Novelty of freedom brings hordes to Dovedale

AS we wait each day to pore over the data released by the Government, charting how effective the lockdown has been at reducing the spread of coronavirus, we’re looking for glimmers of hope that restrictions will ease further.

As we look back on our first weekend since the first easing of the measures, we’ve been rather alarmed to see the number of people driving to Dovedale and parking along the narrow country road that links Ilam to Thorpe. It’s easy to take for granted the fact we live in a beautiful part of the world. And it’s easy to forget many don’t.

There are families who have been unable to see green space during a lovely, sunny spring.

Suddenly the Government has told them they’re allowed to travel to exercise in the open air for as long as they like. It should come as no surprise that Dovedale was at the top of many people’s lists.

But it is unsettling to see so many descending on such a small, confined community. The people of Thorpe and Ilam, who have been isolating themselves from the wider population, must feel very nervous at the site of so many “outsiders”.

But it’s all above board. As long as these visitors were able to stay two metres away from each other, they were well within the new guidelines in coming to Dovedale to enjoy what might have been their first taste of the countryside for many months.

What was most alarming about the scenes on page 11 of this week’s News Telegraph was the problems such a volume of parked cars and traffic could have caused if emergency services were needed.

Hopefully, soon, the novelty of getting back to our green pastures will wear off and the crowds will die down. But, until then, let’s just hope the careless parking doesn’t cause problems for the people who call them home.