Walk 8 - Dovedale Circular Via Milldale (Noah's Walk) Approx 7 Miles

Dovedale is home to the river Dove that runs through this great county of ours.  The actual walk starts at Dovedale car park which, I believe, sits just inside the Staffordshire boundary.  This is a local walk for us, just a 30 min drive from our house.

The secret to a good Dovedale walk is timing.  Yesterday (26 May 2012) we were bathed in glorious sunshine as we have been all week so the secret is to get up there early, you will see why as the blog goes on.  This is a walk we normally do in the winter, preferably on a cold, clear frosty morning.

The walk starts from Dovedale car park which is well sign posted from the main Ashbourne to Buxton road as you approach Tissington, the home of the well walked/cycled Tissington Trail.  The car park at Dovedale costs £2.50 and that's all day.  There is cheaper parking (£1.50) on the approach which is also well located for the walk, just adds on an extra half mile.

The path along Dovedale is extremely well signposted and very easy underfoot.  You start your walk by heading along the path that runs adjacent to the toilet block.  After a couple of hundred yards you have a choice, either continue along the road or cross the bridge:

We always cross the bridge, don't know why, its just something we have always done, its a bit more wobbly underfoot than the road but I think the initial view of the Dale is better from this side of the bank but its all about opinions.  If you prefer a gentle meander then take the road but you do have to cross the river at some point and the choices you have are the above bridge or the stepping stones.

After you cross the bridge turn left under the trees and Dovedale opens up, as you can see from the photograph above the path is well worn and easy to follow, basically the walk is all about following the River Dove so you are hardly going to get lost anytime soon.  The river itself looks stunning, its waters are crystal clear and on a hot day like yesterday, very tempting to throw yourself in!

Continue along the right bank of the river, the path changes depending on the level of the river water but either way its easy to follow.  It gets a little bit tasty in parts therefore I wouldn't recommend this way if you have very young children.

You will notice that the alternative road from the bridge follows the left bank, a lot more steady underfoot.

As the river corners left you come to Dovedale Stepping Stones.  This feature must have been photographed a million times.  Google Dovedale and the stepping stones will be the first images you see.

In the image above we have walked past the stepping stones and are looking back.  You can see on the right hand side where the road ends therefore you have to walk across the stepping stones to get to this side of the river to continue the walk.  The stones are incredibly stable and easy to walk across so don't worry.

You will notice I have referred to this walk as Noah's Walk.   Noah was a little tiny boy who's Mum I know.  Unfortunately little Noah didn't make it and his Mum sprinkled his ashes in this very place.  The little soul now watches over us who walk this beautiful Dale so if you do ever try this walk, tip your hat to Noah, say hello and tell him his Mummy loves him.  This truly is a special place, made even more special by little Noah being here.

We took some flowers along to make him smile and to let him know he is still in peoples thought and prayers.

We found a nice little spot to lay the flowers and we took five minutes to reflect on Noah and all the other little ones not with us.

As peaceful and quiet as Dovedale looks on these photos, rest assured it is an incredibly happy place for children of all ages as you will see later.  I am probably a little bias but the spot Noah's Mum picked is perfect for her little boy.

As you see on the photo above you can just make out the gate on the right.  For some reason this is locked most of the time why I have no idea but to the right of the gate is a stile that you can scramble over.  The gap in the stile is very narrow and poor Milly just cant fit through but she just jumps in the river beside Noah's flowers and swims around the wall.

Follow the path that winds down into the vale.

This is the view as you look back towards the stile, you can just make out the stepping stones crossing the river.  Remember this view as later in the blog I will demonstrate just how much this view changes as the day goes on!

The path does climb in places, in fact it can get a bit steep but its not a place to rush around so take your time and enjoy the view.  This trip I noticed far more trout in the river than I had on previous walks, whether that had anything to do with the gorgeous sunshine I have no idea but its worth keeping an eye on the water as you will see some trout.

There are points where the path is replaced by a boardwalk as the river runs flush up to the rock face, but they are steady enough and there are no issues using them.

If you bring kids along they are going to love this walk, as you walk down the river you come across a few caves and caverns for them to explore, the kid still hidden within me cant help but take a look.

This is one of the larger caves you will come across:

Come on, who in their right mind wouldn't want to explore that baby!

