Category: The Dark Peak

The Dark Peak is the gritstone area of the Peak District with its distinctive gritstone edges and high moorlands.

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

Birds, The Dark Peak, The Peak District, Wild Flowers and Trees, WildlifeLeave a comment

A wonderful walk!

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Eyam Moor Every year the Peak District Tourist Board organise a two week long walking festival in the Peak District and today was our first walk in the 2011 festival.   On a beautiful sunny day we walked from Hathersage, over the stepping stones over the river Derwent where we saw some newly hatched ducklings.  Then up onto Offerton Moor and Smelting Hill, with a wealth of spring flowers to see on the way, including at lower levels bluebells, wood anemones, celandine, and wild primroses.  As we got higher onto the moorland, the bilberries were in flower along with cowberries and of course gorse … Continue reading A wonderful walk!

Birds, Conservation and Environmental Issues, History, The Dark Peak, The Peak District, Wild Flowers and Trees, WildlifeLeave a comment

Heather Burning

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They have started burning the heather on the peakland moors.  It has been customary for centuries to burn small patches of heather during the early part of the year.  This started in the days when grouse shooting was important to the local economy.  To thrive, Red Grouse need a mixture of different heights of heather and low growing plants.  They nest in the older deep heather and feed on the new shoots of young heather.  As these birds never travel very far from their birth place, the buring of heather in small patches ensures that they always have the right mixture of … Continue reading Heather Burning

Conservation and Environmental Issues, The Dark Peak, The Peak DistrictLeave a comment

Major conservation work on Kinder Scout

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Kinder Scout is one of the most iconic landscapes in the Peak District because of its vast open moorland, the wildlife that it is home to and because it was the setting for the Mass Trespass in 1932.  However, it is also one of the most damaged areas of moorland in the UK and its future is in jeopardy as a result of catastrophic wildlfires, a long history of overgrazing, air pollution and the routes that thousands of visitors have taken.  There are currently proposals for a major programme of conservation work to restore the area so that it can … Continue reading Major conservation work on Kinder Scout

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

Ling Heather on the Moors

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View Full Album August is a great month to see the Peak District moorlands in their full glory, covered in flowering ling heather.  Whole hillsides take on a purple appearance whilst closer inspection reveals tiny clusters of flowers.   It is also a good time for insects such as bees which are attracted by the heather.    We actually have three different types of heather in the Peak District:  Bell Heather, Cross Leaved Heather, and Ling Heather.  The first two are well worth seeking out, but it is the latter that is the most common which creates the beautiful purple … Continue reading Ling Heather on the Moors

Birds, The Dark Peak, The Peak District, Wild Flowers and Trees, WildlifeLeave a comment

The high moorlands in July

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After several days of rain, the high moorlands in the Peak District are looking beautiful.  The peat bogs which has been drying out are now wet and spongy again.  Ling heather is just starting to come into flower, and bilberry bushes are starting to bear fruit.  We have seen an unusually large number of young red grouse this week on Stanage Edge, Bamford Moor, and on Kinder Scout.  We have also seen several Golden Plover, known as the ‘watchmen of the moors’.     Continue reading The high moorlands in July

Conservation and Environmental Issues, The Dark Peak, The Peak DistrictLeave a comment

Moorland drying out

richardpeakwalkingadventures

The recent warm, dry weather has been great for walking, but is not so good for the delicate ecosystems of our high moorlands.  Peat bogs on high moorland areas such as Kinder Scout and Bleaklow are becoming really dry.  Areas of peat are more prone to erosion when they dried out, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and resulting in a reduction in vegetation.  There is also the increased risk of fire.  A lot of work has been done in recent years by organisations such as the Moors for the Future Partnership in blocking gullies and restoring vegetation in an … Continue reading Moorland drying out

Birds, The Dark Peak, The Peak District, WildlifeLeave a comment

Ring Ouzels have arrived

richardpeakwalkingadventures

We were lucky enough to see Ring Ouzels on our walk today on Derwent Edge.  These birds which look a bit like a blackbird with a white ring around the front of their neck, spend the winter in Spain or North Africa and migrate north each year in April to nest.  Their numbers have declined substantially over recent years and there are now believed to be only around 7,000 breeding pairs returning to the UK each year.  They favour rocky hillsides for their nesting grounds, and in the Peak District as we usually get a few nesting pairs on the … Continue reading Ring Ouzels have arrived