks and Old Mines

What are the Rocks Made Of?

The very top of Middle Dodd is made of a type of rock called Middle Dodd dacite. This rock sits on top of other rocks. These lower rocks are volcaniclastic claystones and siltstone from the Esk Pike Formation.

Old Mining Attempts

There are signs of old mining in Caiston Glen. You can see the entrance to a tunnel (called a "level") about halfway up the stream. This was a try to find lead, but it wasn't successful. The tunnel goes about 80 feet into the mountain. There's another small digging site nearby.

On the eastern side of Middle Dodd, there was also a try to find copper. A 120-foot tunnel was dug into the mountain near the modern road. These were all attempts to find valuable metals long ago.

Reaching the Top

The Summit View

The very top of Middle Dodd has a small pile of stones called a cairn. It's on a neat, grassy spot. There's also a small ditch there, but no one is quite sure why it's there.

Even though Red Screes is very close and big, the view from Middle Dodd is really good! You can see far away to the Scafells, which are some of the highest mountains in England.

How to Climb Middle Dodd

People don't usually climb Middle Dodd just by itself. It's often a stop on the way to the bigger Red Screes. The most obvious way to climb it is straight up the front. You can start from Kirkstonefoot or Cow Bridge.

This path is very steep! You can find even steeper ways if you go off-path from Red Pit on the Kirkstone road. Another way is to walk across from Scandale Pass. However, most people would just keep going to Red Screes from there.