After 1.75 miles you come to a wooden bridge that crosses the river, its right beside an impressive rock called Iiam Rock  the bridge does come into play later in the walk but for now, just follow the sign for Milldale:

Now you can see why I was so precise about the 1.75 miles :-)  Milldale is the half way point of the walk but we come back a different way which adds the extra mile.

As you approach Milldale you cross a little pack bridge:

This is a lovely place to sit for a while before going across the bridge, especially on a lovely sunny day like we had.  If it's teaming down with rain, leg it quickly over the bridge to find refuge in the shelter!

As you can see, the bridge wasn't really built for modern day traffic, more for the pack horse I would suspect.  Must be a few hundred years old.  It actually has a name, its called Viators Bridge.  I have no idea why but am intrigued so if anyone does know please let me know by leaving a comment on the blog.  Even if you don't know, you can still leave comments about the walk or ask me any questions.

Milldale is a good place to recharge the batteries.  There is a small shop, actually thats not quite true, its the window of a house where a very kind and polite lady sells sandwiches and drinks and also the odd map and trinket.  The shop is easily visible as you cross the bridge just look to your right, you cant miss it.  I reckon they open everyday as I have never been and it be closed.

There is a decent shelter, (again you cant miss it) that you can take lunch should the weather be a bit rubbish, it also has a supply of fresh drinking water so you can top up your water bottle.  There are also toilets here.

As it was a nice day we decided to take our lunch on the river bank with the local ducks which kept Milly occupied, she was strictly on her lead and well and truly miserable because she wasn't allowed to chase them.

Our lunch venue:

You can see where the village gets it's name.  Obviously this was the site of a mill many, many years ago, the Millstone in the picture probably having be in the same spot for decades if not hundreds of years.

After lunch its time to head back to Dovedale car park.  Normally it's a walk back the same way you came but if you have been following my blogs, you will know I prefer my circular walks.  

You cant miss the toilets in the village, they are right where you cross the bridge.  If you take a sneaky peek to the right of the steps that leads up to the gents you will notice a sign for a footpath that indicates that after heavy rain this path becomes impassible.  A long time ago I noticed it so I got my map out, found out where it went and we have used the same route to return to the car park ever since.  

The path climbs quite steeply and is what Diane and I call a calf killer.  It is worth it though as you will discover.  (If you are a bit unsteady on your feet then I would suggest you go back over the bridge and return to the car park the same way you came.  Its still a wonderful walk back so dont feel like you have missed too much).

As the path climbs it swings left, following the line of the river but from much higher up.

As you can see above the path is a bit dubious but it is obvious and well trodden so you wont get lost.  The path continues to climb upwards through some trees then as you come out of the trees it opens up into a beautiful meadow, you could be forgiven for thinking you are in the Bavarian Alps in the summer.  Diane certainly thinks so below, here she is giving her Julie Andrews impression!

As you can see, Milly is riveted to the spot!  Such entertainment from her mum!


The path is marked by small wooden posts, just keep following them and look for the stiles.  There are a couple of stiles this way but they are easy to negotiate. 

As you continue to climb the view of the river eventually comes into view.  Continue on the path until you cross a stile that has a small barn to the right of it.  This bit is important.  As you walk across the field you will note that there is a sheep path that goes up the steep bank on the right.  This is not the footpath but I ask that you walk up it for about 75 yards, its hard work but worth it.  Plonk yourselves down and take a photograph of this view:

If you don't do the little detour up the sheep track you wont see this view.  It is truly breathtaking and no matter how many times I have photographed this, I have never captured it full beauty.  This time of the year it is priceless, in fact I would say its stunning anytime of year.


Please, please take this detour and take this photo.


OK, after getting your breath back walk back down to the track and pick up the trail again, turning right and heading back down toward the river.  Very soon you reach the river, the track is nowhere near the same quality as the track on the other bank that you used to get to Milldale but it is obvious and you can't get lost.


Continue along the path which in places gets extremely close to the rivers edge but it does give you the opportunity to take in the smell of the wild flowers if thats your thing as the bank is covered in them.  The walk down this side is really pleasant and if you are lucky you will be accompanied along the way as we were:

Milly wasn't too impressed mind as it meant her being on the lead as she would have jumped in and scattered them.  They were soon hurried along though by the flow of the river and were quickly out of sight which meant Milly could resume her water pursuits.


The path eventually ends up at the wooden bridge I mentioned early, you know, the one next to Iiams Rock?

Here you can see Diane patiently waiting for me; I was trying to capture a photograph of a bird that I had seen but I never got the shot and got nettled for my efforts.  Milly is probably in the shot but in the water I would guess.


