Spectacular Lathkill Dale has been at least 350 million years in the making – so far! Take a day to play rock detective, and follow this self-guided walk to fi nd evidence of the geological events that created the landscape you walk through today. And, little by little, Lathkill Dale is still changing, because geological forces are always at work.

The Geological Formation of the Peak District The rocks you see here in Lathkill Dale began to form 350 million years ago when what is now Britain was south of the equator. Most of Derby-shire was a warm tropical lagoon full of marine life. Around the edge of the lagoon were reefs.

Limestone Layers in a Tropical SeaLime mud and the shells of animals that lived in the lagoon built up on the sea-fl oor. Over time, the lime muds and shells became cemented to form the limestones you see today (photo below).

Fossils from the Tropical Sea The shell and crescent shaped fossils you see in some limestone are brachiopods. These bivalves were similar to oysters or cockles. They had two equal-sized shells joined with a

Lathkill Dale Geology Trail

Explore spectacular Lathkill Dale’s outstanding geological history. A 350 million year walk among fossils, minerals, caves, mines and a rare source of decorative stone. Walk up through the geological strata and see geology’s time line for yourself.

Diffi culty

Allow

3hr

Transport

6 km

3.5 mi

Distance

Trail Summary

This map is reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Controller HMSO. Crown Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Peak District National Park Authority. License No. LA 100005734. 2005

Discover ancient caves, spectacular fossils and rare minerals in glorious Lathkill Dale.

Start and fi nish: Linear walk from Over Haddon to Mon-yash through the length of the Dale. Re-trace your steps or use public transport to return to your start point. OS White Peak Explorer Map, OL 24. SK187 658.

Diffi culty: One optional steep climb. Surfaced track suitable for pushchairs and mobility scoot-ers from Over Haddon to the end of the wood, 2.5 km, 1.5 miles.

Access: By car: Pay & display car park in Over Had-don. Take the steep road down to the Dale entrance. Disabled badge holders can park part way down the road to the dale. By public transport: Regular but infrequent bus services run between Bakewell and Over Haddon, Bakewell and Monyash. Call Traveline to fi nd out more, 0871 200 2233.

Part-funded by the European Union European Regional Development Fund

Lathkill Dale Geology TrailTr

ail S

umm

ary

4 km

3 miles

Circular walk of roughly 4½ km along moderately easy tracks through streamside woodland and heather moorland, including some ascents. Option to add a 2½ km round trip through the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate via a tea room and shop in a former hunting lodge.

Transport

Diffi culty

Allow

2hr

Distance

Glacial meltwater fl owing over the limestone carved the deep valleys that we see today.

Water Erosion: Screes and CavesLimestone contains many cracks and joints that let water in. Water breaks down the limestone in two ways, by physically eroding it and chemically dis-solving it.

Screes are rubble-like areas of broken stone on slopes. Screes form by physical erosion. Water runs into cracks in the limestone. In winter it freezes and expands, causing pieces of rock to break off and fall down slopes. Some screes may still be forming, others are ancient and relatively stable.

Caves form from physical and chemical erosion. Rainwater contains dissolved carbon dioxide from the air. This makes it slightly acidic. When it fl ows through limestone it slowly dissolves the rock and enlarges the cracks, sometimes forming caves over time.

Crinoids – these fossils look like rings from the end and like screw threads from the side (above). They are known locally as Derbyshire screws. These prehistoric animals were sea lilies. They were anchored to the sea-fl oor by long stalks that stood up in the water. The ‘screws’ are the remains of their stalks, made of calcium carbonate rings. The stalk was crowned by a body with feather-like arms that collected microscopic plankton as food.

Fossils are signs of the reefs that fringed the tropi-cal lagoon around 350 million years ago. They were once living colonies of tiny sea creatures sup-ported by a calcium carbonate external skeleton.

Gritstones Form in Vast Delta NetworksAbout 320 million years ago, the area that now forms the Scottish Highlands was above sea level. Huge rivers carried gravel, sand and mud south-ward from this northern landmass to meet the sea. The sands and gravels were deposited in the form of vast deltas that buried the limestones. They became cemented to form the gritstones and sandstones you fi nd in the Dark Peak. The sheer weight of sediments compressed the mud to form the shales that occur between the gritstones and sandstones.

Volcanic Activity Creates Peak District MineralsBlue John, lead, calcite, fl uorite – all have played an important part in the Peak District’s geology, history and economy. At various times between about 300 and 160 million years ago, hot mineral-bearing fl uids circulating from deep in the Earth’s crust entered cracks and joints within the lime-stone. As these fl uids cooled, crystals solidifi ed to form the mineral veins you see in Lathkill Dale today. These veins contain many diff erent types of mineral, including galena (lead sulphide), fl uorite (calcium fl uoride), calcite (calcium carbonate), sphalerite (zinc sulphide) and baryte (barium sulphate).

