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Dove Dale - Peak District Walk
Wednesday 20th June 2007
As it finally stopped raining I decided to head out to Dove Dale and climb up Bunster Hill's ridge. Rather than just walk along Dove Dale's valley floor I opted for a mixture of high and low level walking, heading up just beyond Dove Holes to follow a faint and often over-grown path which returned to the valley floor at Lovers Leap. The rest of the route was along more obvious and well-travelled paths.
Start: Milldale car park (SK 1363 5477)
Route: Milldale car park - Dove Dale - Upper Taylors Wood - Lovers Leap - Dove Dale - Bunster Hill - Dovedale Wood - Ilam Rock - Dove Dale - Milldale car park
Distance: 7.25 miles Ascent: 603 metres Time Taken: 5 hours
Weather: Warm with a mixture of clouds and sunshine.
Pub Visited: None Ale Drunk: None
![Shining Tor Shining Tor](2007-06-20/shining%20tor.jpg)
Shining Tor from the tiny hamlet of Milldale.
![Ravens Tor Ravens Tor](2007-06-20/ravens%20tor.jpg)
The first real feature in Dove Dale (from Milldale), Ravens Tor.
![Dove Holes Dove Holes](2007-06-20/dove%20hole.jpg)
The smaller of the two caves at Dove Holes.
![Hall Dale Hall Dale](2007-06-20/hall%20dale.jpg)
Hall Dale seen after climbing up and out of Upper Taylor's Wood.
![Dove Dale Dove Dale](2007-06-20/dove%20dale.jpg)
Looking in the opposite direction along Dove Dale.
![Dove Dale Dove Dale](2007-06-20/dove%20dale1.jpg)
Looking back along the top of Dove Dale from above Reynard's Cave. The faint path I followed across the top is next to the wall.
![Thorpe Cloud Thorpe Cloud](2007-06-20/thorpe%20cloud.jpg)
Thorpe Cloud.
![Stepping Stones Stepping Stones](2007-06-20/stepping%20stones.jpg)
The stepping stones in Dove Dale, which I crossed today.
![Bunster Hill Bunster Hill](2007-06-20/bunster%20hill1.jpg)
The lower part of Bunster Hill, which was covered in thistles.
![Bunster Hill Bunster Hill](2007-06-20/bunster%20hill.jpg)
The much steeper second part of Bunster Hill.
![Bunster Hill Bunster Hill](2007-06-20/bunster%20hill2.jpg)
Looking back down Bunster Hill from near the summit.
![Bunster Hill's summit Bunster Hill's summit](2007-06-20/bunster%20summit.jpg)
Dove Dale from the summit of Bunster Hill.
![Bunster Hill & Thorpe Cloud Bunster Hill & Thorpe Cloud](2007-06-20/thorpe%20cloud1.jpg)
The alternative summit of Bunster Hill (L) and Thorpe Cloud (R), from Bunster Hill.
![Tissington Spires Tissington Spires](2007-06-20/tissington%20spires.jpg)
Tissington Spires from Air Cottage.
![River Dove River Dove](2007-06-20/river%20dove.jpg)
River Dove.
![Pickering Tor Pickering Tor](2007-06-20/pickering%20tor.jpg)
Pickering Tor.
![Ilam Rock Ilam Rock](2007-06-20/ilam%20rock.jpg)
Ilam Rock.
All pictures copyright © Peak Walker 2006-2023