The Peak District

I was discussing the trip to the UK with an old mate Rog, ex-Bristol, who now lives in Coffs Harbour, Australia. He was brought up in Derbyshire, and persuaded me to spend a few days walking in the Peak District, a National Park south of Manchester.

Trivia question: 'What's the height of the highest mountain in the Peak District?'
A: 'There are no mountains in the Peak District. It was named after an Anglo-Saxon tribe who settled the area called the Pecsaetan.'

Arbor Low henge.

The old Ashborne to Buxton railway line has been turned into a walking track

Lots of dry stone walls

Cottage in Tissington

Tissington Hall



Curbar Edge



Curbar Edge



Curbar Edge

The geology of the Peak District is complex. A good overview here. 

Around 340 million years ago the area which we now call the Peak District was actually covered by a clear, warm, shallow sea full of microscopic shelled creatures. There were beds of animals related to the Starfish, walking over coral reefs and beds of other shellfish, some of which were similar to modern cockles. They deposited thick calcium deposits up to a depth of 600 metres in places.

As the deposits were laid down, the seabed gradually sank and this is now the rock which is known as Carboniferous Limestone, which lies under the entire expanse of the Peak District. The sea was also a centre of volcanic activity occasionally and undersea volcanoes would pour lava across the seabed, injecting it into the gaps of compressed fossils. 

Conditions changed from about 300 million years ago as the sea became more shallow and large rivers from nearby continents to the North began to drain into the sea and deposit the silt which gradually compressed to form the rocks. Later, the deposits laid down thick layers of sediment, much harder rock, to form a type of coarse sandstone called 'millstone grit' as can be seen at Curbar Edge. 

Padley Gorge

Padley Gorge

Surprise View looking down into the Hope Valley

Owler Tor and Longshaw Lodge

Youlgreave

Upper Haddon

Lathkill River

Weir

My last day in the Peak District coincided with the much awaited Wimbledon semi-final between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. They previously had a spectacular match in the Wimbledon final in 2008, which is believed by many to be the best tennis match ever. On that occasion, Rafa won.

Here are some highlights.

Better highlights video here. (Not one I can embed in the blog).