Walking Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side and Dodd from Dodd Wood | Lake District Walks

Aug 12

Aug 12 Walking Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side and Dodd from Dodd Wood | Lake District Walks

This Route takes in four summits from Alfred Wainwrights fifth book in the Northern Fells; Ullock Pike, Long Side, Carl Side and Dodd. The Northern Fells is famous for some of its larger summits like Skiddaw and Blencathra, however this walk alongThe Edge delivers stunning views of Bassenthwaite and Derwentwater as well as views across to Skiddaw.

The walk can begin in the Dodd Wood visitor centre, however I opted to park in lay-by which some extra steps to the walk. I will provide links to both options below. Parking at the visitor centre also adds the convienience of a cafe should you require grabbing some snacks or a tea on your way up or down.

From Dodd Wood, this route takes a mellow route through the woodland until you begin your ascent up Ling How and onto The Edge. This first section is the most challenging with 300m+ ascent from Ling How onto Ullock Pike. The route however is fairly moderate and ascends slowly as the well trodden path meanders its way up to Ullock Pike.

WALK OVERVIEW

Start - Dodd Wood

Parking at Dodd Wood visitor centre or in public lay-by nearby.

Distance - 6.14 miles

Duration - 4-5hrs

Difficulty - Moderate

Total Ascent - 914m

Map - You can find my full route below on Ordanance Survey’s website.

Route from Lay-by parking with more challenging descent from Dodd to Finish here

Route from Dodd Wood visitor centre with more challenging descent from Dodd here

Route with easier descent of Dodd back through Dodd Wood here

PREPARING FOR YOURWALK

NAVIGATION

As with all good walk preparation, you will need a way to navigate on your walk. I use the OS Maps App on my phone and you can find my route here

If you are navigating using your phone be sure to do the following;

Download the map before you leave wifi - you CANT guarantee you will have signal in the mountains.
Bring a battery pack or way to charge your device.
Print a copy of the walk before you leave from the Ordance Survey Website as a back up.

I also use my Suunto Watch as a backup navigation tool, however, if you are not confident that your technology will last you should purchase the Ordnance Survey Map for your walk.

WEATHER

If there is one thing that is for certain when walking in the British Mountains is that you can never be sure of the weather. Even on days that are forecast glorious sunshine, it is best to be prepared for the worst, as conditions can change rapidly.

Check the latest weather for this walk here

WHAT TO WEAR

When hiking in the UK it is important to remain flexible and with this in mind layers are certainly your best option. Mountain environments can be unforgiving and weather can change quickly. It is normal to see winds increasing and temperatures dropping as you reach your chosen summit. Make sure to pack a spare layer for the summit.

Suitable footwear in the form of walking boots or shoes is advised, especially when conditions are less than ideal. A good pair of walking boots will offer your ankles support, keep your feet dry and ensure you have grip, especially on those wet days. Yes, you probably could make it to the top in that old pair of tennis trainers… but will your feet thank you?

WHERE TO START

The start of this walk is 10 minutes in a car from Keswick and 30 minutes from Penrith. This walk is accessible with parking facilities at Dodd Wood but equally can be done with free parking in nearby lay-bys.

FACILITIES

The base of Dodd Wood has a cafe which is open daily. You can check the relevant opening times here. The are also toilet facilities available in the Dodd Wood Car Park.

To park at Dodd Wood you will need to ‘Pay on Exit’ and you will find the pay station beside the toilet block. The car park is a 24 hour car park. All-day maximum charge is £10 and you can find other relevant parking information here.

WALKING GUIDE

The start of this walk through Dodd Wood is mellow and along well trodden paths. You will be able to enjoy the sounds of the woodlands as you are overshadowed by the large trees that stand here. The path through the sections of Dodd Wood is well-maintained and makes for an easy start to this walk.

Looking across to The Nab from under Heck Crag

As you leave the woodland and begin to head up towards The Edge you will be greeted with some fantastic views across Bassenthwaite to your left. It is here on this section where you start to gain height as you approach Ling How and the start of the ascent to Ullock Pike.

The path to Ullock Pike is well-trodden so is clear throughout. For me this was the most challenging section of the walk but a steady amble along the winding path was more than manageable. If legs get weary on this section be sure to take a moment to look back towards Bassenthwaite or across to Skiddaw.

Once atop Ullock Pike it a mere stroll along Longside edge before you will have ticked off three of the Wainwrights on this walk. Ullock Pike, Long Side and Carl Side all reside along the short stretch and makes for and fine reward for the effort to reach the ridge.

Looking back to Ullock Pike from Longside Summit

Looking across to Dodd and Derwentwater from Longside

The descent from Carl Side is sharp but along a decent gravel path. The views from here are towards Keswick and Derwentwater.

After the aptly named White Rocks, the path bares right where a rocky section leads you down to meet Dodd Wood again. This section should be taken carefully, but offers a great sight towards the remaining goal, Dodd. It is worth noting that you can exclude Dodd from this walk if your legs are tired and take the route through the Woods back to your car. Those with the energy will meet a winding path to the summit which offers so spectacular vies.

Looking across to Dodd on the Carl Side descent.

From Dodd Summit, you have two options, the route I took (here), which has a steeper, less well-trodden path or the kinder route (here) back along the maintained route to Dodd Wood visitor centre. Whichever route you decide upon, take your time to enjoy the views from Dodd, the lowest summit on this walk with the best views.

WALK GALLERY

bassenthwaite-as-seen-from-the-ascent-to-ullock-pike.JPG

FIND KESWICK ACCOMMODATION HERE

ANY QUESTIONS?

Be sure to leave any questions in the comments and I will try my best to help you with your Angletarn Route. If you found this post useful and want to support me to make future content consider using the QR code to Buy Me A Coffee. All proceeds go towards supporting this website.