Dovedale
Dovedale, Derbyshire
Dovedale is a beautiful valley in the Derbyshire Peak District. It’s well known for its stepping stones and its stunning scenery. Once you’ve reached the stepping stones (about half a mile from the car park) and made your way across, you’ll have a couple of options – Milldale or Thorpe Cloud?
Milldale is a beautiful stone village that lies on the northern end of Dovedale and is around a 2-and-a-half-mile walk from the stepping stones. This scenic walk follows the River Dove and is great for pretty much anyone who enjoys a walk; I would recommend Milldale as a more family friendly route, however, given the length of the walk there and back, it could be fairly time consuming (especially with younger children).
Thorpe Cloud is another option and an equally scenic route; it lies between the villages of Ilam and Thorpe and stands at 942ft/287metres tall. From the stepping stones, this walk should be just under a mile and it is a short, but steep, ascent; it is a pretty quick hike of around 15 minutes to half an hour, depending on your fitness level. It will also offer some beautiful views of the Peak District. If you want a bigger challenge, you can incorporate Thorpe Cloud as part of a longer walking route and do the Dovedale 10-mile Circular Route.
Even if you don’t fancy a long walk or a steep hike, it’s still worth heading here just for the stepping stones – there is plenty of space you could set up for a picnic or just have a sit down and watch others hop across the River Dove. If you’re a little unsteady on your feet and stepping stones aren’t your thing, then you can cross the river via bridge fairly close to the car park. The bridge is quite narrow and wouldn’t be suitable for wheelchair use.
Dogs love this location and are more than welcome to visit, but it is recommended that they remain on their lead as there could be livestock roaming in the vicinity.
Parking
Postcode for the car park is DE6 2AY
£3 for the day – only cash is accepted. No card payments.
Coins accepted are: £2, £1, 50p, 20p