Cross the bridge and take the trail to the right, its signposted Dovedale carpark 1 3/4 miles.  Hmmmm remember that one?


You are now back tracking along the same path you came on earlier.  Continue along the path to the car park.  If you are reading the blog and not just looking at the pretty pictures you will recall I said something about remembering an image, of how peaceful and quite Dovedale can be.


Similar shot, later in the day!

This is the approach to the stepping stones on the way back.  As you can see, on a warm day it becomes very busy with families:

The shot above was taken from where we had left flowers for Noah,  a couple of hours earlier we were the only ones in the Dale but as you can see it's a very popular picnic spot and why not!  The kids we saw were loving it, paddling in the water, fishing with hand nets and generally having a great time.  This is what I meant when I said Noah's Mum had picked a happy place.  Perfic as Del Boy Trotter would say.

At the stepping stones we decided to cross and make our way back to the car park by the road.  The road is car free so Milly was able to make the most of the river, she virtually swam it back to the car park which by now was full to bursting, with cars actually queuing to get in as opposed to our arrival earlier that morning and ours being one of only 3 cars parked up.


I really recommend this walk anytime of the year, if you do get the chance to walk it, please stop and give a couple of minutes of your time to remember Noah who rests in this beautiful place.  Something I noticed when I took the above photo off my camera.  You may not see what I see but take a look at the tree in front, about two thirds of the way up between the middle tree and the right tree I see a dark green patch in the shape of a heart.  How apt!


Thanks again for reading the blog and continuing to show an interest in our 100 mile adventure.  As always, feel free to leave comments below, ask any questions you like about this or any other walk.


We are off to the Yorkshire Dales on holiday for a week soon so I suspect the next blog will come from that area.


Thanks again.


Mark, Diane and Milly.


This walk we dedicate to little Noah 

Walk 7 - Mawgan Porth to Porthcothen Via Bedruthen Steps, Cornwall - 9.5 Miles (Approx)

The second walk on our trip to Cornwall.  In all honesty this was meant to be a nice, short, gentle stroll on our penultimate day.  The intention was to have a stroll up and have a look at Bedruthen Steps, 3 mile maximum. We kind of got a bit carried away though......


We only normally do circular walks as I am not keen on backtracking over my footprints and seeing the same things on the way back.  However a good friend of mine once told me that the views on the way back are different and I should not dismiss it.  This he told me on a walk along Stanage Edge and he was right as he always was.  Hence why I repeat in my walking blogs that you should always take time to turn around and take in the view behind you.


Anyway, this is most definitely one of those must do walks if you are in this area.  This coastline is absolutely stunning, we love it.

The walk starts at Mawgan Porth where you can find plently of parking very close to the beach behind the Bakery and Newsagents, also plenty behind the pub "The Merry Moor".

Cross the road and walk onto the beach, the coastal path runs right across the beach and is signposted to 4 1/2 miles to Porthcothen. Head right and follow the path over the dunes.  If the tide is out try walking right along the beach until you reach some steps that climb up the cliff, its a bit harder but its such a beautiful beach and it would be a shame not see it at eye level.

Once at the top of the steps turn left and follow the path up the hill leaving the beach at Mawgan Cove behind.

The footpath is very easy to follow and very well marked so its a bit pointless me trying to offer directions.  This blog is more about encouraging you to don your boots and get up there, hopefully my images will more than tempt you.

The footpath sweeps around the cliff edges following the lines of the hidden coves the first one being Trenance Cove.  The path gets a tad too close to the edge here so care should be taken.

Carry on along the path and as it starts to descend, Bedruthen Steps comes into view.  Bedruthen is long narrow beach that has three rock pinnacles along it, I am not sure where the Steps bit comes in but I assume its reference to the steps that go down to the beach.

The view as you approach Bedruthen Steps:

As we approached the tide was on its way out so we had timed it right to take the steps down onto the beach.  Now, the steps...  These are very steep and if you suffer from vertigo you are in for some problems, the steps are high and extremely close to the edge, no photos I'm afraid, I was ******** myself and hanging on for dear life.

Once down on the beach though, WOW!  This is some beach, absolutely gorgeous.  Its spotless, and rugged and breathtaking.  A series of images:

At the top

On the beach

And then there is the climb back to the top:

It was at the top (after I got my breath back!) that we decided not to go back but to carry on to Porthcothen.  We were not sure exactly how far it was (we didnt notice the sign back in Mawgan Porth) and I suggested to Diane that it wouldn't be that far.  I didn't have a map but I remember noticing that Porthcothen was the next village along the path when I looked at the map the night before.

