Glenridding Dodd & Sheffield Pike

Distance: 6 miles
Time: Allow 3-4 hours with time for photos!
Difficulty: Strenuous
Parking: Paid parking in Glenridding CA11 0PA or National Trust car park at Glencoyne Bay CA11 0NQ (free for members)
Refreshments: Plenty of options in Glenridding

The route

With Helvellyn as a neighbour, Sheffield Pike and Glenridding Dodd are quite often overlooked in favour of their more famous neighbour. However our January hike up to these two wainwrights has to be one of our favourite ever Lake District walks. It's worth noting that we purposely chose to do this walk anticlockwise, starting with Sheffield Pike before heading to Glenridding Dodd because we wanted to time Glenridding Dodd with golden hour over Ullswater.

We started the walk from the National Trust Glencoyne Bay car park and turned right out of the car park before a right turn after 150m onto the Glencoyne Farm drive.

You’ll follow this past the farmhouse and then left onto the track (marked “Path”). Follow the path across the pasture and pass below the old miners cottages at Seldom Seen. It’s a steady ascent up this quiet valley on a well defined path.

It isn’t long until the views over Ullswater open up’s so make sure to look behind you on the way up! You’ll eventually hug the side of the mountain before reaching the col of Nick Head. At this point you’ll see a path off to the right which heads up neighbouring wainwright Stybarrow Dodd. Straight ahead you should have views over to Helvellyn, but you’ll want to take the path off to the left up to the summit of Sheffield Pike.

The view from the top of Sheffield Pike is absolutely stunning, with views over Ullswater and many of the neighbouring mountains.

The descent from Sheffield Pike can be a little more tricky to route fine, but just . The shoulder formed by Heron Pike ahead is a key landmark for the correct descent route and is approached passing two tarns, so make sure you try and head for these!

You’ll then have a final short, steep and rocky ascent to reach the summit of Glenridding Dodd. It’s worth this effort for the unbelievable views that open up before you. I wish we’d had more time to stick around up here but it was January and the fading light was against us!

To finish the walk, you’ll need to re-trace your steps back down to the start of your steep ascent and turn right – then it’s a well defined path all the way back down to the roadside, albeit rather steep.

We really hope you’re able to give this walk a go as it’s a really stunning and such a lovely flavour of the Lake District.

Thanks for reading,

Cara, Andy, Poppy & Maple x