nEEPDALE CAVE. 6 1 



the Wye valley. This high land commences about two miles 

 south of the town, and curving, eastwards, ends in the vicinity of 

 Taddington, Hindlow and Brierlow being amongst its most 

 elevated points. Two of these valleys bear the name of Deep- 

 dale; but the one that we are about to consider is as nearly as 

 possible midway between Buxton and Miller's Dale station, while 

 the other is between Taddington and Ashford. The entrance 

 to our Deepdale is about half-a-mile west of the junction of the 

 Buxton branch of the Midland Railway with the main line to 

 Manchester, and at a point immediately before the first railway 

 bridge is reached on the highway from Bakewell to Buxton. The 

 visitor cannot mistake the valley. The road crosses over the 

 small stream which flows down it, by a bridge; its sides are 

 gaunt and steep, something more than two hundred feet in 

 height ; and he can look up it, but only for about a third of a 

 mile, as at that distance it suddenly veers to the right, that is, 

 to the west. Up to this bend there is a small footplth ; but 

 beyond, the visitor must thread his way as best he can' amongst 

 the tall grass and the loose shingle it hides from view. The 

 little stream soon disappears from sight, except in wet weather, 

 but its underground cour.se is indicated here and there by damp 

 hollows with greener and ranker herbage. After a half-mile of 

 this westerly direction, the valley pursues a general S.S.W. course 

 for about a mile. The sides still retain their first character- 

 steep, but nowhere too steep to be scaled, except where long lines 

 of perpendicular rock break through the greensward. The trees 

 are few and dwarfed, and the bleak and deserted appearance is 

 mcreased by the absence of human habitations, although the 

 little old-fashioned village of King's Sterndale is only a few 

 hundred feet behind the right brink. After the first quarter 

 of a mile of this general S.S.W. trend, the valley makes a 

 gentle swerve to the west, and then a sharp bend of about four 

 hundred feet to the S.S.E. The left side, that is, the side facing 

 the E.S.E,, is precipitous, consisting of two escarpments, the 

 one above the other. The lower one, however, is the larger^ and 

 more clearly defined and perpendicular; and near its centre is the 



