| Derwent Edge | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Salt Cellar with Ladybower Reservoir in the Background | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 538 m (1,765 ft)(Back Tor)[1] |
| Prominence | 67 m (220 ft)[1] |
| Parent peak | Kinder Scout[1] |
| Listing | TuMP |
| Coordinates | 53°24′55″N1°42′15″W / 53.4152°N 1.7041°W /53.4152; -1.7041(Back Tor) |
| Geography | |
  Black Tor Location in the Peak District Show map of the Peak District Black Tor Location in Derbyshire Show map of Derbyshire Black Tor Location in South Yorkshire Show map of South Yorkshire | |
| Location | Derbyshire,England |
| Parent range | Peak District |
| OS grid | SK197909 |
| Topo map | OSLandranger 110 |
Derwent Edge is aMillstone Gritescarpment that lies above theUpper Derwent Valley in thePeak DistrictNational Park in the English county ofDerbyshire. AnOrdnance Surveycolumn marks the highest point of the Edge atBack Tor (538 metres, 1765 feet).[1] North of Back Tor the edge extends intoHowden Edge and enters the county ofSouth Yorkshire.
TheMillstone Grit forms the edge of the high peatmoorland plateau on the eastern side of the valley aboveLadybower Reservoir, the edges being the last remains of the gritstone which originally covered all of the Peak District, most of which was scraped off by glaciers in the lastice age.
The Edge itself is notable for its unusual gritstonetors and its views of the Derwent Valley and theDark Peak landscape; these features along with its proximity toSheffield have made it a popular venue for walkers. Its popularity has led to substantial path erosion and the most affected parts of the edge between The Salt Cellar and Lost Lad Hillend have been paved with natural stone slabs to reduce further damage as part of the Lottery Paths Project.
Derwent Edge has several examples of unusually shapedgritstonetors that have been formed by erosion from wind, rain, and frost over many centuries.[2] These tors have been named over the years by local residents and have now been officially titled onOrdnance Survey maps. These include the Cakes of Bread, the Coach and Horses, and the Salt Cellar. The Coach and Horses (also known as the Wheel Stones on Ordnance Survey maps) resemble a person on a carriage with horses when viewed from theA57 road to the south.Lost Lad Hillend has a stone-built topographic indicator to aid in identifying land marks in the extensive view.
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Derwent Edge is popular with walkers and is described in many walking guides. Mark Richards describes a 10.5-mile walk in his book “High Peak Walks” (ISBN 0-902363-43-3), starting at the Fairholmes car park in the Upper Derwent Valley (Grid ReferenceSK172893) at the northern end of Ladybower Reservoir; it is also possible to access the edge from Cutthroat Bridge (lay by parking) on the A57 (SK216873) or fromStrines Reservoir car park (SK220909) near the Strines public house. The outcrops along Derwent Edge are popular withrock climbers, particularly the largest, Dovestone Tor, which has about 50 different routes ranging from difficult to Extremely Severe; however, it is not as well used as the nearbyStanage Edge.
Much of the moorland around Derwent Edge has been declared aSite of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its special vegetation and rare birds and animals, such as theEurasian golden plover,red grouse,ring ouzel andmountain hare.[3] Species of plants such ascommon cottongrass,bilberry,[4] mountain strawberry, andcrowberry grow in the area.
It has been proposed as aSpecial Protection Area for birds under theEuropean Directive on the conservation of wild birds. The edge is part of theNational Trust'sHigh Peak Estate and visitors are free to roam at will but are urged to keep to established routes to avoid disturbing breeding birds. There are occasional times when the moors are closed for management purposes and grouse shooting – signs are posted at these times.
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53°24′00″N1°42′25″W / 53.400°N 1.707°W /53.400; -1.707