Ice Age Melt Waters Carve Out Limestone ValleysDuring the last ice age, 20,000 years ago, a vast ice sheet covered the land north of Lathkill Dale. In Derbyshire there were no glaciers, but the ground was frozen for most of the year as permafrost.

Brachiopod One of a suite of downloadable trails available from www.peak-experience.org.uk

Lathkill Dale Geology TrailTr

ail S

umm

ary

4 km

3 miles

Transport

Diffi culty

Allow

Distance

1. From Over Haddon Car ParkFrom the public car park in Over Haddon take the exit signposted Lathkill Dale and head down the road towards Lathkill Dale.

Look Out for Fossils! Have a close look at the stones in the wall on your right, especially on the corner. This limestone wall contains many fossils. 2. St Anne’s ChurchThe church was built in 1880 from local limestone.

Examine the church walls to fi nd some good crinoid fossils. On the top step of the porch at the left end there are fossil corals. Local gritstone surrounds the doorway (pictured below left).

Continue down the road.

3. Lathkill Lodge to Lathkill Dale – More Fossils!When you reach Lathkill Lodge, turn left to see the medieval bridge across the river. Many feet have polished these stones over time, so it’s easy

to see fossil brachiopods and crinoids.

Turn around and walk uphill with the old mill on your left. Turn left and go through the gate to enter Lathkill Dale.

4. Lathkill Dale BeginsLathkill Dale is part of the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve. Welcome to our interna-tionally important wildlife and geological con-servation area. Please respect this protected area and follow the Countryside Code and any instruc-tions on signs.

Along the path on your right you see exposed areas of limestone. Some specialized plants here manage to grow in very thin, dry soils, with a high

calcium content. Limestone’s many cracks mean water drains through it easily, causing drought conditions.

Along the path you will see two horizontal tun-nels known as adits, where people have looked for lead ore in the past . . they didn’t fi nd any here.

One of a suite of downloadable trails available from www.peak-experience.org.uk

Lathkill Dale Geology TrailTr

ail S

umm

ary

3 miles

Transport

Diffi culty

Allow

Distance

pumped water from the mine.

Continue along the track through the dale. The ash woodland you are walking through is typical of the White Peak’s limestone dales. Such woodlands are rare and are protected by British and European law.

Look out for dips and hollows in the ground be-tween the path and the river – remains of Lathkill lead mine (pictured below). Do not stray off the path, as there are unmarked mine shafts and dan-gerous pools. The caged mine shaft you see beside the path just appeared one day without warning!

Go through the gate at the end of the woodland into a meadow.

First, you see the remains of the supporting wall with its huge gritstone blocks. Continue up the rough steps to see the mine entrance. Lead ore was mined here. If you look above the entrance you can still see a mineral vein. The fi rst miners saw ore at the earth’s surface and followed its line by tunnelling underground.

Walk along to your right. In the cliff on your left you will see many fossil brachiopods piled on top of each other. You can also see another character-istic of limestone – bedding planes (above). These layers gradually built up on the sea fl oor. From time to time conditions changed and diff erences between the layers are evidence of these changes.

Follow the path back to the dale bottom and continue along the main track.

7. Aqueduct RemainsSoon you will see the remains of some aqueduct pillars. The aqueduct carried water from the river to drive a water wheel at Mandale Mine that

Continue along the path.

5. Mandale Mine SoughPassing through two stone gate posts, you will see a drainage tunnel, or sough, on your left. This was built to drain excess water from Mandale lead mine. Mine workers carved it out by hand and it took 30 years to complete. Limestone is a very hard rock!

Take the path to the right opposite the sough.

6. Mandale Mine Engine House

One of a suite of downloadable trails available from www.peak-experience.org.uk

Lathkill Dale Geology TrailTr

ail S

umm

ary

4 km

3 miles

Transport

Diffi culty

Allow

Distance

To the right is Mill Dale. This dry valley was formed millions of years ago by water erosion, but no longer has a river.

Continue along the riverside path.

8. Carter’s Mill Two old millstones and a large deep pool are evidence of an old corn mill. The pool was built to provide water power for the mill.

Continue along your way.

9. TufaLook out for the waterfall – it was probably made by fi shermen in the 1930s to stop trout swimming too far upstream, where they died as the river dried up. The light holey tufa rock here is still forming. Dis-solved calcium carbonate in the water is depos-ited on the algae, mosses and liverworts that grow on the riverbed and gradually solidifi es into rock. Scientists are still not sure whether the plants actively help this process. Sadly, tufa was highly fashionable in gardens and has been few The steep

The steep scree slopes (pictured right) are home to special plants which help stabil-ize the hillside. You’ll even see a ash trees growing here.

