2 VEGETATION OF THE PEAK DISTRICT 



(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 



