Dovedale is one of the most scenic places in Derbyshire. It is also one of the most popular tourist areas and has been since tourists first went there in the 18thC.
With this in mind we set off early and arrive, the second car in the car park. Before I get my boots on, other cars start streaming in. We decide to make a dash for the stepping stones. I need to photograph them and four other places without the tourists. I take my photos quickly and see that the hoards are coming … On one Sunday in August 1990 over 8,000 people were counted walking along these footpaths either side of the River Dove.
We walk the three miles down the wooded ravine past Ilam Rock and limestone caves to Thorpe Cloud. There’s plenty of wildlife here but also a couple of sad sights along the way. We see a mole on the footpath that appears to have drowned, the fur around it’s head has been wet. I’ve never seen a mole before. Then, what appears to be a bird flapping in mid air over the river. In fact it’s a bat, out in the daytime heat, entangled on a fishing line. We watch helplessly from across the fast flowing river as the bat fights desperately to bite itself free.
I can see why the 18thC artists came here to paint and why it’s still popular with artists today. There is inspiration at every turn and it seems like nothing has changed here. What I’m noticing generally when comparing the painting with the contemporary landscape is that all the rivers seem higher and there are far more trees than are in the paintings. This is not what I was expecting.
