2 VEGETATION OF THE PEAK DISTRICT [CH. 
(9°7 km.) to the north of the Peak, and is 2039 feet (621 m.) in 
height; and the second, one mile south of Bleaklow Hill, and 
apparently without any special name, is 2068 feet (630 m.) high. 
These three are the only Pennine summits, south of the “ York- 
shire giants” of Whernside (736 m.), Ingleborough (723 m.), and 
Pen-y-ghent (686 m.), which reach a height of 2000 feet. 
The westerly slopes of the Pennines descend rather abruptly 
into the lowland plain of Lancashire and Cheshire; and this 
physiographical feature is reflected on the accompanying vegeta- 
tion maps by a comparatively narrow western zone of heather 
moorland. On the east, the slope is more gradual; and the zone 
of heather moor is correspondingly wider. The higher plateaux 
are covered by cotton-grass moors and bilberry moors, and the 
steeper hill slopes by uncultivated grassland. The foot of the 
western slopes of the Peak District is characterized by a densely 
populated manufacturing district, of which Manchester is the 
centre; and Sheffield is the centre of another manufacturing 
district which lies at the foot of the eastern slopes. The 
Pennine moors stretch away from the Peak in a northerly 
direction; and it is almost but not quite possible to walk 
along the Pennine watershed from the Peak to the Border with- 
out leaving the uncultivated land. South of the Peak lies the 
sequestered valley of Edale; and to the south of this the 
limestone hills and dales are situated. The limestone area is 
flanked, both on the east and on the west, by a southern exten- 
sion of characteristic Pennine moorland and grassland. The 
lowest altitudes occur where the streams leave the district, 
usually at an altitude of about 100 metres. The streams harbour 
a few aquatic plants; but the latter are, on the whole, poorly 
represented on the Pennines generally. 
In pre-railway days, the Pennine hills, with their peat-clad, 
unfenced, and undrained summits formed an effectual barrier 
between the Lancashire and Yorkshire peoples. Before the 
construction of the turnpike roads, about a century ago, the 
Pennines could scarcely be crossed except by the primitive 
pack-horse roads. Some of these still exist as public footpaths; 
but others, it would appear, have been closed, and are now 
largely overgrown with rough grasses. At the present time, the 
southern Pennines may be crossed by half a dozen good roads, 
two canals, and four or five railways. An interesting account 