So at the top of the steps we turned left and continued along the path.

It added an extra 6 miles on to the walk plus with the stroll down to the beach at Bedruthen you could probably add a bit more.  

As I said before, the path is very easy to follow, no chance of getting lost so just walk and enjoy the view.  The path meanders over fields and along the edge of the cliffs.  The views of the coast line:

The weather this particular day was really nice, a bit windy but nice and sunny.  I was surprised how few people there were walking this path.  Its worth noting though that this section of the coastal path is a fair distance from any large towns, in fact there is very little in terms of villages between Newquay and Padstow (Padstein).  Another good reason to do this walk!  Its not that I don't like to be around people but sometimes you just want some peace and quiet to take it all in if you know what I mean.

As you approch Porthcothen the path gives you an option of continuing along the coastal path or taking the steps down to the beach, we decided to take the path and return along the beach on the way back and up the steps to the coastal path.  Be mindful of the tides though as the cliffs are very steep and I could see where it would be possible to get cut off.

The signpost informing you that you have made the 4.5 miles from Mawgan Porth isn't actually in Porthcothenm there is still some way to go to get a brew, about another quarter mile.  

Keep on the path and you come to a shop/cafe.  We decided to take lunch here before we started back, the pasty was really nice, the coffee really good but the woman in the shop was not what you would call a happy sort, no please or thank you just a bit abrupt for my liking.  I am sure she's ok but it was probably down to the fact it was a glorious day and she had to work.

After finishing off the pasty it was time to get going and head back to Mawgan Porth.  Just to the right of the shop a path goes up a sand dune and heads out into the bay.  The tide was way out so it was safe to skirt the left hand edge.  This is a real treasure, when you sit at home and dream of nice beaches draped in sunshine, this is it my friends, apart from a couple of surfers this beach was empty.  We loved it.

We climbed up the steps back to the coastal path, turned right and headed back towards Mawgan Porth.

The walk back up towards Bedruthen Steps is a good one, its a climb in places but the views you get are far more overwhelming than you would have thought.  My belief was that I had seen it on the way to Porthcothen so it was probably going to be the same on the way back, I couldn't have been more wrong.  Larry was so right about this myth I had, mind you, he was always right and I should have known better.

As we approached Bedruthan a couple were walking toward us with their two dogs, one of the dogs, a small Jack Russell took a dislike to Milly and decided to have a go, its owner rushing to pin it back.  Nothing drastic, typical Jack Russell behaviour.  As the guy called his dog back I instantly thought I recognised the voice.  As the guy got nearer I was certain I knew him and asked "Are you Col Mark Cook" to which he looked in my direction and his chin nearly hit the floor.  Mark Cook and I served together in Hong Kong 25 years ago with the Gurkhas and we have not come into contact since.  What a small world eh!  We had a chat and caught up although I knew more about him as he had become a bit of a celebrity over the years and was even presented with the Big Red Book on "This is Your Life".  It was brilliant to catch up with him and his lovely wife Caroline.

So, onwards and upwards, we carried on along the path with Bedruthen Steps coming into view:

By now the tide was fully out and the three pinnacles were very prominent on the beach.

After 1.5 miles the sight of Mawgan Porth bay comes into view and its back to the start point.  Back in Mawgan Porth you may choose to buy a pastry from the Bakery or a Cornish Cream Tea from the Merry Moor.  Now this is not compulsory but hey, if its a nice day, it would be a shame not too.

We did two really nice walks whilst down in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall.  Mawgan Porth is a very quite place, no ammusment arcades, no nightclubs, just a pub, a Bakery, a Bistro and a newsagents and of course the surf school.  There is not a lot of accommodation but there are chalets and a couple of static caravans.  If you like it quiet, close to a beautiful beach and not much else then have a look at this place.  We will definitely be back and soon.

We drive up to the Yorkshire Dales in a couple of weeks so watch this space for the next instalment.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it and I hope it motivates you to get out there and do some walking.

Best regards

Mark, Diane and Milly

Walk 6 - Circular Walk, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall 6 Miles (Approx)

This past weekend we returned from a weeks holiday in Cornwall.  We based ourselves in a small village called Mawgan Porth which lies on the northern coast between Watergate Bay and Padstow.


