Dodd Wood

Visitor information

Opening hours

Car park open 24 hours

We do not allow camping or overnight stays in the forest or any of the car parks in Dodd Wood

Weekdays

Monday
Cafe	10am - 4.30pm

Tuesday
Cafe	10am - 4.30pm

Wednesday
Cafe	10am - 4.30pm

Thursday
Cafe	10am - 4.30pm

Friday
Cafe	10am - 4.30pm

Weekends

Saturday
Cafe	10am - 4.30pm

Sunday
Cafe	10am - 4.30pm

How to find us

Dodd Wood, Keswick

Sat Nav Postcode: CA124QE

By Car

From Keswick take the A591 towards Bothel. The forest entrance and car park are on the right opposite Mirehouse.

By Public Transport

The nearest rail station is Penrith

By bus: from Easter to October, bus service 73/73A from Keswick calls at Dodd Wood. For more details, see the Stagecoach website

OS Grid Ref

NY 240 275

Get directions

54.6429164, -3.1869776

Parking and prices

The car park is on a 'Pay on Exit' system.

There is one pay station beside the toilet block.

The car park is open 24 hours

Charges: if you stay for less than 20 minutes, parking is free. Otherwise, the charges below apply.
Parking charges apply to Blue Badge holders.

The machines take coins (no change given), credit cards (contactless payment is available) or you have up to 48hrs after your visit to pay online at Park with Ease. The machines are being cleaned regularly, but please try and pay by contactless payment or online to avoid touching them. Please bring hand sanitiser with you to use after you have touched the machines.

Parking charges apply at all times.

If you arrive car-free there is no charge

Parking Charges

The money you pay for parking helps us to look after the forests. Read how

Up to 1 hour	£1.65
Each additional 20 minutes	£0.45
All day	£7.00

Coaches/Minibuses charges

Membership - Car parking free

Coaches and minibuses welcome

Additional information

Regular visitors can save money by becoming a Member -

Number of accessible parking spaces: 2

Card payments accepted

Pay on exit system

Facilities and access

The cafe is open daily for takeaway only 10am - 4.30pm.

Toilet facilities are open.

We do not allow camping or overnight stays in the forest or any of the car parks in Dodd Wood

For more information on planning your visit, take a look at our accessibility information:

View Accessibility Guide

Assistant dogs welcome

Dogs allowed

Picnic area

Toilets

Contact details

Landline Number

01768 778469

E-Mail Address

whinlatter@forestryengland.uk

Dodd Wood

Discover amazing views of the northern Lake District, fantastic walks and rare wildlife

Dodd Wood is a fantastic place to get some stunning views of the northern Lake District. The network of walking trails will take you deep into the woodland and walk to the top of Dodd Summit for views across the fells.

See the magnificent Bassenthwaite ospreys from the specially designed viewpoints from April to September. The Lake District Osprey Project provides protection for the birds and interpretation for visitors.

You may also see red squirrels at the feeding station in the wood throughout the year.

We do not allow camping or overnight stays in the forest or any of the car parks in Dodd Wood

At a glance

4 walking trails
Picnic areas - Closed
Cafe
Toilets

Things to do

Forest Find | Dodd Wood

Whether you're a seasoned naturalist or enthusiast amateur it's easy to take part, just start recording wildlife on your next visit...

Download the free iNaturalist app before you visit

Discover and record wildlife through the app on your forest adventure

Download now on iOS

Download now on Android

iNaturalist is an independent third party application. Please check their full privacy policy and terms of service before signing up You can create records without having 4G or Wi-Fi in the forest. Download our full user guide and top tips.

Find out more

Osprey viewpoints at Dodd Wood

The Lake District Osprey Project is a partnership project between the Forestry England, Lake District National Park and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) with fantastic support from many volunteers.

The partnership aims to ensure the continued success of breeding ospreys at Bassenthwaite, and to provide visitors to the Lakes with the opportunity to see and find out more about ospreys.

The return of ospreys to Bassenthwaite Lake in 2001 was the culmination of several years’ hard work to encourage them to breed. The Lake District Osprey Project partners built a nest platform in Wythop Woods overlooking Bassenthwaite Lake. In 2001, all the hard work paid off and a pair of ospreys took to the platform and nested. For the first time in over 150 years, ospreys had been recorded nesting successfully in the Lake District! The ospreys have returned every year and used different nest sites, successfully raising many chicks.

The viewpoint will be unmanned for the 2020 season. You will be able to walk up to the viewpoint and look at the ospreys with your own equipment.

If you would like to find out more about how you could help the project through funding or volunteering, please contact Nathan Fox at nathan.fox@forestryengland.uk.

More information, including a live webcam of the nest, is available at www.Ospreywatch.co.uk.

Find out more

Walking trails at Dodd Wood

Dodd Wood is home to stunning views and offers some fantastic walks.

There are many miles of gravel roads, surfaced paths and tracks to explore. All of our trails start from the car park.

Find out more

Nearby forests

Front of Whinlatter visitor centre and information point

Whinlatter Forest

Whinlatter is home to stunning views, fantastic walks, exhilarating mountain biking, rare wildlife and adventure play.

Set within the Lake District, a World Heritage Site, Whinlatter has unrivalled views across Bassenthwaite Lake, Derwentwater and Keswick. It is also home to the longest purpose-built mountain bike trails in the Lake District.

Find out more

Setmurthy

It is enjoyed by walkers, runners, horse riders, schools and nature enthusiasts.

Please note: there is a network of unofficial mountain bike trails at Setmurthy that Forestry England does not endorse.

Find out more

Cogra Moss

Cogra Moss is a beautiful enclosed forest surrounding a reservoir which is now used by the Cockermouth Angling Association.

The walk up to the dam is along surfaced tracks. Beyond the dam a number of unsurfaced paths provide you with great access around the reservoir in a loop.

For the more adventurous, the walk up onto the top of Blake Fell is harder but provides fantastic views of the northern lake district fells, Scotland, the Solway Coast and Isle of Man.

Find out more

Ennerdale

Lying on the north western edge of the Lake District National Park, Ennerdale is home to some of England’s most vibrant natural environments and one of the longest running wild land restoration projects in the UK!

Rising abruptly out of the coastal plain of West Cumbria, Ennerdale is one of the most remote of Cumbrian valleys. There is a sense of tranquility, self-will and wildness, a feeling more of Scotland or Scandinavia.

Find out more