History, The White PeakLeave a comment

A Victorian Post Box

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There are several Victorian post boxes remaining around the Peak District.  We found this one in the tiny hamlet of Hollinsclough set into the side of a barn.  We don’t know exactly how old it is, but roadside wall boxes first appeared in England in 1857 as a cheaper alternative to pillar boxes, especially in rural districts. Hollinsclough is a conservation village in the upper Dove valley, about eight miles south of Buxton.  The entire hamlet comprises just eleven houses, a Methodist chapel, the village hall, and the school. We pass through Hollins Clough occasionally on our open group guided walks in the Peak District. Continue reading A Victorian Post Box

Wild Flowers and TreesLeave a comment

Star Moss

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A common sight in damp shady places, Star Moss is my favorite moss!  It is so soft to the touch that when I am out walking and see it, I am always compelled to bend down and stroke it.  (Yes, maybe I am a bit strange!). Its Latin name is Polytrichum commune, and people have used it as a decorative material all over the world.  In the past, it has also been used to make a type of tea from which people used to believe would dissolve kidney and gall stones. Continue reading Star Moss

Wild Flowers and TreesLeave a comment

Insect eating plants!

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Last weekend for a change from our beloved Peak District, we provided a few guided walks in Snowdonia. In a marshy area on the hills to the north of Capel Curig we spotted these lovely little Sundew plants amongst some Sphagnum Moss.  Their rounded leaves are tipped with pink, sticky globules which they use to attract and catch insects.  They then digest the insects to supplement their diet in the nitrogen poor soils. In years gone-by the juice from this plant’s leaves has been put on warts, bunions and corns in the belief that it would cure them. I believe that there are a few Sundews in … Continue reading Insect eating plants!

WildlifeLeave a comment

Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar on the trail

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This wonderful caterpillar, measuring about 7 – 8 cm in length was spotted by Adam on our ‘White Peak Dales and Trails’ walk yesterday.  It was on the Tissington Trail and had probably been gorging on the Rosebay Willow-herb along the side of the trail before venturing out onto the path. It is an Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar.  Notice the ‘eye’ spots towards its front end.  When these caterpillars feel threatened, they rear up at the front and due to the ‘eyes’ are sometimes mistaken for small snakes.  It is believed that birds that feed on caterpillars are wary of them when they rear … Continue reading Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar on the trail

The Dark Peak, Wild Flowers and TreesLeave a comment

Ling Heather on the Moors

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Now is a great time to see the ling heather on the moors in all its glory.  Whole moorlands in the Peak District appear to be carpeted in purple!  The heather has been late flowering this year, probably due to the cooler than usual and wet weather that we have experienced over the summer.  The displays of flowering heather that we have seen over the weekend on our half day guided walks and Derwent Edge Walk, have however been well worth waiting for. Continue reading Ling Heather on the Moors

WildlifeLeave a comment

Undertakers of the beetle world!

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This beautifully coloured beetle was spotted by Neal on our walk today on the lower slopes of Kinder Scout. It is a Sexton Beetle.  They are also known as Burying Beetles and get their name from their practice of digging a hole beneath small dead animals and birds then pulling the body down into the hole.  They then use the carcass as a source of food for their larvae. Continue reading Undertakers of the beetle world!

Geology, The White Peak4 Comments

Ilam Rock – An amazing limestone pinnacle

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The limestone rock that forms parts of Dovedale is the fossilised remains of sea creatures that lived in a shallow, tropical lagoon about 350 million years ago. During the two ice ages, the limestone was cut into craggy shapes.  Dovedale is famous for its numerous limestone rock formations.  Ilam rock pictured here is one of the most spectacular, standing at about 25 metres high.  Others include Dovedale Castles, Tissington Spires, Reynard’s Cave, and Lion’s Head Rock. Ilam Rock can be seen on our ‘Dovedale Delights’ guided walk which is available throughout the year with a Personal Walking Guide Continue reading Ilam Rock – An amazing limestone pinnacle

Conservation and Environmental Issues, Geology, History, The Dark Peak, The Peak District1 Comment

An industrial site in a place of beauty!

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A cement factory might be an unexpected thing to write about in a countryside blog, but if you have ever been walking in the Hope Valley area of the Peak District, you will have seen the Lafarge cement works which forms a dominant feature in the landscape. The factory is visible from the whole of ‘The Great Ridge’ – one of the most popular walks in the Dark Peak. The initial reaction that most people have when seeing it for the first time is ‘what an eyesore in a beautiful valley’. Admittedly it is a bit ugly, but there is a lot … Continue reading An industrial site in a place of beauty!