We embarked on a whirl wind road trip to the Peak District with our 12-year-old Kidsetter to visit some friends we had met the previous year on our Antarctica trip.
Our friends drove us to the stunning Dovedale National Park Reserve for a leisurely walk. Dovedale is a valley in the Peak District of England. The valley was cut by the River Dove and runs for just over 3 miles between Milldale in the north and a wooded ravine, near Thorpe Cloud and Bunster Hill, in the south.
Dovedale has internationally important, ancient ash woodland, wildflowers, grasslands and river wildlife.
Dovedale is also known for its numerous limestone formations. The limestone rock that forms the geology of Dovedale is the fossilised remains of sea creatures that lived in a shallow sea over the area during the Carboniferous period, about 350 million years ago. During the two ice ages, the limestone rock (known as reef limestone) was cut into craggy shapes by glacial meltwater, and dry caves such as Dove Holes and Reynard’s Kitchen Cave were eventually formed.
Walking along the picturesque River Dove it was easy to see why this location was popular with Victorian visitors to the area and its popularity is no less diminished.
Our Kidsetter loved crossing over the infamous stepping stones. Thank goodness for wellies !
We head into Ashbourne known as “The Gateway to Dovedale”. It is a market town in the Derbyshire Dales district in Derbyshire with it’s population measuring at 9,163 by 2019. It has many historical buildings and independent shops. We took a leisurely stroll around town to immerse ourselves in its fascinating history and architecture.
Ashbourne also has some fascinating foodie links. The original recipe for Ashbourne Gingerbread was acquired from French prisoners of war – in particular the personal chef of a captured French general – who were kept in the town during the Napoleonic wars (1799-1815).
There is a plethora of small, family-run businesses and a weekly open-air market.
We had worked up a thirst and decided on quenching it the local Smith’s Tavern with a pint of ale and a pineapple juice for our Kidsetter. A quaint, welcoming old-fashioned pub with parts of the building dating back to the 1500’s.
We are always pleasantly surprised to see dogs allowed in venues and Smith’s Tavern was no exception. It wasn’t long before our Kidsetter found the dart board and convinced us we needed to play. Great fun !
There is such a variety of activities available it was a shame we were so time poor.
