Hartington, Dove Valley and Biggin Dale, 20th August 2017

Sunday's 10½ mile figure-of-eight walk started in Hartington before climbing up the east side of the Dove Valley and then down to Pilsbury Castle. The castle was probably originally an Iron Age fortification before the Normans built a motte-and-bailey castle on the site.

Hartington duck pond

Chrome Hill and Parkhouse, limestone reef knolls.  Axe Edge in the distance

Descent to Pilsbury Castle

King (and Queen) of the Castle

Then it was over the Dove into Staffordshire, a climb up the west of the valley with distant views in all directions ...

Sheen Hill, named after the nearby village of Sheen

Group with our visitor, Heidi

... before descending to Hartington for lunch.

Beresford Dale and Wolfscote Dale followed ...

John's curiosity is aroused ...

... but we could have told him there was not much to see

... before turning up Biggin Dale ... 

... and along Reynards Lane back to Hartington ...

... after some exercise with the sheep.

Thorpe, Dove Dale, Milldale, Bostern Grange and Gag Lane & Hartington and the upper Dove Valley, Sunday 27th September 2025

Elaine led this 7-mile down Lin Dale to the Stepping Stones in Dovedale and then followed the Dove upstream to Viators Bridge at Milldale for a late coffee stop.  After a steep climb out of the valley we reached high ground with fine views all round before dropping down to Thorpe on Gag lane.

Setting out across Thorpe Pastures, Thorpe Cloud in the distance

Stepping Stones at the bottom of Lin Dale

Heading up Dovedale

One of several money trees in Dovedale

Ram pump converts high volume river flows to high pressure, low volume pipe flows using a water hammer effect

Tranquil Dove

Bridge near Ilam Rock

Approaching Milldale

Viators Bridge, Milldale

Looking back at Milldale

Lime kiln in quarry

Recently renovated Tissington Silo - not sure what it was used for

View towards the Trent Valley 30 miles away

Almost there - Gag Lane

On Sunday, Scott led the longer,10-mile figure-of-eight walk starting from Hartington and following the Dove upstream along Wall Pit Lane towards Pilsbury. Then it crossed the Dove into Staffordshire and climbed up the west of the valley with distant views in all directions before descending to Hartington. From there it took Reynards Lane to the head of Biggin Dale before dropping down to the Dove again and following it up Wolfscote Dale and Beresford Dale back to Hartington.

We were last here in 2017.

Here are some photos taken by Val.

The famour Charles Cotton Hotel in Hartington.  Cotton (1630 – 1687), an English poet, writer and fisherman, was a friend of Izaac Walton and was best known for his contributions to The Compleat Angler and other authoritative books on fly fishing