Is there anything better than mucking about by a river on a hot day?! Probably not! If you’ve got nature-loving kids, who love splashing about in the water like ours do, you might want to head to the Dovedale Stepping-Stones for some river fun! It’s a beautiful setting – craggy grey rocks and sweeping green grass. Plus of course, the gently babbling river!
The main attraction is the stones themselves – a neat(ish!) line of large, flat rocks crossing the river Dove. I don’t know what it is about stepping-stones that is so much fun (maybe it’s a throwback to childhood games of the floor is lava?!), but they really are the best way to cross a river! The stones are big enough that you can easily step across – but the river rushes in between them just strongly enough to make it interesting!!! Mr7 crossed just fine by himself, but little ones will definitely need some supervision and hand-holding!
The stones are situated on a particularly shallow stretch of river, so not only can you hop across the stepping-stones – you can also paddle in the water! There’s a perfect entry point for paddling just a few metres upriver of the stepping-stones, with a couple of large rocks and a grassy bank nearby for perching on to dry your feet! The ground is a bit gravelly, so bring water shoes for a bit of protection if your kiddo is sensitive to things like that. We did just fine with bare feet though. And bear in mind that the water is very chilly – we were there on a super-hot September day, and the water was COLD!!! (Also, don’t forget a towel for drying those toes!)
The stepping-stones themselves are a pleasant 10 minute or so walk along the river from the nearby carpark. There’s a £3 charge to park, and there are public toilets (20p to use) and a coffee/snack van next to the start of the path. (When we went the carpark was cash only, but the coffee van was card payment only, so take both.) The path is firm and well maintained, and after crossing the stepping-stones, it continues upriver, which makes a nice stroll once you’ve finished splashing. There are some popular hiking trails that branch off from the river, but we’ve never tried any of them personally.
All in all, the Dovedale stepping-stones were a real hit with our kids! You couldn’t ask for a prettier setting, and they thought it was brilliant fun hopping across the rocks and getting their feet wet paddling! We’ll definitely be heading back there soon – it’s a lovely way to while away a sunny afternoon!
The important part – how to find them:
The Dovedale Stepping-Stones,
Thorpe,
Ashbourne,
Derbyshire,
DE6 2AY.
Please note – due to bad weather and fluctuating river levels, the stepping-stones occasionally become submerged! The current water level can be found here. If the water level is 0.35m or higher, the stones are likely underwater, so plan accordingly!
A Different Way To Go 