Guided Walking at Dovedale

  Easier Walks     Medium Walks     Harder Walks

Easier Walks follow well-graded paths. Medium Walks also have some occasional steeper sections. Harder Walks have moderate gradients but some steeper sections.

• Our experienced guides offer the choice of up to three different walks each day
• Choose the option which best suits your interests and fitness; take an Easier Walk one day and switch to a Harder Walk the next
• We offer a social activity each evening

2012 - Itinerary One

7 night holidays
Days 1-7: Sat 12 May; Sat 2, 9, 23 June; Sat 21 July; Sat 18 Aug; Sat 1, 15 Sept; Mon 22 Oct 

6 night holiday
Days 2 & 4-7: Sat 29 Sept

4 night holidays
Days 1-4: Sat 2, 9, 23 June; Sat 21 July; Sat 1 Sept; Mon 22 Oct 

3 night holidays
Days 2 & 4: Sat 29 Sept
Days 2 & 6: Fri 9, 23, 30 March; Fri 20 April; Fri 4 May; Wed 18 July; Fri 12 Oct; Fri 2, 9 Nov
Days 5-7: Wed 6, 13, 27 June; Wed 25 July; Wed 5 Sept; Tues 2, Fri 26 Oct

See below for Itinerary Two

Day 1: Arrival day

Meet your leaders who will tell you more about the walks. 

Day 2: Dove Dale

Easier Walk: A lovely walk across fields above Dove Dale, before an attractive descent to Lover’s Leap.  We then walk along the River Dove with its spectacular rock formations, visiting the picturesque hamlet of Milldale. 7 miles with 700 feet of ascent. 

Medium Walk: After walking along the Tissington Trail into Tissington, famous for its well-dressings on Ascension Day, we see the famous stepping stones, before returning via Milldale and Lover’s Leap along the River Dove. 9 miles with 800 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: From Milldale we follow the enchanting valley of Dove Dale along the river to the stepping stones.  We then ascend gradually through the villages of Thorpe, Fenny Bentley, Tissington, and Alsop-en-le-Dale before heading back to our Country House. 11½ miles with 1,525 feet of ascent.

Day 3: The Derwent Valley and Cromford

Easier Walk: We begin in the market town of Crich, home to the National Tramway Museum, and up Crich Stand which is dominated by the Sherwood Foresters’ Memorial.  We walk into the Derwent Valley and along the Cromford Canal towpath, to Cromford Wharf and Arkwright’s Mill. 5¾ miles with 525 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: From Crich we visit Lea, Dethick and Riber before descending along an iron ore bridleway.  We then follow the easier walkers along the Cromford Canal towpath to Arkwright’s Mill. 9¼ miles with 875 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: We begin with a short walk along the Cromford Canal before we ascend on to Crich Chase and then on to Crich, where we follow the route of the Medium Walk to Arkwright’s Mill. 12 miles with 1,400 feet of ascent.

Day 4: Cat and Fiddle, Errwood Reservoir and Buxton

Easier Walk: We start at Cheshire’s Cat and Fiddle Inn, the second highest pub in England.  We descend gradually into the valley of the River Goyt, visiting the ruins of Errwood Hall, and into the spa town of Buxton. 8¼ miles with 600 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: We follow the same route as the Easier Walk to reach Errwood Hall, before descending to the dam between the Fernilee and Errwood Reservoirs and on into Buxton. 9 miles with 1,075 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: This walk follows a more challenging ridge route over Shining Tor, Cats Tor and Pym Chair to Windgather Rocks before descending to the reservoir and crossing Wild Moor to Buxton. 12½ miles with 1,450 feet of ascent.   

Day 5:

For 3 night holidays arriving today, this is your chance to meet your leaders.

If you have booked a 7 night holiday, today is a free day with no guided walks organised. This is a great opportunity to explore the Derbyshire Dales independently - see the Local Area tab for places that you may enjoy visiting.

Day 6: Chatsworth and the Edges

Easier Walk: From Baslow we walk through Chatsworth Park - admiring Capability Brown’s landscape - to Chatsworth House, home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. We continue to the walled village of Edensor, and then through Manners Wood to Bakewell. 6¾ miles with 700 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: High up on the Moors we take an exhilarating walk along the gritstone edges of Frogatt, Curbar and Baslow, passing Wellington’s Monument before we descend to Baslow village and through the parkland of Chatsworth to Edensor and Bakewell. 9½ miles with 800 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: Following the route of the medium walkers to Baslow Edge, we continue along Birchen Edge to reach the Hunting Tower and descend to Chatsworth House, passing the Sowter Stone and aqueduct on the way.  We then follow the Medium route to Bakewell. 12 miles with 1,075 feet of ascent.

Day 7: Dales and villages of the White Peak

Easier Walk: Situated on a plateau between the Dove and Manifold valleys, we walk from Alstonefield to take in Narrowdale Hill and Wolfscote Dale, before walking back on the old Buxton to Ashbourne railway line, now the Tissington Trail. 6½ miles with 500 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: We ascend Biggin Dale, a National Nature Reserve, to Wolfscote Dale with its limestone scenery, and then on to Narrowdale, Alstonefield and the Tissington Trail. 10½ miles with 725 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: Starting at Hulme End in the Manifold Valley we climb Ecton Hill - once home to the Devonshire family copper mines - before continuing to Wetton and Alstonefield, then through Wolfscote Dale and back to our Country House on the Tissington Trail. 11¾ miles with 1,450 feet of ascent.

