We have owned Irish Setters for the best part of 40 years, but it’s only relatively recently, about 10 years ago, that we found out about the annual fund raising walk at Matlock which is held on the first weekend of May each year. Now that date is the first to be entered on our calendar each year; we love the Peak District anyway so it’s become the custom to organise a week’s holiday around the walk.
The walk starts from Gill & Andy Dale’s lovely home, Treetops, set high in the hills above the town of Matlock.
From about midday 30 or 40 Irish Setters (it’s hard to count them exactly as they just won’t stay still) arrive with their owners to meet and chat in the garden.
From 2pm, in usually glorious weather, we set off in groups for the walk itself which is about 4.5 miles in all. It’s an easy route to follow, having been marked out in advance with white arrows, but if you do lose your way there’s always a Setter in sight to get you back on track.   Starting with a climb through the woods we quickly arrive on the forest tracks which are mainly level and well surfaced. We often come across other folk, out for a quiet weekend stroll, but always delighted to see so many lovely dogs enjoying each others’ company! Even in the driest of years there are a couple of places en route with large muddy water holes where many of the Setters do exactly what Setters do when coming across muddy water!
Although there are several regular, familiar faces, it’s always good to meet up with new owners and exchange tales of our life’s with the dogs. 
After a couple of hours or so, we return to the path through the woods and a, thankfully downhill, return to Treetops.
And a fantastic afternoon tea awaits us, no-one goes away hungry! Gill and her team of helpers make sure there’s plenty of sandwiches, cakes and tea to go round. The dogs also get their own (edible) rewards.
A raffle is held and several stalls (including one selling delicious home made cakes) add to the funds raised which regularly total well over £1000.
It’s  a date not to be missed and a great way to meet up with fellow Setter owners from all over the country – not forgetting, of course, meeting their lovely dogs.
Next year’s event will be on Sunday May 3rd , yes, we’ve already booked our cottage for the week!