Combined 'A'& 'B' Walk - Leader- Barry Osborne. Dist-9 miles.

                                          Asc-1800'. Grade -Moderate Plus. Anticlockwise.

 Dovedale is a valley in the Peak District, of which it is no exaggeration to say gives you the most wonderful scenery in the area .The land is owned by the National Trust and attracts more than a million visitors annually The River Dove cuts through the valley for 3 miles from Milldale  in the north and a wooded ravine near Thorpe  Cloud and Bunster Hill in the south.                  

The walk                                                                         

Our walk today starts from the car park at the Old Dog pub in Thorpe. We proceed  past the Peveril of the Peak HF Hotel into open countryside, in a north westerly direction through Lin Dale in the valley between Thorpe Cloud and Hamston Hill.

Arriving at the stepping stones we progress northwards beside the River Dove , on our way we pass Lovers Leap and Upper Taylor Wood to reach Milldale, a good place to have I break before the next leg of our walk .

We then cross the River Dove  to head south on the opposite side of the river from our earlier excursions, until we reach Ilam Rock . From here we climb through Dovedale Wood and progress to Air Cottage and on to Ilam Tops Farm . We continue  around Bunster Hill towards Ilam village and from here we cross several fields along the Manifold Trail to reach Coldwall Bridge . This section of the walk can be very muddy, so a walking pole is advisable.

After crossing the bridge it is a short step back to Thorpe where  we can all share the delights of The Old Dog Inn.

Please join me on this excellent scenic walk in a lovely area

We will be avoiding the section along the River Dove shown in the photograph to the left below, for obvious  reasons !!

                                              Ilam Park

'C''  Walk - Leaders-Maureen & Barbara. Dist-6 miles. Asc-600'. Mod.

 Our walk starts today at The Old Dog Pub in Thorpe for refreshments and toilets.

 Thorpe is  a tiny village in the Dovedale area and is part of the Limestone Way, which is a 46mile way-marked route between Rocester in Staffordshire and Castleton in the Peak District.

 Passing over Coldwall Bridge we turn onto the Manifold Trail, a linear walk of about 23 miles from The Travellers Rest Pub in Flash, to the Dovedale car park near llam village. It follows the River Manifold from its source to its confluence with the River Dove, passing through classic White Peak limestone scenery.

 We follow the trail into llam village, passing the memorial cross which is an ornate  Grade 2 Gothic-style obelisk of local sandstone in the style of an Eleanor Cross.

 Ilam is best known as the location of the Neo-Gothic  llam Hall, a stately home built in the 1820s. Partly demolished in the 1930s it is now a youth hostel, owned by The National Trust.

 The excellent café in Ilam will be our lunch stop and the park will be lovely to explore before we wend our way back on the same route to the Old Dog Pub in Thorpe for further refreshments.

 Hopefully. we will enjoy dryer weather  than of late, but walking poles would be advisable.

                                                 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++