southcotswoldramblers.org.uk  Dovedale Day 7 medium walk Hartington and the River Dove walk Thursday 7 April 2016
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	We're dropped off in Hartington
	Famous for its cheese shop
	Nice weather for them!
	That's where we're going to start with.
	We head down into Beresford Dale
	The River Dove is a completely different animal from our second day of walking - the crystal-clear stream has become a rapid muddy torrent.
	We had to swing ourselves round to get onto this bridge to avoid walking in the flooded river
	We carry on down the dale
	An unusual stile
	Gorse (and the sun) out at the start of Biggin Dale
	We meet the easy group coming the other way
	Then ascend to get to Alstonefield
	Where we are greeted by this in someone's garden
	And visit the Green Well, originally the only source of water for the village, until they built two reservoirs
	But water was even then rationed
	And the village pump was frequently locked in times of dry summers.
	Something interesting going on at the village hall
	After lunch we visit the church then descend to Milldale where we have negotiated with Helen, our leader, to return via Dovedale (instead of across the fields) to enable those who did the shorter holiday to see one of the prettiest parts of our stay.
	Butterburr hanging in there in the fast-flowing river
	Golden saxifrage
	Jenny and Bruno investigate Lover's Leap
	We return to the Stepping Stones, hardly visible today, and no-one is running across in trainers!

Photos, captions and processing by Sally, uploaded by Mike