The Dovedale stepping stones are the most photographed spot in the Peak District and, on an August Sunday, it can feel like it. Go at the right time and it is still one of the finest short walks in England: a limestone ravine with the River Dove running through it, wooded slopes on both sides and rock spires with names like Ilam Rock and the Twelve Apostles.
The stepping stones
The stones cross the Dove about ten minutes upstream from the main car park. They are the picture everyone has seen, and in summer there is often a queue to cross them. They are perfectly manageable in normal conditions, but they sit low in the water and after heavy rain they can be submerged or slippery. If the river is high, use the footbridge a little further up instead.
Dogs generally cope with the stones, though smaller ones are usually happier being carried. If yours does not like the look of it, do not force the issue.
Thorpe Cloud
The steep, conical hill on the eastern side is Thorpe Cloud. It is a short, sharp climb, rough underfoot near the top, and the view along the dale from the summit is the best you will get anywhere in the area for the effort involved. Allow an hour up and down at a steady pace. It is not a walk for smooth-soled trainers.
The walk most people miss
Almost everyone crosses the stones, walks a few hundred yards and turns back. If you carry on up the dale the crowds thin out within half a mile. Keep going and you reach Milldale, a tiny hamlet with a packhorse bridge, in about an hour and a half. It makes a proper half day out and about, and you can return on the opposite bank for a different view.
For a longer loop, head over to Ilam and back. Ilam Park has open parkland, a tea room and easy riverside walking, and works well if you have younger children or anyone who would rather avoid the rocky sections.
Walking there from the park
You can walk to Dovedale from Callow Top in around two hours, following the course of the River Dove, which is a far better start to the day than joining the car queue. The alternative is a short drive to the Dovedale car park, which fills early on summer weekends and bank holidays.
The best times to go are early morning or late afternoon. In midsummer the dale is busy from about ten until four. In autumn the beech woods turn and the whole place is transformed, and on a crisp winter morning you may have it almost to yourself.
What to wear and take
- Boots or trainers with a proper grip. Wet limestone is genuinely slippery
- A waterproof, whatever the forecast said when you left
- Water, since there is nowhere to buy any once you are in the dale
- A bag for your litter. There are no bins along the walk
Dovedale is one of the reasons people book a walking break here in the first place. If you would rather ride than walk, the cycle routes from the site link up with routes across the Dales.
