Snake Pass, Peak District National Park May 23, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Derbyshire, England, Peak District, Royal Air Force, South Yorkshire.Tags: A57, Derbyshire, EGCC, Glossop, ICAO, Manchester Airport, National Park, Peak District National Park, Pennines, Sheffield, Snow, South Yorkshire, stream, UK, winter
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Snake Pass, A57 Glossop to Sheffield
I am from Derbyshire, and intensely proud of that fact. I am fortunate enough to be able to travel back fairly often, and visit friends and relations in the region. A few weeks ago, I landed at Manchester Airport (ICAO code, EGCC), the third-busiest airport in the UK and only a few miles from the boundary of the Peak District National Park. I have family in Sheffield on the other side of the Pennines.
I chose to travel the A57 road which runs from Glossop in Derbyshire to Sheffield in South Yorkshire. Part of this road forms the notorious Snake Pass, which winds it’s way through the National Park from west to east. Here you can see a typical piece of Peak District scenery on the A57, complete with pines and a rushing stream.
One thing the Snake Pass is notorious for is becoming blocked by snow, almost every winter, and its easy to see why!
Dry-stone walls, Derbyshire April 6, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Derbyshire, England, New England, Peak District, Prehistory.Tags: agriculture, architectural design, caravan, Carl Giles, cartoon, cartoonist, cattle, cattle pen, cultural link, Derbyshire, Dry Stone Walling Association, dry-stone wall, England, field boundaries, fields, flocks, foundation, France, frost, garden design, Germany, Giles family, Great Britain, harsh weather, herders, horizontal 'key', ice, key, livestock, maze, Middleton by Wirksworth, Millenium Wall, mobile studio, National Stone Center, Neolithic, New England, Peak District, Peak District National Park, predators, sheep, sheep folds, Sweden, thorn hedge, tour
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- Dry-stone walls, Derbyshire
Since Neolithic times, herders of sheep and cattle have sought to construct sheep folds and cattle pens to defend their livestock against predators. They also wished to define the limits of their own fields. Planting thorn hedges worked to an extent, but in harsh weather a dry-stone wall is best.
Cave Dale March 7, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Derbyshire, England, Great Britain, Peak District.Tags: bridle path, Castleton, Cave Dale, caverns, dale, Derby Ram, Derbyshire, Dove Valley, lead workings, limestone valley, Limestone Way, Matlock, Miller's Dale, Normans, outcroppings, Peak District, Peak District National Park, Peveril Castle, pitches, ridge, Rochester, rock climbing, Staffordshire, Tissington, walkers, Winster, Youlgrave
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Cave Dale, Castleton, Derbyshire
Here is a jewel of the Peak District National Park; Cave Dale is located immediately to the west of the ridge on which Peveril Castle stands. It is a steep sided limestone valley, or dale, in Derbyshire terms. Cave Dale’s steep sides are almost impossible for attackers to scale at this point, forming nearly sheer walls around 200 feet high, which is why the Normans (lead by William Peveril) chose this site for their castle. Underneath this dale, there are huge cave systems such as Peak Cavern, most of which can be accessed from Castleton. The dale is scattered with outcroppings of old lead workings, and some of these can be dangerous, so walkers need to be careful. Rock climbing enthusiasts enjoy the ‘pitches’ at the top end of the dale, as some of them are rated ‘Very Severe’.
If you look closely, you will see two walkers going down the dale, several hundred feet below you; they are on the Limestone Way, which goes from Castleton, all the way to Rochester in the Dove Valley in Staffordshire . The route is extremely interesting, affording many beautiful views of the Peak District, and includes such notable spots as Miller’s Dale, Youlgrave, Winster, Matlock, and Tissington (about 50 miles, in total). If you want to tread this pretty bridle path, then follow the small, green ‘Derby Ram’ signs!
