Dovedale - am I remembering it wrong?

[summerlemons]

I used to visit Dovedale in the Peak District several times a year as a child, in the late 80s and early 90s. IIRC, it was a beautiful spot that was peaceful and chilled - I remember (and family photos seem to back this up) there only ever being about 10 to 15 other people there at any one time. Getting across the stepping stones was easy as there were so few people there.

I’ve been wanting to revisit as it holds happy memories for me. But having looked it up on TripAdvisor, the reviews are shocking - people saying it’s packed to the gills, long queues to walk across the stones, litter left everywhere, people barbecuing and setting up tents.

Is this really the case and is it a recent development, or has it always been like this and I’ve got a case of rose tinted specs?

Similarly Bakewell people are saying is very busy nowadays, but I remember as a child driving up there with my parents - I don’t remember us not being able to park or the place seeming especially crowded.

Any insights would be helpful as I’m hoping to book a week away, but don’t want to waste my money if it’s no longer worth visiting! I’d be looking at early September time.

It is absolutely beautiful. You do have to queue at most times to cross, though and I agree with pp, a one way system would be a good idea.

Everywhere has got busier, no reason why Dovedale and Bakewell would be immune to that.

Don't go in the middle of the day of a sunny weekend, but if you go on a weekday or early/ late in the day when the crowds aren't there, it's much more peaceful.

Alas that doesn't do much about the singed rectangles left from disposable BBQs and litter.

It's still a gorgeous place, and there's plenty of time to go when it's not in DIY festival mode. That (in general) seemed to start in the late 2000s when the disposable festival attitude seemed to come into campsites- lost a tent peg? Ditch the whole tent for the site owner to deal with, and day trippers seem to have a similar attitude too rather than wanting to enjoy natural beauty as it is.

The stepping stones are closed at the moment, don't know why, it says they're closed on the National Trust website.

I love and adore the Peak District, DD is named after the valley we used to live in. We moved a bit further north 20 years ago, but are still lucky enough to live within easy reach of the northern boundary of the PDNP. I am mindful though, that the PD was the location of the first National Park because it was accessible to 1/3 of England FiL talks about how his parents and he used to get the bus out from Sheffield on weekends and holidays.

The national park is getting busier, without doubt, many people explored more locally during the pandemic, but that is not to say that they shouldn't enjoy it. I think everyone on this thread probably understands the benefits of immersing oneself in "green space". National
Parks don't just belong to people who visited as a child. Everyone should respect it though, litter; parking; bbqs; congregating in the same hotspots are need managing - dh and I have a running "joke" that you know it's summer when Marsden Moor is on fire ).

I'm 5 minutes away from Dovedale. We avoid unless it's 5am. Plus, there are a thousand more beautiful places and walks to be found in the peaks. As previously mentioned lathkill is superior to dovedale in every way.

Dovedale is busy, all of time. It's not peaceful. It's a traffic jam made up of people stopping in the middle of the stones to have their picture taken for the gram not even looking round at the beauty of the place they're in. Shame.

Is it because of the brawl (upthread)?

We went about ten years ago an it was busy but manageable. We went again 3 years ago. We are really early morning people and got there about 7.30. We got parked and headed off. By the time we got back at 11 or so it was rammed with people at the stepping stones and car park.

With any of these things I’ve found that if you go early and move away from main attraction it tends to be quieter.

I’m shocked there was a brawl! 😔 Perhaps as another poster said it’s better to keep it as a happy memory.

It’s interesting that it’s become so popular - I wonder if social media is partly to do with it? More people can discover these beauty spots than before.

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads you're right about the green spaces. I'm out in the Peaks every weekend and every holiday (not Bakewell or the Dovedale Stones though!). I'm mindful that people went to prison for walking on Kinder Scout, and we have the Atlee government to thank for making it a space for everyone. I think the National Parks have a difficult task, really, to balance accessibility against damage etc.

Very many beauty spots have become vastly more popular over the past few years. Dovedale and Bakewell are just following an overall trend.

@summerlemons I think people don't just cross anymore, they stop in the middle for pictures and it causes problems.

This gives a very bleak image of the area sadly. Parking is always an issue as well. However it does not put me off going but I’d avoid weekends and the summer months.

The population is much bigger, for a start. Therefore places are busier.

Yes, lathkill is gorgeous. Used to visit often when I lived near there.

I went last year, like you to revisit childhood memories.

It had changed, for sure, and the NT notice instructing ‘No BBQs, No Gas Stoves, No Campfires, No Shisha Pipes’ ways to dry weather indicated its popularity. But I went in early September, the first weekend after the schools went back, and it was fine even though it was v sunny. A few people enjoying it, a few picnics. Still as beautiful - quite magical.

It got busier by the time I had done my nostalgic walk over the top of Thorpe Cloud and had a good walk up the river and back, and picnickers were gathering , but I don’t remember queuing to go over the stones.

So go earlier in the day and not busy school hol times.

There is a big car park now.

Bakewell was quite busy, but parked in a pay and display right in the middle of town.

Can you go on a weekday in September?

Parking at Dovedale has been a problem for at least 25 years, sadly. I went when DD v small, better part of 30 yrs ago and it was very crowded then. Far fewer people were walking the footpath though than sitting on the sunny bank. I would imagine it's now extremely busy.

Come off it.There happens to be a Daily Mail report about the brawl and you coincidently decide to start Mumsnet thread? Read the daily mail comments and it stinks of racism, I strongly suspect you were aware of this and wanting to start a Mumsnet bunfight.

I would recommend any part, if not all, of the Monsal Trail. There's usually somewhere to park, and the walk is just beautiful.

Excuse me?! I had no idea about the brawl until another poster shared the link. And what’s a brawl got to do with racism anyway? Zilch! I also don’t see any bunfighting on this thread (well, there wasn’t until you showed up).

I will check that out, thanks. Although as yet another person driving up and parking, I’m conscious that I’ll be adding to the crowding! OTOH, we all have to holiday somewhere…

Some of them got dislodged during a storm a while back and the water level hasn't dropped far enough for long enough for them to repair them safely yet.

I wouldn't worry, @summerlemons ! I'm sure you'll park respectfully. Also, it's just those places named upthread that are permanently rammed. I went out for a walk yesterday, holiday time, brilliant sunshine and I found an out of the way parking spot to have a walk in Miller's Dale.

That must have been one heck of a storm - I remember they were pretty substantial stones!

(Edited for typo)

Found the info - it was storm Babet last winter
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c722k2qp0xqo