Dovedale

About

Dovedale is known for the River Dove and it’s impressive limestone ravines, but the most iconic part of a trip to Dovedale has to be the picturesque stepping stones…

Arriving at the nearby car park, where you can also be tempted by snacks and refreshments, it’s just a short walk up and across a wooden bridge to get to the River Dove, where you can look up onto Thorpe Cloud.

Thorpe Cloud is an isolated limestone hill, also known as a reef knoll, which sits between the villages of Ilam and Thorpe and lies right on the border between Derbyshire and Staffordshire. It’s highest point has an elevation of 287 metres, which is quite a quick and steep ascent, but one with lots of hike-worthy views across the Staffordshire and Derbyshire countryside once you’re at the top. If you are planning on walking to the top of Thorpe Cloud do remember to bring a good pair of walking boots with you, as the way down the hill can sometimes be a tad tricky.

Following the River Dove up towards the stepping stones you can cross and climb to the top of Thorpe Cloud, giving fantastic panoramic views of the Peak District.

For a more family friendly walk, you can continue up passed Thorpe Cloud and carry on up along the river. There’s lots of great wildlife and woodland to explore along this riverside stroll, and the path is very clear and flat which is a plus point for families with small children.

If you’d rather take more of a walk to enjoy the Peak District countryside and arrive in Dovedale along the way, there are a few good locations to start. For example, the River Dove flows through Milldale, which is a great starting point for the walk down through Dovedale to the stepping stones, as well as Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale.  Here there are also a network of footpaths and walks either along the river or over the surrounding countryside.