Little Dodd (St John's Common)

About Little Dodd (St John's Common)

Rising as a distinct grassy hump on the northwestern shoulder of Great Dodd, this high-altitude Birkett offers a quieter perspective on the Helvellyn range. The terrain is typical of the Dodds—broad, undulating peat and grass—making it an easy addition for those traversing the ridge between Clough Head and Stybarrow Dodd.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name 'Dodd' is a Cumbrian dialect term for a blunt or rounded summit, typically used for subsidiary peaks. 'St John's Common' refers to its historical status as part of the common grazing lands belonging to the parish of St John’s in the Vale.
• •Though Alfred Wainwright overlooked this summit in his main pictorial guides, Bill Birkett included it in his 541 peaks, recognising it as a significant high-point on the massive shoulder of Great Dodd.
• •The summit provides a clear, bird's-eye view down into the Glenderaterra Valley, offering a perspective that aligns perfectly with the 'Big Three' fells of the north: Skiddaw, Blencathra, and Lonscale Fell.
• •Standing at 784 metres, Little Dodd is higher than many of the Lake District's most famous fells, including Catbells and Haystacks, yet its lack of steep crags means it remains one of the range's most overlooked high summits.
• •It is a peak that proves height isn't everything; in any other English county, it would be a celebrated mountain, but in the Eastern Fells, it is often reduced to a minor navigational handrail for walkers heading toward Helvellyn.