Category: The Peak District

The Peak District

Conservation and Environmental Issues, The White Peak1 Comment

Dew Ponds of the White Peak

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Dew ponds are a familiar sight to anyone who walks regularly in the White Peak area of the Peak District.  They were originally formed to provide a water source to farm animals in areas where water was not present naturally.  It is believed that they took their name, not from the fact that they collected the dew, but from a Victorian pond maker called Mr Dew. During the 70s and early 80s it is possible that as many as 50% of our dew ponds were lost due to infills and neglect.  Dew ponds are important habitats for wildlife.  In particular the great … Continue reading Dew Ponds of the White Peak

Geology, History, The White PeakLeave a comment

High Tor, Matlock Bath

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High Tor is a great limestone outcrop which towers almost 400 feet about the river Derwent between Matlock and Matlock Bath.  The limestone was formed about 325 – 350 million years ago when the area was at the bottom of a shallow tropical sea. Over millions of years, limey muds and the shells and skeletons of tiny sea creatures settled on the bottom and formed a thick layer of limestone.  Large areas of limestone such as High Tor have been pushed upwards by land movements and further shaped by glacial meltwaters at the end of the last ice age. You can walk up … Continue reading High Tor, Matlock Bath

Geology, The Peak District, The White Peak2 Comments

Caves in the White Peak

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On Friday whilst walking down beautiful Wolfscote Dale and Biggin Dale I couldn’t resist the temptation to explore some caves on the side of the valley that looked rather inviting. The White Peak, limestone area of the Peak District has numerous caves systems, many of which were carved out thousands of years ago by underground rivers forcing their way through, and eroding the soft limestone rock. The first that I explored was at the entrance to Wolfscote Dale.  It was a bit of a scramble to get into it.  The limestone at the entrance was polished to a smooth sheen from the hands and feet … Continue reading Caves in the White Peak

History, The Dark Peak, The Peak District1 Comment

Millstones on the Moors

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Autumn and winter are great times to see the many abandoned millstones that are scattered beneath the famous gritstone edges of the eastern Dark Peak.  During the summer months these iconic features tend to be hidden from view by bracken which grows prolifically in the area. Millstone production, along with lead mining was one of the main medieval industries of the Peak District and the two main centres of production were above Hathersage and Baslow.  Production is believed to have started as early as the 14th century, reaching its peak in the late 16th and 17th centuries.  It was a huge … Continue reading Millstones on the Moors

The Peak District, Wild Flowers and TreesLeave a comment

Fantastic Fungi

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At this time of year, walk into any woodland in the Peak District and you are likely to find a wide variety of fungi.  Here are a few of the specimens that we found today amongst the trees and grassland on the side of Woodlands Valley near to Ladybower Reservoir. We have attempted to identify some of the fungi, but if there are any experts out there who could help us by identifying, clarifying, or verifying, your comments would be most welcome!  Continue reading Fantastic Fungi

The Dark Peak, The Peak District, WildlifeLeave a comment

Fox Moth Caterpillars

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Yesterday we ascended Kinder Scout from it’s North East side and the vegetation was covered with dozens of Fox Moth caterpillars.  We had to be careful to avoid treading on them.  These caterpillars enjoy sunbathing and I think yesterday they were making the most of the autumn sunshine. The Fox Moth lives on moorland and grassland, and the moth is a buff brown colour with two pale wavy stripes on each wing.  Continue reading Fox Moth Caterpillars

The Dark Peak, The Peak DistrictLeave a comment

Kinder Downfall – Going Up!

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   This wonderful photograph was taken by one of our customers on our walk on Kinder Scout last Sunday.   Kinder Downfall is the tallest waterfall in the Peak District, with a 30-metre fall.  It lies on the River Kinder, where it flows over the edge of Kinder Scout.  Although usually little more than a trickle in summer, after heavy rain it is quite impressive.  Last Sunday there was a strong wind which funnelled up the clough and the water was blown back up as it started to descend.     We could feel the resulting cloud of spray from a long way back … Continue reading Kinder Downfall – Going Up!

History, The Dark Peak, The Peak District, Wild Flowers and TreesLeave a comment

The wonders of Stanton Moor

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Yesterday we enjoyed a short walk onto Stanton Moor from the village of Birchover.  As well as being carpeted in beautiful purple ling heather, there are also a wealth of interesting features on the moor to marvel over.  Stanton Moor is believed to have once been a very special place to our ancestors.  In Bronze age times the landscape would have been very different with fertile farmland, and timber roundhouses scattered over the area.  Evidence has been found all over the moor of field boundaries, burial mounds, and stone circles.  The best known stone circle is the Nine Ladies.  Local legend … Continue reading The wonders of Stanton Moor

The Dark Peak, The Peak District, Wild Flowers and Trees3 Comments

Three types of heather on the moors

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This morning our ‘Nature Walk’ took us onto the Peak District moorland along Burbage Edge and across the beautiful Burbage Basin. It is a wonderful time to be walking on the moors as the heather is just beginning to come into flower.  It will be a few weeks yet however before it is at its best. There are three types of heather in the Peak District.  Ling Heather is by far the most common and it is the Ling Heather that gives the impression of our hills and moorlands being carpeted in purple.  Less common is the Bell Heather which has … Continue reading Three types of heather on the moors

History, Local Customs and Folklore, The Dark Peak, The Peak DistrictLeave a comment

The village stocks

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As you can see, we had a bit of fun recently on one of our group guided walks!  The village of Litton is one of several in the Peak District that has retained its village stocks.  Whilst there was great hilarity over our antics on the recent walk, in years gone by the stocks were a serious form of punishment.  The types of crime that might result in a day or two in the stocks included:  swearing; drinking in the pub during the hours of a church service; gambling on a Sunday; or even refusing to help out with the harvest.  … Continue reading The village stocks