is listed as an ancient monument. Limestone formations Dovedale is notable for its numerous limestone formations. The most southerly named formation, Dovedale Castle, is a short distance along the river from the stepping stones at Thorpe Cloud. The limestone promontory called Lover's Leap is accessible from a set of steps. The steps were built by Italian prisoners of war captured in the Second World War and are now maintained by the National Trust and the National Park Authority. At Lover's Leap, a young woman who believed her lover had been killed in the Napoleonic Wars threw herself from the promontory. Her skirt caught in the branches of a tree as she fell and saved her life. When she got home, she heard her lover was alive. There are other similar legends about Lover's Leap, including one placing the story in World War II. Opposite Lover's Leap is a limestone formation called the Twelve Apostles. The rock spires have been created from hard reef limestone; they protrude from the valley side, and the river has eroded the rock and soil around them. The National Trust clears plant life to ensure the rock formations are visible. Raven Tor (which has the Hubble rock climb) Pickering Tor Tissington Spires Dovedale Church Reynard's Cave Lionshead Rock Ilam Rock Shepherd's Abbey Dove Holes Natural history Dovedale is of special ecological interest for its plant life, particularly the calcareous ash woods, which are considered among the best in England. There are unusual plants such as Solomon's seal, lily of the valley, herb-paris and small and large-leaved lime trees. Birds found here include common kingfisher, grey heron and dipper. Tourism Gentry comprised most of the visitors to Dovedale during the 18th and 19th centuries. From 1899 the Ashbourne-Buxton railway line ran to Thorpe Cloud station, above the village of Thorpe, making Dovedale more widely accessible to walkers and hikers of all social classes. Improvements in road transport facilitated travel to the area as well. In 1931 Ramsay MacDonald's Labour government recommended creating a ‘National Park Authority’ to select natural areas for designation as national parks. Dovedale was one of the areas selected, and it was eventually included within the Peak District National Park when it became Britain's first National Park in 1951. In July 1937, Staffordshire County Council converted the Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway into a tarmac path now known as Manifold Way. The Ashbourne-Buxton