Stybarrow Dodd
Encyclopedia
Stybarrow Dodd is a fell
in the English
Lake District
. It stands on the main spine of the Helvellyn range
in the Eastern Fells
, situated between Thirlmere
and the Ullswater
catchment.
and Great Dodd
, the three fells having a similar character and being commonly referred to as "The Dodds".. To the south is the depression of Sticks Pass, beyond which the ridge continues to Raise, White Side
and Helvellyn
.
Sticks Pass crosses the range at 2,445 ft (745 m), this being the highest pass in the District crossed by a regular bridleway. Now of use purely to hillwalkers, it once provided the only connection between the communities on either side of the Helvellyns. The name is believed to be taken from the guideposts originally used to mark the route.. The becks flowing from either side of the pass summit are both officially named Sticks Gill, the '(East)' and '(West)' having been added by Alfred Wainwright
in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
and utilised by later guidebook writers.
Stybarrow Dodd is characterised by wide grassy slopes with very little outcropping rock. Such rough ground as exists tends to garner considerable attention on Ordnance Survey
maps. The western flank above Thirlmere falls in gentle gradients to about half height and then steepens in the final descent to the valley floor at Fisher Place. A low ridge runs parallel to the lakeshore, ending at Great How above the dam
, and this once diverted Stybarrow Dodd's drainage north to the Vale of St John. As part of the raising of Thirlmere reservoir
in 1884 a water race was constructed which diverted all of these streams into the lake.. The captured streams forming the boundaries of the fell are Stanah Gill in the north and Sticks Gill (West) to the south.
The eastern side of Stybarrow Dodd is more complex with a ridge running down 4 miles (6.4 km) to Dockray and the popular Aira Force
waterfall. This ridge begins as a broad plateau, variously named Green Side or White Stones, which runs due east before falling precipitously over the screes of Glencoyne Head. The high ground splits here to provide the walls of Glencoyne, with Sheffield Pike
and Glenridding Dodd
to the south and Hart Side
to the north. Stybarrow Dodd's northern boundary on this face is Deepdale, this long and marshy valley separating it from Great Dodd since Watson's Dodd has no footing on the eastern side of the ridge. Sticks Gill (East) provides the southern frontier, running down to Ullswater via Glenridding.
The ridge northward from the summit to Watson's Dodd is broad and grassy, carrying a fair path which saves time for the ridgewalker by bypassing both tops. This path also runs southward to Sticks Pass although on this flank the fell throws out more of a shoulder than a ridge.
-tuff
. Underlying this is the Birker Fell Formation of andesite
lavas and sills. These formations form part of the Borrowdale volcanic series.
at the north east end. Alfred Wainwright
noted that early additions of the Ordnance Survey maps stated only the height of the south west top (2,756 ft) and recorded his calculation of the true height of the fell. The southern top provides better views and is blessed with a much larger cairn. All around is grass with the exception of Deepdale Crag, a small area of exposed rock on the eastern side. The view is extensive with all major Lakeland ranges in sight.
Fell
“Fell” is a word used to refer to mountains, or certain types of mountainous landscape, in Scandinavia, the Isle of Man, and parts of northern England.- Etymology :...
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. It stands on the main spine of the Helvellyn range
Helvellyn range
Helvellyn range is the name given to a part of the Eastern Fells in the English Lake District, fell being the local word for hill. The name comes from Helvellyn, the highest point of the group....
in the Eastern Fells
Eastern Fells
The Eastern Fells are a group of hills in the English Lake District. Centred on Helvellyn they primarily comprise a north south ridge running between Ullswater and Lakeland's Central Valley.-Partition of the Lakeland Fells:...
, situated between Thirlmere
Thirlmere
Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. It runs roughly south to north, with a dam at the northern end, and is bordered on the eastern side by the A591 road and on the western side by a minor road....
and the Ullswater
Ullswater
Ullswater is the second largest lake in the English Lake District, being approximately nine miles long and 0.75 miles wide with a maximum depth of slightly more than ....
catchment.
Topography
The Helvellyn range runs broadly north-south for about 7 miles (11.3 km), remaining above 2,000 ft (600 m) throughout its length. Stybarrow Dodd's northerly neighbours are Watson's DoddWatson's Dodd
Watson's Dodd is a fell in the English Lake District. It forms part of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells. This chain of hills runs north-south and, in the vicinity of Watson's Dodd, forms the watershed between the Thirlmere and Ullswater catchments....
and Great Dodd
Great Dodd
Great Dodd is a fell in the English Lake District. It stands on the main spine of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells, between the Vale of St John and Dockray.-Topography:...
