MILLDALE AND DOVEDALE WALK
THE WALK
Milldale and Dovedale Walk is a delightful walk with magnificent scenery and the incomparable River Dove; what more can anyone want?
A lovely one and a quarter mile stroll along the banks of the River Dove is followed by a steep climb up through Dovedale Wood and continues along the top of the valley. The views are magnificent, none more so than from Bunster Hill that looks down on Ilam with its Alpine-style Cottages.
Dovedale is one of the most treasured beauty spots not only in the Peak District but all of England. Photographs of the stepping-stones across the Dove must have appeared on more calendars and gift boxes than almost any other countryside scene in England.
Let us leave the last words with Byron, who wrote with Dovedale in mind, to his friend, the Irish poet Tom Moore, ‘I can assure you there are things in Derbyshire as noble as Greece or Switzerland.’
LOOK OUT FOR
Route Point 1 – Ilam Rock is a solitary pinnacle of limestone towering over the River Dove, to a height of 82 feet, in an area owned by the National Trust. The fossilised remains of sea creatures and corals make up the rock. Dovedale is famous for its numerous limestone rock formations, of which Ilam Rock is one of the most spectacular. Others include Dovedale Castles, Tissington Spires, Reynard’s Cave, and Lion’s Head Rock.
Point 2 – Dovedale Wood rises steeply from the River Dove and presents a stiff climb for the walker. But it is well worth the effort for the magnificent views when you reach the top. Rocks and screes which have developed because of the Ice Age have produced rare mosses, lichens, and flowers. The wood, along with most of the dale, is in the ownership of the National Trust.
Point 6 – Bunster Hill on the Staffordshire side of the River Dove is thought to refer to a mound that has been cleared of vegetation by burning. Thorpe Cloud, located near the village of Thorpe on the Derbyshire side of the Dove, is said to have acquired the name ‘cloud’ from ‘clud,’ an Old English term for a hill.
Point 7 – The Izaak Walton Hotel, with its lovely views and manicured lawns, is for sale but remains open at the time of writing (January 2026). Some of the bedrooms got their names after members of the Royal family stayed there at the time of a televised event in which they took part. It is named after the famous author of ‘The Compleat Angler,’ who, together with Charles Cotton, wrote the best-selling book in 1653, making the River Dove famous for fishing.
Point 8 – The famous Dovedale Stepping Stones were first laid across the River Dove about 1890, as the area became popular with Victorian tourists. In 1934, they were acquired by the National Trust and in 2006, Dovedale was declared a National Nature Reserve to protect its future. Today, the steps are immensely popular with the public, especially at busy times when you may have to queue to cross. Heavy rainfall and flooding can result in the closure of the steps.
Point 9 – Dovedale, with its steep-sided limestone sides and tree-covered slopes, is the stretch of the valley that runs from the tiny hamlet of Milldale, down to the large car park close to the road linking Ilam and Thorpe. It is well-known for its stunning scenery and is one of the most famous valleys in the country. In some places, the water has eroded the limestone into spectacular rock formations, like the Lion’s Head and the natural archway in front of Reynard’s Cave. For the more energetic who climb Thorpe Cloud or Bunster, there are fine views across the valley.
WALK DETAILS
Length: 7 miles.
Start: Milldale Car Park, on the Hopedale Road out of the village.
Location: Off A515 Ashbourne to Buxton Road, take the Alstonefield road and then turn left for Milldale.
Terrain: Mostly easy walking, through woods, fields and by the river. The climb up through Dovedale Wood is steep, and the walk along the top of the wood and round Bunster can be slippery, particularly in wet weather.
Refreshments: Polly’s Café in Milldale serves hot and cold drinks, ice creams, sandwiches, and snacks during the busy summer season and most weekends (see Facebook Page). The Watts Russell Arms at Hopedale, named after the wealthy businessman James Watts Russell, who lived at Ilam Hall.
THE ROUTE
1. Walk down the road from the car park into Milldale. Turn right to cross Viator’s Bridge and follow the riverbank, ignoring the first footbridge, for a mile and a quarter. Cross the River Dove by a footbridge near Ilam Rock.
2. Continue along the footpath on the other side of the river through Dovedale Wood, past a post marker and a small National Trust indicator signed for Ilam, to climb a steep and winding path.
3. On reaching the top of the wood, ignore the stile on the right; go to the left, keeping just inside the wood with the fence on your right.
4. A few yards after passing a National Trust – Dovedale Wood sign, you leave the wood by a stile. Head straight on towards Air Cottage that you can see in the distance, and follow the path past the cottage to the far side. About 25 yards past Air Cottage, go right through two gate stiles and a small field to reach the cottage drive.
5. Continue along the drive, passing Ilam Tops Farm on your right, until the Ilam to Alstonefield road is clearly in sight. Turn sharp left about 50 yards from the gateway onto the road. These instructions follow the longstanding official right-of-way and may seem a little strange. As the route from this point heads back in the direction that you have just come from, angling across the field and away from the drive in a roughly triangular fashion to reach a stile in the far corner of the field.
6. Follow the well-trodden path to go over a stile, with Bunster Hill looming in front.
7. You have two alternatives. Go down the hill and then keep left to reach the Izaak Walton Hotel. The other alternative is to remain at the same level as you walk around Bunster Hill, before descending to follow an obvious path through two fields to arrive at the rear of the hotel.
8. Walk along the path behind the hotel, which bends slightly to the left as it drops down to a stile, to a pathway leading to Dovedale Car Park. Go to the left, where you have two options. Follow the road and cross the stepping-stones, which may be flooded after prolonged heavy rainfall, or cross the footbridge and walk up the other side of the river.
9. From the stepping-stones, continue along the path up Dovedale for approximately three miles before crossing Viator’s Bridge at Milldale. Turn left up the road from Milldale back to the starting point of the walk.
MILLDALE
