River Dove

The Dove is, without doubt, a beautiful river, rising on the Edges near Buxton, cutting deep gorges through the limestone landscape and emerging into the more gentle countryside around Ashbourne, on its way to join the Trent at Newton Solney. With a total length of 40 miles, it forms a significant part of the boundary between Staffordshire to the West and Derbyshire to the east.

The most famous part of its course is Dovedale, owned by the National Trust and attracting around one million visitors every year! To the north of Dovedale run Milldale, Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale, each a steep sided valley with distinctive rocky outcrops which, combined, make a significant attraction for keen walkers.

 To my mind, the beauty of the area has been somewhat marred by the addition of hardcore footpaths. I think back to the days of my childhood and one particular Boxing Day when we had ventured out to 'walk off the Christmas dinner'. It was an an icy winter's day, we virtually had the dale to ourselves and there was not a concrete path in sight. This year, the county council have even seen fit to cap the famous Dovedale stepping stones with concrete tops for the sake of Health and Safety! GRRRR

On a more peaceful note, the Dove is generally considered to offer some of the finest trout fishing in the country, making it sought after by anglers. As a result, of course, fishing rights come with quite a high price tag and it is no great surprise to come across Private Fishing notices such as this one.

Fortunately, the walking is free :)