Peak District miscellany

Originally uploaded for the Guesswhere UK group. This is at Odin Mine (lead) near Castleton, Derbyshire. This slot-like feature is Odin Gorge, which marks that portion of the Odin Vein which was completely worked-out at the surface, before being extensively mined underground. Odin Mine is the earliest recorded, named, lead mine in Derbyshire, dating back to at least 1280, and possibly earlier - the Romans were thought to have worked the mine.

Situated immediately east of the southern part of Stanage Edge, White Path Moss is an extensive flat area of peat bogs and watery pools, very difficult to cross except on a very subtly elevated shallow ridge known as Friar's Ridge.

Originally uploaded for the Guesswhere UK group. This is a view NNW across White Path Moss from Stanage Edge in the Peak District, at Nat Grid Ref. SK 244 836. Stanedge Pole, a wooden guide post mounted in a cluster of boulders is visible on the skyline towards the left side. White Path Moss is an extensive flat area of peat bogs and watery pools, very difficult to cross except on a very subtly elevated shallow ridge known as Friar's Ridge. It is generally accepted that this is a nivation platform, a.k.a. cryoturbation platform. These form where a permanent but relatively shallow snow-patch (as distinct from an ice-sheet) has existed for an extended period of time, perhaps thousands of years. They are well-known from periglacial environments, past and present-day. Beneath the more-or-less stagnant snow-patch, there can be considerable freeze-thaw action, breaking up the top surface of the underlying bedrock and causing it to flow slowly down even the shallowest of slopes. The effect is for this flow material to 'fill in' any pre-existing hollows and generally smooth out the existing landscape, ultimately tending to become a flat surface. In this locality the nivation platform is a broadly linear feature, parallel to the outcrop of Stanage Edge and set back from it by as much as 1.5 km. Whatever the reasons for the origin, I was really struck by the colours up here on this bright December day. Best viewed large....

I loved the golden light on the silver birches and bracken, contrasting with the mossy gritstone boulders. Taken in the regenerating birch woodland at the edge of the old millstone quarries at the southern end of Millstone Edge, near Surprise View, in the Peak District National Park.

Southerly view over the Derwent Valley looking towards Grindleford, Padley Gorge, and beyond. Nearly sunset, and the valley is filled with golden light beneath the inky-blue clouds. Taken from near the Mother Cap Stone, high on the Eastern Edges of the Peak District National Park.

Southerly view from the Mother Cap Stone, high on the Eastern Edges of the Peak District National Park, looking towards the Derwent Valley, Grindleford, Padley Gorge, and beyond. Nearly sunset, and the valley and heather moorland are illuminated with golden light beneath the inky-blue clouds.

Southerly view from the Mother Cap Stone, high on the Eastern Edges of the Peak District National Park, looking towards the Derwent Valley, Grindleford, Padley Gorge, and beyond. Nearly sunset, and the rocks and heather moorland are illuminated with golden light beneath the inky-blue clouds.

Southerly view from the Mother Cap Stone, high on the Eastern Edges of the Peak District National Park, looking towards the Derwent Valley, Grindleford, Padley Gorge, and beyond. Nearly sunset, and the valley and heather moorland are illuminated with golden light beneath the inky-blue clouds.

Southerly view over the Derwent Valley looking towards Grindleford, Padley Gorge, and beyond. Taken from the Mother Cap Stone a few minutes after sunset, this was a quiet end to a lovely afternoon.

Sunset on this late autumn day, over Sir William Hill with its radio mast, and, a little way to the left on the skyline, the chimney at the Ladywash Mine (lead, fluorite) is also visible. This is in the Peak District National Park - the skyline is in Derbyshire, the camera location was in South Yorkshire. Taken from the Mother Cap Stone near Millstone Edge.

Originally uploaded for the Guesswhere UK group. This is a view over the Barbrook Valley towards Swine Sty and Big Moor, on the Eastern Edges in the Peak District National Park. The area around Swine Sty is the site of an extensive Neolithic - Early Bronze Age settlement and field system. The camera location is in South Yorkshire; the distant moorland is in Derbyshire. The county boundary runs along the Barbrook valley in the middle distance. The distant scarps are comprised mainly of Crawshaw Sandstone in the lowest part of the Coal Measure sequence; the lower slopes are of Rough Rock at the uppermost part of the Namurian 'Millstone Grit' sequence.

Originally posted for the Guesswhere UK group. This is a view eastwards from Overdale towards Abney Moor and the Shatton wireless mast, near the Hope Valley in the Peak District. The step-like topography indicates the presence of relatively hard sandstone bands alternating with softer shales, within the Shale Grit - a distinct group of strata within the 'Millstone Grit' (Namurian) sequence. Dark bands of heather growth pick out the sandstone beds upon which it grows preferentially. Small pock marks are the remains of small quarries, also in the sandstone beds, from which stone was extracted in the 18th and 19th centuries to build the dry-stone enclosure walls. The highest ground in the upper right is formed of Kinderscout Grit, the overlying major gritstone horizon in the sequence.

Originally uploaded for the Guesswhere UK Group. Very gloomy flat light when I took this. Must go back sometime. This is a view looking north from Roach End in the Staffordshire Moorlands part of the Peak District National Park. The vertical scale has been exaggerated x2 in order to enhance the Namurian gritstone/shale dip and scarp topography and hence the geological structure. The Goyt Syncline can be seen running from the centre skyline down and off to the right. An eroded anticline is discernable on the left skyline, with the summit of Shutlingsloe dipping to the west (left).

I'm always interested in viewing landscapes in different ways and occasionally I experiment with exaggerating the vertical scale of my photos. I'm not sure of the validity of this as a photography technique or an art-form, but I do quite like the effect it produces and quite often this enhances geological and geomorphological features, and so is useful as a teaching aid. This view is from Bamford Edge in the Peak District looking to the south west. On the left, the Namurian ('Millstone Grit') succession of Abney Moor, Shatton and Overdale contrasts with the older Dinantian (Carboniferous Limestone) landform to the right. Bradwell village nestles in the valley in between. The easterly (left) dip of the rocks is well seen, as is the stepped topography of Shatton and Abney Moor due to the presence of alternating hard sandstones and softer shales.

This is the Hope Valley in the Peak District basking in the evening sunshine, viewed from near Great Tor on Bamford Edge. Abney Moor and Shatton are on the left, with the deep cleft of Overdale in shadow. Bradwell village is in the broad valley just right of centre. On the extreme right is the Earle's Quarry at t' back o' Pindale, which supplies limestone for the Hope Lafarge cement works (mercifully just out of shot).

The leading edge of a band of thundery showers approaches Brown Edge Quarry near Ringinglow, Sheffield, coming up from the south. Five minutes later the storm was upon us, with very heavy rain and several claps of thunder.

View east over Sheffield. The leading edge of a band of thundery showers approaches Brown Edge Quarry near Ringinglow, coming up from the south. Five minutes later the storm was upon us, with very heavy rain and several claps of thunder.

Another view of one of The Ox Stones on Burbage Moor, near Ringinglow, high on the west side of Sheffield. The view is to the south and east.