Castleton – The George Hotel February 25, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Castles, Derbyshire, England, Great Britain, Peak District.Tags: Blue John, Castles, Castleton, caverns, Derbyshire, England, ghost, haunted, Hope Valley, hostelry, inn, King George II, licenced premises, malt whiskey, natal day, oak beams, Peak District National Park, Peveril Castle, pub grub, serving woman, single malt, steak and ale pie, The George Hotel, tourists, Visitor Center
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Castleton - The George Hotel
Since it is my natal day, I shall celebrate by re-visiting my beloved Derbyshire. Here is another shot of the small town (or large village) of Castleton in the Hope Valley. As you can see, Peveril Castle dominates the skyline from almost every angle, and, along with the caverns and Blue John jewellery, is the reason for the town’s economic existence. During the summer tourists easily outnumber the locals at weekends, and the recently constructed Visitor Centre is very busy.
The George Hotel is an excellent hostelry in the center of the town. The building dates from 1543, becoming licenced premises exactly 200 years later. The hotel sign depicts King George II, during whose reign the building was opened as an inn. It is, of course, haunted (the ghost of a young serving woman), and the lovely oak beams add a nice period touch to the atmosphere. I can recommend the food…especially the steak and ale pie. Oh, and don’t try and sample all their single malt whiskies at once – there are over 40 of them!
A magical tree – the rowan February 11, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Derbyshire, England, Great Britain, Peak District, South Yorkshire.Tags: 'A Wizard's Staff Has A Knob On The End', apple, ash, Bombycilla garrulus, chutney, corymbs, cotoneaster, divining rod, England, European rowan, flower head, Fraxinus excelsior, fruit, Gaelic, garden, hawthorn, inflorescences, jam, jelly, kidney, magic wand, meat, mountain ash, parasorbic acid, pear, quince, Rosaceae, rowan, ruan, Rudha-an, sapient pearwood, Sheffield, sorbic acid, Sorbus aucuparia, South Yorkshire, Terry Pratchett, thrush, waxwing, witch wood, wizard's staff
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The rowan tree
The is something magical about the rowan tree (sometimes called the mountain ash). The way it changes the colour of it’s leaves in stages, the dense inflorescences of the flower heads and the subsequent startlingly bright bunches (or corymbs) of fruit. It is, without a doubt, one of the most popular trees of folklore, with many names – mountain ash, ruan, witch wood, Rudha-an (Gaelic for ‘red one’) etc. The rowan is found all over my native Derbyshire, especially in the Peak District.
The wood is dense and said to be the prefered material for a wizard’s staff (although the author Terry Pratchett says that sapient pearwood is prefered, see the song, ‘A Wizard’s Staff Has A Knob On The End’), and magic wands, and divining rods.
Despite the common name ‘mountain ash’, the tree is no relation at all to the ash, Fraxinus excelsior, being a member of the Rosaceae family and thereby related to the hawthorn, apple, pear, quince and cotoneaster. The example you can see here is of Sorbus aucuparia, the European rowan, and is standing outside my relatives’ home in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
The fruit of the rowan is a favourite of many birds such as various members of the thrush family, and the waxwing, Bombycilla garrulus. Since the berries contain high levels of parasorbic acid, a bitter chemical which can be harmful to humans (it can cause kidney damage), they are best not eaten raw. However, they can be eaten quite safely after cooking, (the heat alters the parasorbic acid to non-toxic sorbic acid) and are usually made into a tart jelly (for meats) or in a jam or chutney along with other fruit.
Beautiful Blue John jewellery February 7, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in British Isles, Derbyshire, England, Great Britain, Museums, Peak District.Tags: aqueduct, Blue John, bride, bridesmaid, candelabra, Castleton, caverns, Christies, credit card, Cross Street, Derbyshire, dynamite, England, flourspar, Frogmore House, gemstone, George III, House of Windsor, jewellers, jewellery, lead, Mam Tor, matron-of-honour, Matthew Boulton, metal, mineral, mines, museum, New York, Peak District National Park, Peveril Castle, Pompeii, Romans, Royal collection, semi-precious, vase, Victorian, wedding, white marble, Winnat's Pass
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Blue John jewellery
This is what Castleton is all about…not the brooding Peveril Castle, the staggering Winnat’s Pass, the hulking Mam Tor, but the caverns where the world’s only supply of a certain form of flourspar, called Blue John, is found. This striking gemstone was prized by the Romans, who mined this area for lead – one of their most treasured metals, used in their aqueducts, roofing amd much more – and found this sparkling semi-precious gemstone. Two vases of Blue John were supposedly found in the ruins of Pompeii.
