Red Screes and a few Dodds
Date: 12-Apr-2011
Map: Landranger 90
Weather: Sunshine and clouds with a light shower
From Cow Bridge along by Brothers Water, across to Middle Dodd and steeply up to the summit. Continue up to Red Screes, then turn NW down to the Scandale Pass. Up to Little Hart Crag and down the ridge to High Hartsop Dodd. Down the north end and return by the same paths to Cow Bridge : 7 miles as measured on memory map.
Another walk on my own, but the positive side of that is the weather is going to be good as I can pick and choose my dates. I am coming towards the end of walking all of the 214 Wainwrights and today was 4 more Wainwrights ticked off on a little horseshoe of around 8 miles with 2650ft of ascent. It felt more since my little leggies were still sore from my walk on Friday up high on Skiddaw and Bakestall. The drive up from Manchester was uneventful, but I always enjoy the road along the Kirkstone Pass, a real switchback - enough to make your passengers feel sick if you go fast enough. I parked up at Cow Bridge near the small hamlet of Hartsop, and just to the side of the road before Patterdale - free parking in the small car park here. The route took me alongside Brothers Water and looking ahead to various Dodds - they all have one thing in common in that they are very steep. By steep I mean that if you stretch your arms out in front of you and lean into the hill a bit - if you touch the ground it's steep. There are plenty of big hills around here with the magnificent Fairfield on one side, the equally magnificent High Street on the other, and as yet unknown to me the equally magnificent Red Screes ahead. It was a nice gentle start to the day along a good farm track on the western side of Brothers Water, below a nicely wooded slope of Hartsop above How. After Brothers water I walked past Hartsop Hall - a fine old building with later additions - I don't know the age but there are a fine pair of rams heads above the farmhouse door. If I knew a bit more about historical architecture I could tell you - alas there were no pictures as it was in private grounds. Beyond the farm as I walked cross the floodplain of Kirkstone Beck there are remnants of an old settlement below the slopes of Hartsop Dodd. There are plenty of lumps and bumps that tie in with some of the big boulders lying around, obviously used as part of the enclosure. It was easier to see the stone enclosure from higher up on the slopes of High Hartsop Dodd on my homeward leg. It's easy to see why they chose this place as a settlement as it sits nicely between Dovedale Beck on one side, Kirkstone Beck on the other, and looking up the valley towards Dove Crags - a great setting and one that begs to be explored a little more. Once I was past the old settlement my route took me around the base of High Harsop Dodd, alongside Kirkstone Beck and along up towards the nose of Middle Dodd - it's steep and it doesn't stop until you get to the top - but the weather was good, sun shining and unlike a few days ago it was cold. I crossed over Caiston Beck and looked ahead for a distinct path but couldn't see one - it's further around and past a wall I think. But once I had gloves and coat on it was fine, and I slowly progressed up the slopes of Middle Fell, literally nose to the ground, pausing for breathe frequently. Up on the top of Middle Dodd the view ahead was up to Red Screes, and over to the east a whole bunch of hills - Kidsty Pike and High Street, the Kentmere Horseshoe, Hartsop Dodd, Gray Crag and a few others. On top of Middle Dodd all the hard work was finally over and it's a steady ascent up to Red Screes, and when you get up there on a clear day the views are great - down to the Coniston Fells, around to the Scafells, Great Gable and the Langdale Pikes and of course to the many ridges between Red Screes and Helvellyn. Then there is Place Fell and a bunch of others behind you. As is usual on any cloudy day, the higher hills were busy making up some rain clouds and I could see a shower or two approaching but thankfully it never quite got to me - ha ha - taking the easy route down Dovedale after swirling over Fairfield. The biggest plus factor was that I reached Red Screes with 4 fruit pastilles left and two of those were black currant - sometimes life is so good. Needless to say I didn't offer anyone else one, which wasn't too hard as I was on my own. After a little wander around the top to make sure no avalanche police were lurking below, I made my way down along the wall to Scandale Pass, watching the weather approach as I got lower. There are some great rocky ledges to pause on, scan the skyline, and look down the valley all the way down to Ambleside - that's the easy way up to Red Screes. Then it was a little ascent up to Little Hart Crag and a great spot for lunch looking back to Red Screes and High Street et al. The view the other side was across the many ridges to Helvellyn - very impressive, especially with the passing clouds casting deep dark shadows, it made for some good pictures. All that was left was a wander back down the ridge to High Hartsop Dodd and wonderful view down over Brothers Water and beyond. It was equally steep on the way down but a little easier, with fantastic views over Dovedale and up to St Sunday Crag with Helvellyn beyond. Good conditions for picture taking, so I snapped away and one or two turned out ok. Looking down from High Hartsop Dodd the outline of the stone enclosure, and probably a burial cairn and possible a stone circle were easy to see - must call Time Team. A great little walk rewarded with some epic views - that's 188 done and 26 left, which will probably take about 9 more walks...sometime this year or next, good weather and health permitting. Another delightful little round and well worth the effort of getting up there.
Middle Dodd looking up to Dove
Crag part of the Fairfield Horseshoe
at the base of
Middle Fell looking back nearly up at the top
of Middle Dodd. Place Fell in the distance, with High
Hartsopp Dodd to the left 
