Peak District National Park - Definition and Overview

The Peak District National Park is a national park in the north of England. 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.

Geology

The White Peak is underlain with early Carboniferous limestone, which produces numerous caves. Under the Dark Peak lies shales and sandstones of the late Carboniferous millstone grit.

History

The Mass Trespass of Kinder Scout was a landmark in the campaign for national parks and open access to moorland in Britain. It became Britain's first National Park on April 17, 1951.

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

Geography

• Derwent Valley

Activities

• Rock climbing in the Peak District
• horse riding
• walking
• cycling
• caving
• air sports (like hang gliding)
• water sports
• Aircraft wrecks

Climbing Areas

Western Grit (Staffordshire, Kinder, Bleaklow, and the Chew Valley)

• The Roaches
• Hen Cloud
• Ramshaw
• Windgather
• Castle Naze
• Kinder
• Shining Clough
• Dovestones Edge
• Ravenstones

Eastern Grit (Derwent Valley, Sheffield, Derbyshire)

• Rivelin
• Stanage
• Burbage
• Millstone
• Frogatt
• Curbar
• Birchen
• Gardoms
• Black Rocks

Peak Limestone

• Deep Dale
• Chee Date
• Raven Tor
• Pic Tor
• Wild Cat
• High Tor

External links

• A gallery of free wallpaper-sized photographs of the Peak District in winter (http://www.lakedistrictdesktops.com/galleries/peakdistrict.html)
• The official website of the Peak District National Park Authority (http://www.peakdistrict.org/)
• A large collection of photos of the Peak District that can be used to illustrate this site (http://chris.croome.net/photos/peakdistrict.html)
• Attractions, activities, geology and historical information on the Peak District (http://www.thepeakdistrict.info/)