Millions of years ago, the White Peak area was a vast tropical lagoon. Hard as it is to imagine the tropics in this area, if you look carefully at the limestone in the walls you’ll see the fossilised remains of the lagoon’s sea creatures, particularly crinoids, looking like a scattering of stone screws in the rock.
The borders of this lagoon give way to more dramatic limestone features that were once the reefs around the lagoon. These are easy to see, for example, in Parkhouse and Chrome Hill in the Upper Dove Valley, as well as in Winnats Pass and Treak Cliff at Castleton.
Underground the area is rich in minerals, and was once a major lead mining area. Evidence of this industry is spread across the area in abandoned mines, some of which are now show caves, and the uneven ground from lead miners' spoil. Find out more by visiting The Peak District Mining Museum at Matlock Bath.
Though the gentle rolling contours of the White Peak is mostly seen as farmland, the limestone plateau is criss-crossed with river valleys rich in vegetation. The area has thousands of miles of drystone walls, often enclosing hay meadows and estimated to be long enough end-to-end to encircle the earth!
Further Information
The Dark Peak | The Peak District Mining Museum | Geology