2012 - Itinerary Two

7 night holidays
Days 1-7: Sat 26 May; Sat 16, 30 June; Sat 28 July; Sat 25 Aug; Sat 8, 22 Sept

4 night holidays
Days 1-4: Sat 16, 30 June; Sat 28 July; Sat 25 Aug; Sat 8 Sept
Days 2, 6 & 7: Mon 12, 19 March; Mon 2 April; Sat 19 May; Mon 8, 29 Oct; Mon 5 Nov

3 night holidays
Days 5-7: Wed 20 June; Wed 4 July; Wed 1, 29 Aug; Wed 26 Sept

Day 1: Arrival day

Meet your leaders who will tell you more about the walks. 

Day 2: The River Dove and the Tissington Trail

Easier Walk: A circular walk from our Country House along the Tissington Trail to the feudal village of Tissington, famous for its well-dressings.  After exploring the village we ascend across Thorpe pastures and farmland to return home. 7 miles with 675 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: This walk crosses Shining Tor to Milldale and Alstonefield into Beresford Dale, a charming peakland dale with interesting cliff, rock and cave formations, before following the River Dove through Wolfscote Dale and on to the Tissington Trail. 9¾ miles with 900 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: The harder walkers follow much the same route as the medium party, but with an additional loop north to Hartington before returning through Beresford Dale. 11¾ miles with 1,275 feet of ascent.

Day 3: The Roaches

Easier Walk: From Upper Hulme we skirt Hen Cloud and take a leisurely pace up onto the gritstone escarpment of the Roaches and a wonderful sense of achievement. We descend back to Tittesworth Reservoir Visitor Centre. 7¼ miles with 750 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: We traverse the magnificent ridge of the Roaches before descending to Lud’s Church, a narrow chasm in the rocks reputedly used for Lollardy religious meetings in the 14^th century.  We continue round Back Forest to descend to Tittesworth. 9¼ miles with 900 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: We follow the route of the Medium Walk to Lud’s Church, before following the River Dane to the edge of Danebridge.  We ascend steeply to a large rock named “the Hanging Stone” and on to Tittesworth. 12 miles with 1,400 feet of ascent.

Day 4: Robin Hood’s Stride

Easier Walk: From Birchover we walk to the rock formation known as Robin Hood’s Stride, and also visit a hermit’s cave. Continuing on the Limestone Way we head to Bradford Dale, before following the River Wye into Bakewell. 7½ miles with 500 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: We cross Stanton Moor to view the Bronze Age stone circle “The Nine Ladies” and the famous Cork stone before heading to Birchover, from where we take a similar route to the Easier Walk into Bakewell. 10¾ miles with 825 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: From Monyash we follow the impressive limestone valley of Lathkill Dale to visit Ricklow Quarry, and Mandale and Magpie Lead Mines. We continue through the valleys of Deep Dale and Monsal Dale to Monsal Head, ending in Ashford-in-the-Water. 12¼ miles with 1,200 feet of ascent.

Day 5:

For 3 night holidays arriving today, this is your chance to meet your leaders.

If you have booked a 7 night holiday, today is a free day with no guided walks organised. This is a great opportunity to explore the Derbyshire Dales independently - see the Local Area tab for places that you may enjoy visiting.

Day 6: Derwent Valley and the Edges

Easier Walk: Having explored the plague village of Eyam we walk to Stony Middleton with its Roman Baths and octagonal toll house.  We then follow the River Derwent through Grindleford – with Froggatt Edge towering above us - to Hathersage. 7¼ miles with 350 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: We have time to explore Eyam before a steady ascent up to Eyam Moor. After crossing dramatic moorland landscapes we ascend again to walk around Abney and Offerton Moors, and finally descend into Hathersage. 9 miles with 1,050 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: Starting in Eyam we walk to Stoney Middleton and along the Derwent Valley.  We ascend to the Iron Age hill fort of Carl Wark and the gritstone Stanage Edge, popular with climbers.  We descend to finish in Hathersage. 12¼ miles with 1,350 feet of ascent.

Day 7: Dove Dale and the Manifold Valley

Easier Walk: After exploring Ilam we follow Paradise Walk along the River Manifold before following the River Dove - surrounded by its spectacular rock formations - into Milldale and back over Shining Tor to our Country House. 6¼ miles with 575 feet of ascent.

Medium Walk: Starting in Wetton we walk high above the Manifold Valley to Ilam Park and then on to Dove Dale to continue in the footsteps of the easier walkers. 9¼ miles with 700 feet of ascent.

Harder Walk: Starting in Wetton we take a similar route to the medium walkers, but also visit Blore and the Church of Bartholomew. On reaching Ilam we take the route followed by the other groups. 12 miles with 1,125 feet of ascent.

Local transport

On some days the walks start and finish at our Country House, Newton House. On other days you’ll be transported to other parts of the Derbyshire Dales. The cost of all transport to and from the walks is included in the price of your holiday.

Our guests

The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. There is normally a good mix of ages, of new guests and 'regulars' from Britain and overseas, and of people travelling alone, with a partner or with friends.

In the evenings

Your leaders will inform you about the choice of walks for the next day and answer any questions you may have. After a sociable evening meal you could join in an organised activity such as a quiz or a talk about the local area, relax in the bar or use the Country House facilities.