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The Peak District is an upland region in the midlands of
England, mostly in the county of Derbyshire.
The Peak District National Park covers most of the region. The
area to the north is called the 'Dark Peak', because of the grit-stone
and shale rocks and the peat-covered slopes. Here the hills are
higher and the climate more harsh. In the south, where the
rock is limestone, the vegetation is richer, and the climate milder.
This area is known as the 'White Peak'.
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 1.
In the north of the Peak District are the plateau areas called Kinder
Scout and Bleaklow. In the 'Dark Peak' most of the hills are
flat-topped, because they are formed by beds of resistant
grit-stone. . They are wilderness areas covered by thick
layers of peat, that has been eroded to form countless 'groughs'.
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 2.
This is the route of the Pennine Way, near Snake Summit. The
soft vegetation of Bleaklow is easily damaged by hikers, especially
along this popular long-distance footpath. The surface has been
protected by laying a footpath made from stone 'flags.' They are
recycled; they have been recovered from buildings demolished in nearby
cities.
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 3.
This is a picture of a valley in
the 'Dark Peak'. Notice that there is a difference in
slope angle between the resistant grit-stone and the less
resistant shale (which is underneath). Notice also the rough vegetation which
grows on the badly drained soils. There are few trees in the
'Dark Peak' because the soils are acidic.
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 4.
Many of the rivers and streams in the 'Dark Peak'
are fast-flowing and have cut deep-sided valleys. The surfaces
are littered with boulders of resistant grit-stone. There are
many small waterfalls where the gradient of the stream-bed is
steep. This is the valley of Crowden Brook, near Edale.
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 5.
In the 'White Peak' slopes are
gentler. The limestone rocks have weathered to produce soils
which are good for grass. There is more woodland on these soils.
The good grazing allows sheep to be kept.
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 6.
This is Chatsworth House, home of the Duke of
Devonshire. Over the centuries the land around the big houses
like Chatsworth has been developed into open parkland.
Chatsworth and nearby Haddon Hall bring large numbers of visitors to
the area.
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 7.
One of the important natural resources
of the Peak District is timber. Growing trees is a long-term
economic development because they take a long time to grow. Most
of the commercial forestry is in the 'Dark Peak' because farms in that
area are much poorer - because of the infertile soils and harsher
climate.
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 8.
Another important resource of the region is the
rock. Limestone is quarried at several places, and is used for
building and making cement. This former quarry has been turned
into a tourist attraction - the National Tramway Museum at Crich.
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 9.
There are no towns (and only a few
villages) in the 'Dark
Peak' because there is very low population density. In the 'White
Peak' there are several market towns. This one is Bakewell.
These towns provide essential services for locals, and also are centres
of attraction for tourists.
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 10.
Like many upland areas, the Peak District is difficult
to cross because of the hills. Many of the roads will be blocked by
snow each winter. Rural buses are important for local people to
get to markets, shops and schools.
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 11.Tourism
is an important industry in the Peak District. Tourists bring
money into the area and many jobs are created in shops, hotels and at
the attractions. This is 'Gulliver's Kingdom', an adventure
theme park for children. It is located in the Derwent valley
near Matlock.
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