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Peak District

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The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, mainly spanning Derbyshire, but also covering bits of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and South and West Yorkshire. Most of the area became the first national park in the nation. It is conventionally split into the northern Dark Peak, where most of the moorland is found, and the southern White Peak, where most of the population lives. The park's controlling authority claims it to be the world's second most popular national park.

Contents

Geology

View of the Edale valley from Mam Tor.
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View of the Edale valley from Mam Tor.

The White Peak is underlain with early Carboniferous limestone, which produces numerous caves - this is sometimes known as Karst topography. Under the Dark Peak lie shales and sandstones of the late Carboniferous millstone grit. Much of the Peak, and its adjacent areas, approximates to the structure of an eroded dome. The coal measures of the carboniferous lie just outside the district, especially on the eastern edge. Then, moving inwards, come the gritstone edges, the shales, and in the central region the limestone of the White Peak.

For a detailed description of the geology of the area see Cope's monograph.

History

The Pecsaetan, peaklanders or peakrills were a anglo saxon tribe who inhabited the central and northern parts of the peak district national park.They moved into the area around the 6th century. Evidence suggests they moved into a almost empty territory, as there had been famine and plague and the native celts mostly died out.They give there name to the peak district national park and like with the other anglo saxon tribes they still live there, with a few normans mixed in. The area the tribes inhabited was part of the anglian kingdom of Mercia and they spoke the Mercian language.The etymology of the name 'Peak' District is a corruption of the word 'Pict', rather than referring to the topography of the hills. This name is a reference to the pre-iron age people of Britain whose culture may have persisted much later in the uplands of Derbyshire. Celtic and pre-celtic customs and festivals are reflected in the Peak District today in extant traditions such as well dressing.

The area has been a tourist destination for centuries, with an early tourist description of the area, De Mirabilibus Pecci or The Seven Wonders of the Peak by Thomas Hobbes, being published in 1636. Visitors increased during the Victorian era, with railway construction providing ease of access. Guides such as John Mawe's Mineralogy of Derbyshire (1802) & William Adam's Gem of the Peak (1840) generated interest in the area's unique geology.

The Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout, the highest point in the Peak District, in 1932 was a landmark in the campaign for national parks and open access to moorland in Britain. The Peak District National Park became the United Kingdom's first national park on April 17, 1951.

The first long-distance footpath in the United Kingdom was the Pennine Way, which starts from the village of Edale in the heart of the Peak District.

Geography

The National Park covers 555 square miles (1438 square km) of Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire. The Park boundaries were drawn to exclude large towns from the park; however, Buxton is nearly entirely surrounded by the park.

Activities

Paragliding from Mam Tor.
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Paragliding from Mam Tor.

Rock climbers on "Ellis' Eliminate" (grade VS 4c) on Stanage.
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Rock climbers on "Ellis' Eliminate" (grade VS 4c) on Stanage.

Climbing areas

Western Grit (Staffordshire, Kinder, Bleaklow, and the Chew Valley) Eastern Grit (Derwent Valley, Sheffield, Derbyshire) Peak Limestone

See also

Reference

External links

Ladybower reservoir
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Ladybower reservoir

 

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