The River Dove, without the crowds ...

Friday afternoon I went out to pre-walk the Ramblers' walk I was going to lead the following day. It had been wet in the morning but by early afternoon this had stopped and there was a promise of sun .... and shine it did.

Being an Friday afternoon there were likely to be few walkers about and as I was walking between 3.30pm and 6pm, even fewer.

From Alsop Station on the Tissington Trail I followed the Trail north to Alsop Moor where I left the old railway line and turned left down the valley for Coldeaton Bridge. There were Early Purple Orchids on the left and rabbits on the right as I descended. Then further down the valley there was a thick drift of cowslips on the steep, valley side.

The level of the Dove was higher than normal and the brown, muddy, water was really pouring over the weirs as I walked downstream. Lode Mill looked lovely in the sunlight and I took a few photos which are posted elsewhere.

Then I crossed into Staffordshire to walk down to Milldale. On my way a sole fisherman was looking to cast his fly into the murky waters of the Dove - would the trout actually be able to see anything ?

At Milldale, the National Trust Information 'centre' was closed which was surprising seeing as it was only 4.30pm. Coffee was taken on a seat right beside the river as I watched a duck and her seven ducklings forage for food.

A steady climb up from Viator's Bridge beckoned but this didn't prove too hard and I was able to take the photo shown looking down from the bank above Milldale.

I then proceeded along the rim of the dale and took another shot looking down on the weirs where I'd seen the angler half an hour before.

Nothing much happened on the way back though I did have a look down onto Lode Mill from the access land above it. It's surprising how quickly you can climb up from the valley bottom when you're enjoying the scenery.

Next day of course I was joined by 23 other walkers and it was a very different walk. More sociable, not so sunny, but still very enjoyable .... and they did seem to enjoy it.