Continue alongyour way.

10. Sheepwash BridgeAt Sheepwash Bridge you fi nd a crossroads. If you have time, cross the bridge and climb up the path a short way to admire the view of the dale. The cliff s at the top of the slope opposite are fossil reefs.

Cross back over the bridge and rejoin the main valley.

11. Dry WaterfallSoon there’s a smaller valley to your right, head-ing north. Walk along it and in the cliff s on the right, you’ll fi nd a place that was once a waterfall (pictured above right). It formed as glaciers began to melt after the last ice age. You can see where a stream once plunged over the edge, wearing the rock smooth.

4. Lathkill Dale BeginsLathkill Dale is part of the Derbyshire Dales Na-tional Nature Reserve. Welcome to our internation-ally important wildlife and geological conservation area. Please respect this protected area and follow the Countryside Code and any instructions on signs.

Along the path on your right you see exposed areas of limestone. Some specialized plants here manage to grow in very thin, dry soils, with a high

Rejoin the main path through the dale.

12. Lathkill Head Cave

Around the next corner is Lathkill Head Cave, the source of the River Lathkill. It’s hidden by a wall until you look back at it. After heavy rains, water

stroyed in many places. It is an amazing thing to see this beautiful and rare natural phenomenon in its proper place.

One of a suite of downloadable trails available from www.peak-experience.org.uk

8. Medieval farm traces 8. Medieval farm traces 8. Medieval farm traces

Lathkill Dale Geology TrailTr

ail S

umm

ary

4 km

3 miles

Circular walk of roughly 4½ km along moderately easy tracks through streamside woodland and heather moorland, including some ascents. Option to add a 2½ km round trip through the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate via a tea room and shop in a former hunting lodge.

Transport

Diffi culty

Allow

2hr

Distance

fl ows out of the cave – a rare sight in Britain, and spectacular at times. After long dry spells the cave is dry, because the water table (the level of water in the ground) has dropped below the cave. Then the river emerges near Sheepwash Bridge from a series of springs.

This unusual cave has a rather square shape, because the ceiling is harder rock than the rest, so the sides eroded more quickly and fully than the top. A large underground cave system has devel-oped here. [Please note that caving is not permitted in nature reserves except by special permission.]

Continue along the path through the dale, eventu-ally crossing a stile in a wall across the valley.

13. Disused QuarriesThe piles of huge rocks that you see are spoil heaps from the quarries once worked here.

rounding fi elds.

Take a good look at the stone walls all around, and

14. Optional Detour to Ricklow Quarry Take the steep steps on the right just after the stile to the top of Ricklow Quarry. This is a diffi cult climb – please take care. At the top follow the path to the left into the quarry. Rock still falls off the steep quarry faces, so don’t get too close!

Please do not move any rocks as wildlife lives un-der them, or take fossils as they are an important part of the history of Lathkill Dale. Fossils are easy to see in the rocks here.

Return to the main path through the dale, crossing another huge spoil heap on your way.

The ‘Grey’ or ‘Figured Marble’ that was once quar-ried here is, in fact, a type of limestone. When cut and skilfully polished, the stone shows white fossils against a dark grey background. It was very popular in Victorian times. There’s a fabulous example in the doorstep of the Bull’s Head pub in Monyash.

15. Back in the DaleThe gorge is narrow here and the cliff on the right off ers rock detectives clear evidence about how the valley was made. Look at the large curve worn into the rock − like something you’d see in caves, beside rivers, or at the seaside. It shows how fast-fl owing water has worn away the lower layers of rock. Go through the kissing gate and you are almost at

the top of the valley.

The specialist plants growing here can all thrive in harsh conditions – shallow soils with a high cal-cium content and little moisture in summer, when water levels fall.

The End of the DaleSince your journey began in Over Haddon you have walked through many layers of geologi-cal history and seen and learned much of how this beautiful valley formed. Why not walk on to Monyash for a rest at the café or the pub, before catching a bus to Bakewell or retracing your steps to Over Haddon?

We hope you enjoyed your walk! Please tell your friends.

There are more Peak Experience self-guided trails for you to download at www.peak-experience.org.uk

Inspired by the landscape? Send us photos or stories from your walk to share with others on www.MyPeakExperience.org.ukAnd if you or your children were inspired to create poetry, songs, paintings or drawings we’d love to see them.

Trail: Based on a trail by English NaturePhotos: Debbie Worland (Natural England)Edited: Georgia LitherlandDesign: Bill Bevan (PDIP)

One of a suite of downloadable trails available from www.peak-experience.org.uk