Tideswell Dale

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Tideswell Dale
Hillside of Tideswell Dale - geograph.org.uk - 1271248.jpg
View across Tideswell Dale
Length1.1 miles (1.8 km)North-South
Width250 metres (820 ft)
Depth50 metres (164 ft)
Geography
Location Derbyshire, England
Coordinates 53°15′59″N1°46′45″W / 53.2663°N 1.7793°W / 53.2663; -1.7793
RiversBrook Head
Footpath through Tideswell Dale Tideswell Dale - geograph.org.uk - 1271241.jpg
Footpath through Tideswell Dale

Tideswell Dale is a short dry limestone valley near Tideswell village, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England. There is a farmland plateau on either side. The foot of the valley leads into Miller's Dale on the River Wye, which the valley's Brook Head stream runs into. [1]

The Carboniferous limestone rocks of these dales were formed 350 million years ago from the shells and sediments of a tropical sea. The landscape was then sculpted by the ice sheets from the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago. The disused basalt quarry on the east side of Tideswell Dale is now a nature reserve. Stone was quarried from a sill of dolerite rock, which was the result of lava rising through the strata of the surrounding limestone 'Derbyshire Dome'. Tideswell Dale is part of the designated Wye Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) between Buxton and Bakewell, which also covers Cunning Dale, Woo Dale, Wye Dale, Chee Dale, Monsal Dale and Taddington Wood. These dales contain ancient ash and wych elm woodland. The many herbs and wild flowers include lady's bedstraw, bird's-foot trefoil, bloody cranesbill, devil's-bit scabious, saw-wort, ox-eye daisy, cowslip and common spotted-orchid. The upper valley sides are heathland habitat for bilberry and heather. The dale is also home to small heath and common blue butterflies. [2] [3]

Ravenstor at the foot of Tideswell Dale is a huge outcrop of overhanging rock. It is a challenging rock climbing location with over 200 graded routes, up to 50m long and including Mutation, graded 9a making it the hardest route in the Peak District. There are also several limestone buttresses in Tideswell Dale itself with established rock climbing pitches. [4] [5]

Access into Tideswell Dale is easy from the B6049 road which runs down the valley from Tideswell in the north to Miller's Dale, about 1 km west of the south end of the dale. Tideswell Dale car park is on the B6049 from where the footpath follows an avenue of mature beech trees. [6] A footpath runs from the Monsal Trail, over the footbridge at Litton Mill up through the dale to Tideswell. There is also a parking area near Litton Mill. [1] [3]

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The Peak District is an upland area in England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It is subdivided into the Dark Peak, moorland dominated by gritstone, and the White Peak, a limestone area with valleys and gorges. The Dark Peak forms an arc on the north, east and west of the district, and the White Peak covers central and southern areas. The highest point is Kinder Scout. Most of the area is within the Peak District National Park, a protected landscape designated in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Wye, Derbyshire</span> River in England

The River Wye is a limestone river in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England. It is 22 miles long, and is one of the major tributaries of the River Derwent, which flows into the River Trent, and ultimately into the Humber and the North Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Peak</span>

The White Peak, also known as the Low Peak, is a limestone plateau that forms the central and southern part of the Peak District in England. It is mostly between 270 metres (900 ft) and 430 metres (1,400 ft) above sea-level and is enclosed by the higher altitude Dark Peak to the west, north and east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limestone Way</span> Long-distance footpath in England

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Monsal Dale is a valley in Derbyshire, England, in the White Peak limestone area of the Peak District National Park. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (1) and part of a Europe-wide network called Natura 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millers Dale</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District

Millers Dale is a valley on the River Wye in Derbyshire, England, where there is also a hamlet of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Longstone</span> Human settlement in England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millers Dale railway station</span> Former railway station in Derbyshire, England

Millers Dale railway station was situated in Millers Dale, near Tideswell, in the Peak District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Litton Mill</span>

Litton Mill is a textile mill at Millers Dale, near Tideswell in Derbyshire.

