Glenridding Dodd

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Glenridding Dodd
Elevation	442 m (1,450 ft)
Location	Cumbria, England
Range	Lake District
Prominence	c 45 m
Topo map	OS Explorer OL5
OS grid reference	NY381175
Listing	Wainwright

Glenridding Dodd is a fell in the English Lake District, an outlier of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells. It looks down the upper reach of Ullswater.

Despite being a top on the eastern ridge of Sheffield Pike, Glenridding Dodd has sufficient prominence to rank as a separate fell. This was the view taken by Alfred Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells where it receives its own chapter. Wainwright states that "when people climbed hills only for the sake of the views, the heathery summit of Glenridding Dodd must have been more frequented than it is today, for the once popular paths of ascent are now overgrown and neglected."^[1]. This view is supported by more modern guidebooks. ^[2]

Glenridding Dodd is separated from Sheffield Pike to the west by The Rake, a depression at 1,300 ft. North of the fell is the little valley of Mossdale Beck, beyond which Sheffield Pike's second eastern ridge falls through Glencoyne Wood to the lake. East of its summit, Glenridding Dodd itself falls steeply to Ullswater with considerable areas of outcropping rock. The lower part of the slope is wooded, the name according to one reference being Stybarrow Oaks ^[2]. The most striking feature is on the shore itself, the face of Stybarrow Crag appearing out of the trees and looming above the lakeside road.

To the south of the fell are its namesake valley and village. In pre-tourist times the growth of Glenridding was based on the profitabilty of Greenside Mine, from which lead and silver were won for around two hundred years. The remains of the surface works can still be seen on the slopes of Sheffield Pike. Across Glenridding are the claw shaped end of Birkhouse Moor and Keldas, its delectable subsidiary top.

Geologically the fell is representative of the Birker Fell Formation, part of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group. This formation consists mostly of undivided andesite lavas and sills.^[3]

The top of Glenridding Dodd is an east west ridge, heather clad with rocky outcrops and the odd patch of bog. A large cairn marks the summit at the western end, and further cairns point to viewpoints for the lake and village. For a low fell the view is good, although Helvellyn is obscured by Birkhouse Moor. ^[1]

Ascents can be made from Glenridding, or from the lakeshore by Stybarrow Crag. There are no paths on the top of the fell- barring the ridge to Sheffield Pike- and the easiest access is via the Rake, climbing from either side.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Alfred Wainwright: A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Book 1: ISBN 0-7112-2454-4
^ ^a ^b Richards, M: Lakeland Fells, Near Eastern Fells: Collins (2003): ISBN 0-0071-1366-8
^ Woodhall, DG: Geology of the Keswick District- a brief explanation of the geological map. 1:50,000 Sheet 29: British Geological Survey (2000)