Dovedale - this is a place that I used to always come as a kid with my family. I think my dad and I spent a lot of time explore the Peak District when I was younger. I especially loved the tales and stories that he used to tell me on our journeys. My husband had also been as a child , but couldn't remember much about it, so we decided on a crisp Spring day to show Titch this beautiful place.
Dovedale is a National Trust reserve just outside the beautiful and quaint village of Ilam. If you are a National Trust member you can park for free at Ilam Park but it is then about a 20 minute walk to Dovedale its self through fields and along the River Dove. There is paid parking just as you enter Dovedale where you will also find toilets (20p charge) and a small shop. If you are lucky there is a coach pull in where at Weekends you can park for free. Be prepared for a long queue into the car park on busy days.
Once you have parked up the route towards the Stepping Stones and Thorpe Cloud is easy enough as you simply follow the route of the River Dove.
At the end you will find stepping stone across the River Dove in order for you to continue to walk along the paths. There is a bridge further back at the start, but the other side of the River has no path and in winter is barely passable due to the water levels. In Summer the the are by the Stepping stones makes for a lovely paddle. From here you can either continue to follow the path along the River Dove or venture up Thorpe Cloud. Thorpe cloud I s relatively steep and can be uneven so make sure you are wearing your walking boots.
The path along the River Dove is accessible but it does have a quite a few steps in parts. If you follow this path you can then explore the caves along the way.
You could spent as much or as little time here as you want. There are no picnic tables along the way but plenty of grassy spaces to sit and have your lunch.
