Famous stepping stones reopen after repairs

Repairs have been carried out on a famous river crossing in the Peak District.

The stepping stones at Dovedale have been reopened to the public after a lengthy closure.

The River Dove crossing near Ashbourne was damaged by Storm Babet in October.

But an assessment of the damage and what repairs were required by Derbyshire County Council was delayed until the summer, when the water dropped to a safe level.

For months, visitors to Dovedale had been asked not to attempt to use the "hazardous" stepping stones, as several stones had been "toppled over" by debris washed downstream, according to the National Trust.

Once a repair plan had been drawn up and approved by Natural England due to the crossing's location in a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the county council said repairs themselves took about a week to complete.

A National Trust spokesperson said: "Dovedale is a national nature reserve where the local community and visitors alike can enjoy the beautiful scenery and the great outdoors.

"The stepping stones at Dovedale have been successfully repaired by Derbyshire County Council, who are responsible for this public right of way.

"It's great to see that the stones have been reinstated and that they are now open again so that walkers can again explore the incredible surrounding landscape."

Every year, thousands of people travel from all over the country and beyond to cross the River Dove via the stones, which are a public right of way.

The stepping stones were first laid in about 1890, when the area became increasingly popular with Victorian visitors.

Before then, crossings were often made using donkeys.

Dovedale is the name given to the limestone valley above the River Dove.

The river follows the county boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, meaning people can walk from one county to another by crossing the stepping stones.

The stones were acquired by the National Trust in 1934, and Dovedale was declared a National Nature Reserve in 2006.

In 2010 they had limestone blocks cemented on top, which was described at the time as "vandalism" and "typical health and safety gone mad".

It is not uncommon for the stones to be submerged during periods of heavy rainfall and the stones have also been dislodged before, including in 2012 and in 2016.

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