, the three fells having a similar character and being commonly referred to as "The Dodds".. To the south is the depression of Sticks Pass, beyond which the ridge continues to Raise, White Side
White Side
White Side is a fell in the English Lake District. It is situated to the east of Thirlmere and to the west of Glenridding valley. This places White Side in the Helvellyn range of the Eastern Fells, with Raise to the north and Helvellyn Lower Man to the south, both of which are of greater...
and Helvellyn
Helvellyn
Helvellyn is a mountain in the English Lake District, the apex of the Eastern Fells. At above sea level, it is the third highest peak in both the Lake District and England...
.
Sticks Pass crosses the range at 2,445 ft (745 m), this being the highest pass in the District crossed by a regular bridleway. Now of use purely to hillwalkers, it once provided the only connection between the communities on either side of the Helvellyns. The name is believed to be taken from the guideposts originally used to mark the route.. The becks flowing from either side of the pass summit are both officially named Sticks Gill, the '(East)' and '(West)' having been added by Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells
A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells is a series of seven books by A. Wainwright, detailing the fells of the Lake District in northwest England...
and utilised by later guidebook writers.
Stybarrow Dodd is characterised by wide grassy slopes with very little outcropping rock. Such rough ground as exists tends to garner considerable attention on Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps. The western flank above Thirlmere falls in gentle gradients to about half height and then steepens in the final descent to the valley floor at Fisher Place. A low ridge runs parallel to the lakeshore, ending at Great How above the dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, and this once diverted Stybarrow Dodd's drainage north to the Vale of St John. As part of the raising of Thirlmere reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in 1884 a water race was constructed which diverted all of these streams into the lake.. The captured streams forming the boundaries of the fell are Stanah Gill in the north and Sticks Gill (West) to the south.
The eastern side of Stybarrow Dodd is more complex with a ridge running down 4 miles (6.4 km) to Dockray and the popular Aira Force
Aira Force
Aira Force is a waterfall in the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. The word force is used in many parts of northern England as a synonym for waterfall it comes from the Old Norse language old Norse word fors....
waterfall. This ridge begins as a broad plateau, variously named Green Side or White Stones, which runs due east before falling precipitously over the screes of Glencoyne Head. The high ground splits here to provide the walls of Glencoyne, with Sheffield Pike
Sheffield Pike
Sheffield Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, an outlier of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells. It stands on the eastern side of the range, looking down on Ullswater.-Topography:...
and Glenridding Dodd
Glenridding Dodd
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.-Topography:...
to the south and Hart Side
Hart Side
Hart Side is a fell in the English Lake District, being an outlier of the Helvellyn range in the Eastern Fells. The Ordnance Survey maps give the name to a broad saddle dropping from White Stones on Stybarrow Dodd, but Wainwright in his Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells gave the name to the...
to the north. Stybarrow Dodd's northern boundary on this face is Deepdale, this long and marshy valley separating it from Great Dodd since Watson's Dodd has no footing on the eastern side of the ridge. Sticks Gill (East) provides the southern frontier, running down to Ullswater via Glenridding.
The ridge northward from the summit to Watson's Dodd is broad and grassy, carrying a fair path which saves time for the ridgewalker by bypassing both tops. This path also runs southward to Sticks Pass although on this flank the fell throws out more of a shoulder than a ridge.
Geology
Geologically, the summit of the fell is formed by the Thirlmere Member of the Lincomb Tarns Formation. This consists of parataxitic lapilliLapilli
Lapilli is a size classification term for tephra, which is material that falls out of the air during a volcanic eruption or during some meteorite impacts. Lapilli means "little stones" in Latin. They are in some senses similar to ooids or pisoids in calcareous sediments.By definition lapilli range...
-tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
. Underlying this is the Birker Fell Formation of andesite
Andesite
Andesite is an extrusive igneous, volcanic rock, of intermediate composition, with aphanitic to porphyritic texture. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between basalt and dacite. The mineral assemblage is typically dominated by plagioclase plus pyroxene and/or hornblende. Magnetite,...
lavas and sills. These formations form part of the Borrowdale volcanic series.
Summit and view
The fell has two summits, the true top being marked by a very small cairnCairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
at the north east end. Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright
Alfred Wainwright MBE was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator. His seven-volume Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, published between 1955 and 1966 and consisting entirely of reproductions of his manuscript, has become the standard reference work to 214 of the fells of the...
noted that early additions of the Ordnance Survey maps stated only the height of the south west top (2,756 ft) and recorded his calculation of the true height of the fell. The southern top provides better views and is blessed with a much larger cairn. All around is grass with the exception of Deepdale Crag, a small area of exposed rock on the eastern side. The view is extensive with all major Lakeland ranges in sight.