GEOLOGY 



DERBYSHIRE may be divided into two main portions, each 

 of which is marked by its own peculiarities of geological 

 structure and external configuration. The uplands, which 

 consist of the hill country, forming the southern spur of the 

 Pennine Chain, occupy the greater portion of the county. The lowlands, 

 in the southern part of the county, which border on the hilly district 

 and extend to the valley of the Trent. The scenery of the uplands is 

 very varied. The Mountain Limestone, with its outlines generally smooth, 

 its well rounded grassy slopes, intersected by deep, narrow dales and 

 ravines, presents a marked contrast to the wild moorlands and escarpments 

 of the Millstone Grit series. 



The gorges of the Dove in Dovedale, of the Wye in Miller's Dale, 

 and of the Derwent at Matlock, are examples of the erosion of narrow 

 valleys in limestone. The dales or gorges, such as Great Rocks Dale, 

 Deep Dale near Buxton, Monk's Dale near Miller's Dale, and the Via 

 Gellia near Cromford, while in many respects similiar to those previously 

 mentioned have in some cases insignificant streams of water flowing 

 down them, whilst in others the valley is perfectly dry, the water having 

 found its way underground. The Derwent, the Wye and the Dove 

 illustrate the influence of different rocks in the erosion of river valleys. 

 The Derwent, after flowing in the broad valley of shale from Darley 

 Dale, suddenly enters the Mountain Limestone which rises across its 

 path, instead of continuing in the shales and skirting the limestone as far 

 as Cromford. The course of the river was determined before the 

 valley of Darley Dale was formed, and the cutting of the gorge in the 

 limestone and the broad valley in the shale proceeded together. 



The Wye from Buxton to Bakewell runs in a narrow gorge, but in 

 the shales near Haddon pursues a serpentine course in the broad valley 

 which it has excavated in the softer rocks. 



The Dove, after flowing in the shales near Hartington, enters the 

 limestone near Beresford Hall, pursues a course for several miles through 

 Dovedale, and enters the shales again near Thorpe, where the valley 

 becomes broader and less rugged. 



In the Gritstone country some valleys run parallel to the strike of 

 the rocks. They often lie between two escarpments of grit which are 

 separated by a bed of shale. The south side of the valley of Ashop 

 Clough is formed of an escarpment of grit resting on a thick bed of 