We were really lucky with the weather, only two bad days out of eight which gave us plenty of opportunities to fit in a couple of decent walks.


Our first walk was based from the door of our caravan.  

There is plenty of parking in Mawgan Porth behind the shop and bakery and its relatively cheap considering its Cornwall.  After parking up head to the road in front of the shops and turn right .  After about 75mtrs turn right at the T junction and head along the road in front of the pitch and putt.  This is the view you should see in front of you:

Carry on along the road keeping on the footpath for about 200mtrs.  As you pass Marver Caravan site on your left take a look and see if you can see us pitched up, you never know :-)

There is a breakaway path to the left which is covered in bark chippings, this is a dog walk for people staying at the exclusive holiday park. Follow this path which crosses the entrance to the holiday park and turns into a gravel path that runs alongside the very posh chalets.


As you walk along the gravel path, the view back should look like this:

After approx 100 mtrs the gavel path comes to an end and you take the path through the trees to the right signposted St Mawgan:

Follow the footpath through the trees for approx 1/2 mile until you come to a small, private caravan park.  Walk on the road with the caravan park on your right until you reach a road up a small incline.  Cross the road and take the path into the farm yard opposite.  The path is well marked into the farm yard and out to the right of the farm buildings.


The footpath remains well marked and goes into the small village of St Mawgan after approx 1 mile.


As you reach the village of St Mawgan take the main road through the village to the right heading towards the Church.  This is the view down the main street:

We had to take time out of the walk as we reached the river as Milly insisted on having a swim:

The building on the left in the photo is the village craft shop and is well worth popping in providing someone stays outside with the wet dog!


As you go over the bridge opposite is the village church; turn right up the road which sweeps around to the left and up the hill.  After about 300 mtrs there is a footpath on the right which is signposted Trevarrian.  Take the footpath that runs alongside the cemetery.  The footpath has high sided hedgerows on both sides to start off with then after a short while the path opens into open fields.

Follow the path that continues to gently climb up to Trevarrian.  We had a couple of problems with the stiles as due to lambing there was no access through the stiles for dogs so it was a case of carrying Milly over the stiles and as she was still wet through from her swim in the river, I wasn't too impressed having to walk around all day smelling of wet dog!


After the third stile the path takes a sharp left then a right, its not signposted but is pretty obvious.

Carry on as the path makes its way through some recently planted woodland (above).


After a while the village of Trevarrian comes into view, the map shows the footpath going across the middle of open fields but we discovered the field in seed so we had to skirt around the edge to the stile on the opposite side of the field.  

Go over the stile and over the road to the stile opposite and into the field, following the footpath to the next stile and onto the road.  You then need  to turn right and walk along the road heading toward the village.  


We decided to stop in the village and take lunch in the pub, The Travellers Rest (be a shame not to given the name of the pub and I did feel the need to try the local brew).


If you choose not to partake in refreshment, walk past the front of the pub and after about 100 mtrs  take the the road to the left signposted Watergate Bay.  You only stay on the road for a short time.  When you come to a road on your left, opposite is a gate on your right which is an unmarked footpath that takes you to the coastal footpath.  After a few hundred metres the sea comes into view:

Follow the path until you reach the coastal trail.  You will know when you reach it as if you go to far you will be over the cliffs and onto the beach way, way below.  As you reach the coastal trail you are greeted with a view of Beacon Cove which sits between Watergate Bay and Mawgan Porth:

Its worth doing the whole walk just to take in this view, believe me.


Turn right onto the coastal trail and head back towards Mawgan Porth.

The footpath does become a bit ropey in places and does venture very close to the edge so care should be taken.   After about half a mile the beautiful big cove of Mawgan Porth comes into view:

Follow the path heading toward Mawgan Porth, the path goes alongside a couple of cottages, be very jealous of the views the residents of these cottages have.


The footpath meets up with the main road into Mawgan Porth, turn left and head back to the car park.  I would recommend a quick beer in the Merry Moor pub if the better half is driving, a walk along the beach is a must, particularly if the tide is out.

This is a really nice walk, taking in woodland, open countryside and coastal footpath, something to suit everyone.  Its not difficult, in fact its very easy going, the only pain for us was the stiles as we came out of St Mawgan.  Other than that it was stunning,  highly recommend this one.


Thanks for reading and if you are ever down this way, give it a go and let us know what you think.


Cheers,


Mark, Diane and Milly