The Monsal Trail is a cycling, horse riding and walking trail in the Derbyshire Peak District. It was constructed from a section of the former Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction Railway, which was built by the Midland Railway in 1863 to link Manchester with London and closed in 1968. The Monsal Trail is about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long and opened in 1981. It starts at the Topley Pike junction in Wye Dale, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Buxton, and runs to Coombs Viaduct, 1 mile (1.6 km) south-east of Bakewell. It follows the valley of the River Wye. The trail passes through Blackwell Mill, Chee Dale, Millers Dale, Cressbrook, Monsal Dale, Great Longstone, Hassop and Bakewell. The trail has numerous landmarks including Headstone Viaduct, Cressbrook Mill, Litton Mill and Hassop railway station, and passes through six tunnels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chee Dale</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District, England

Chee Dale is a steep-sided gorge on the River Wye near Buxton, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Dale</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District

Deep Dale is a short steep-sided gorge near Buxton, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England. It is distinct from another Deep Dale, near Sheldon, 4 miles (6.4 km) to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monk's Dale</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District

Monk's Dale is a short steep-sided dry gorge near Buxton, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England. The dale is cut into a plateau of farmland and lies to the east of the village of Wormhill. The head of the valley leads into Peter Dale to the north. Miller's Dale is at the foot of the valley to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cressbrook Dale</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District

Cressbrook Dale is a dry carboniferous limestone gorge near Bakewell, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England. The dale is cut into a plateau of farmland and lies to the south east of the village of Litton. Cressbrook village is at the foot of the valley to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hay Dale</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District

Hay Dale is a short dry valley near Buxton, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England. It is part of a longer valley that runs for approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north–south from Peak Forest to the River Wye at Millers Dale. This valley has several names along its length: from the northern end running downhill these are Dam Dale, Hay Dale, Peter Dale and Monk's Dale. There is a farmland plateau on either side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Dale (Derbyshire)</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District

Peter Dale is a short dry crag-sided valley near Buxton, Derbyshire, in the Peak District of England. There is a farmland plateau on either side. The northern end of the valley leads into Hay Dale at Dale Head and the foot of the valley leads into Monk's Dale. Hay Dale and Monk's Dale are both part of the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve managed by Natural England. The Carboniferous limestone rocks of all these dales were formed 350 million years ago from the shells and sediments of a tropical sea. The landscape was then sculpted by the ice sheets from the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coombs Dale</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District, England

Coombs Dale is a steep-sided, dry carboniferous limestone valley in the Derbyshire Peak District of England. The village of Calver lies about 1 km to the east and the village of Stoney Middleton lies less than 1 km to the north. The dale is cut into the hills on the east side of Longstone Moor. The upper end of the dale is known as Rough Side. Several springs flow down the dale during winter and after heavy rains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middleton Dale</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District

Middleton Dale is a steep-sided, carboniferous limestone valley in the Derbyshire Peak District of England. The village of Stoney Middleton lies at the eastern foot of the dale and the village of Eyam lies about 600 metres (660 yd) to the north, through the side valley of Eyam Dale. The dale is cut into the surrounding gritstone uplands of Middleton Moor and Eyam Moor. Dale Brook stream runs down the dale into Stoke Brook and on into the River Derwent 1.5 kilometres (1 mi) beyond Stoney Middleton. The Delf is a secluded, wooded side gorge with a stream between Eyam and Middleton Dale. Opposite The Delf, water gushes from Hawkenedge Well and flows into Dale Brook.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derbyshire Dome</span> Geological formation of the Derbyshire Peak District

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wye Valley, Derbyshire</span> Valley in the Derbyshire Peak District

The Wye Valley is the limestone valley of the River Wye in the White Peak of Derbyshire, England. The source of the River Wye is west of Buxton on Axe Edge Moor. One main channel runs underground through Poole's Cavern. The river flows though Buxton Pavilion Gardens and then along a culvert under the town centre. After leaving the flat area of central Buxton, the Wye Valley becomes distinct as a gorge running east for 10 miles (16 km) before the valley broadens at Ashford-in-the Water.

References

  1. 1 2 OL24 White Peak area (Map). 1:25000. Explorer. Ordnance Survey. East sheet.
  2. "Wye Valley SSSI" (PDF). Natural England. 1997. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Tideswell Dale". Peak District National Park. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  4. "Raven Tor (Miller's Dale)". www.ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  5. "Tideswell Dale". www.ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  6. "Walk: Tideswell, Derbyshire". Countryfile.com. Retrieved 16 April 2020.