Milldale and Alstonefield
Contact information
Location
About......
Milldale and Alstonefield are pretty villages easily reached as part of a day out to Dovedale.
Milldale is situated alongside the River Dove around 3 miles of riverside walking from the main Dovedale car park. Buy a drink or ice-cream from the small cafe (takeaway only) and spend a few peaceful minutes watching the ducks on the river.
It is well worth the extra effort to take the short walk uphill to Alstonefield, with attractions including picturesque stone cottages, "The George" fine-dining restaurant and a village hall which puts on an impressive series of concerts throughout the year (see the what's on page for more information).
Just along the valley from Milldale is Wolfscote Dale, not quite as spectacular as Dovedale but well worth an extended walk.
Travel from Ashbourne
There is limited parking in Milldale and most visitors choose to walk there as part of their exploration of Dovedale or Alstonefield. To get to Alstonefield by car you follow the A515 north out of Ashbourne and look for a left turn about five miles uphill, clearly signposted for Alstonefield. To get to Dovedale by car click here.
There is no scheduled bus service but you can use Derbyshire Connect.
There are several choices of lovely but strenuous cycle rides from Ashbourne that take in both villages (details coming soon).
You can walk to Milldale and Alstonefield from Ashbourne but its a long day out. Most visitors walk to Milldale via Dovedale. Alstonefield is then a short walk to the top of the hill.