54 THE DALES OF DERBYSHIRE. 
up, and the gradual narrowing of the passage up to the 
point where the water enters it. 
Ricklow Dale is not especially remarkable, except for the 
fact that it is an old dale, in which the active agent of 
dale formation—water—has practically disappeared. As 
usual, the entrance is through a cutting flanked by steep 
barriers on either side, fragments of the ever present grey 
rock lie scattered on every hand, and here and there are 
to be observed large uncovered patches of the same material 
on its walls. Proceeding onwards, the rock walls are 
arranged in layers of greater or less thickness, and this 
examination is rendered easy by the fact that in the ravine 
the walls are close together, and each layer has its exact 
counterpart on the other side, and is of the same composition 
and lithological character. It often happens that similar 
strata are not situated at the same height, but in spite of 
this we are compelled to believe that they were once 
continuous. Further on is reached the point where the 
dale breaks out into the open again. The same conditions 
are noticeable with regard to the grey rock, only the space 
between the walls is wider, and the walls so to say round 
off into an open space lying to the right and left, with hills 
in the background. Ricklow Dale is of ancient origin, and 
that it was excavated by water the similarity of the lower, 
middle and top strata on either side, bears conclusive 
testimony; but in the absence of the excavator, the sides 
appear to be breaking down by gradually disintergrating 
subaerial influences, and the whole dale to be slowly filling 
up or rather rounding off. There is no part of Derbyshire 
in which dale formation can be completely studied in a 
smaller area, than in this neighbourhood. Around Allport, 
close by Monyash, where the grey rock dips under the 
Limestone Shales, we have dale formation in every stage, 
and here I may say that this is due to the proximity and 
position of these strata. Here also, a few years ago, the 