Unfortunately, the Victorians mined it using dynamite, and huge spoil heaps were caused, underground. The largest Blue John pieces, including vases and tables, date from this period; indeed, what gemstone is being utilised by the modern jewellery workshops in town is, in the main, extracted from the Victorian spoil heaps.
There are two private museums featuring the mineral in Castelton, as well as other examples in collections around the country - it is interesting to note that Blue John pieces can command staggering prices. A pair of George III white marble and Blue John candelabra by Matthew Boulton, and dating from 1771 (similar to a pair in the Royal collection at Frogmore House) were sold by Christies in New York for $385,000. It is known that other pieces are held by the House of Windsor.
Here you can see a typical display case inside one of the stores on Cross Street, Castleton, Derbyshire. Although there are some malachite pieces, the vast majority of jewellery features Blue John stones, with its delightful random patterns of purple, royal blue, white, violet and yellow bands. It is customary amongst many Derbyshire families to give Blue John to the bride, matron-of-honour and bridesmaids at a wedding.
Be warned gentlemen; don’t take your lady into one of these shops without being prepared to suffer ‘damage’ to your credit card! As night follows day, she will be entranced.
Curtain wall, Peveril Castle January 29, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Castles, Derbyshire, England, Peak District.Tags: Castles, Castleton, curtain wall, Derbyshire, England, glaciated valley, guard tower, Hope Valley, Mam Tor, Normans, Peak District National Park, Prehistory
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- Curtain wall, Peveril Castle
As I said earlier, the Normans erected a castle on the heights above Castleton which absolutely dominated the surrounding land. Nearly impregnable, it has finally fallen to the ravages of time. This is a section of the curtain wall enclosing the site, complete with one of the guard towers, facing the Hope Valley, and the fertile grazing land in the valley bottom. Close up, this section of the wall feels impressive, and I can imagine the feeling of awe this castle would generate in the local populace, and also the feeling of safety which led to them building their dwellings near to the castle walls.
Norman Keep, Peveril Castle January 16, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Castles, Derbyshire, England, Peak District, Scotland.Tags: Castles, Castleton, Crown Estates, Derbyshire, Duchy of Lancaster, England, English Heritage, gritstone, Henry II, Malcolm I, Peak District National Park, Peveril Castle, Peveril of the Peak, Scotland
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Norman Keep, Peveril Castle
This castle overlooking the little town of Castleton, is now owned by English Heritage, having been for centuries part of either the Crown Estates or the Duchy of Lancaster. Mostly in ruins, what is left gives the impression of the projection of raw power. Here you can see the remains of the Norman keep which replaced an original wooden structure in the early 12th century; you can see that the keep has lost most of its exterior gritstone cladding.
If you make the steep climb from the entrance building at the base of the hill, you are rewarded with some of the most impressive views in the Peak District. To enter the keep of Peveril Castle, you climb a spiral staircase on the southern side; the original floors have long since gone, but you can consult a series of data boards which will tell you the story of life in the keep, as experienced by Peveril of the Peak.
The castle did have its moment of glory, however. King Henry II of England received his fellow monarch, Malcolm I of Scotland, here in 1157, to receive the Scots pledge of fealty.
Winnat’s Pass January 13, 2009
Posted by shortfinals in Derbyshire, Peak District.Tags: Carboniferous Era, Castleton, Derbyshire, Peak District National Park, Winnat's Pass
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About a mile from Winnat's Pass
Another view of Winnat’s Pass, this time from about a mile away. This Carboniferous Era limestone feature is really spectacular, and you can see why it draws a heavy ‘crop’ of tourists to Castleton. The small Derbyshire town (or large village, it depends on your point of view), is at the heart of the Peak District National Park, the first National Park formed in Great Britain.
