Tideswell Dale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tideswell Dale |
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View across Tideswell Dale
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| Length | 1.1 miles (1.8 km) North-South |
| Width | 250 metres (820 ft) |
| Depth | 50 metres (164 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Derbyshire, England |
| Rivers | Brook Head |
Tideswell Dale is a beautiful, dry valley made of limestone. You can find it near the village of Tideswell in Derbyshire, England. It's part of the stunning Peak District National Park. On both sides of the valley, there are flat areas of farmland. The lower part of Tideswell Dale connects to Miller's Dale. This area is near the River Wye, where the valley's small stream, Brook Head, flows into.
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Tideswell Dale: A Natural Wonder
Tideswell Dale is a special place. It's known for its unique geology and amazing wildlife. The valley is a great spot for exploring nature. It also offers exciting challenges for rock climbers.
How Tideswell Dale Was Formed
The rocks you see in Tideswell Dale are called Carboniferous limestone. These rocks were created about 350 million years ago. They formed from the shells and mud at the bottom of a warm, tropical sea.
Later, about 20,000 years ago, huge sheets of ice shaped the land. This happened during the last Ice Age. The ice carved out the valleys and hills we see today.
On the east side of Tideswell Dale, there's an old quarry. It used to dig out a type of rock called basalt. This rock came from hot lava that pushed up through the limestone. Now, this old quarry is a nature reserve.
Tideswell Dale is part of a very important area. It's called the Wye Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This special area stretches between Buxton and Bakewell. It includes other beautiful dales like Cunning Dale and Chee Dale.
Amazing Plants and Animals
The dales in this area are home to ancient woodlands. You can find tall ash trees and wych elm trees here.
The valley floor is full of colorful plants. Many different herbs and wild flowers grow here. Some of these include lady's bedstraw and bird's-foot trefoil. You might also spot bloody cranesbill and devil's-bit scabious. Other pretty flowers are ox-eye daisy, cowslip, and common spotted-orchid.
Higher up the valley sides, the land is covered in heathland. This is a great place for plants like bilberry and heather. These plants create a beautiful purple and green landscape.
Tideswell Dale is also a home for butterflies. Keep an eye out for the small heath butterfly. You might also see the bright blue common blue butterfly fluttering around.
Rock Climbing Adventures
At the very bottom of Tideswell Dale is a huge rock called Ravenstor. It's a massive, overhanging rock face. This spot is famous for rock climbing.
Ravenstor has over 200 climbing routes. Some of these routes are up to 50 meters long! One route, called Mutation, is graded 9a. This makes it the hardest climbing route in the whole Peak District.
There are also other limestone rock faces within Tideswell Dale itself. These smaller cliffs also have established climbing routes. They offer more opportunities for climbers to test their skills.
Visiting Tideswell Dale
It's easy to get to Tideswell Dale. The B6049 road runs right through the valley. This road goes from Tideswell in the north down to Miller's Dale. Miller's Dale is about 1 kilometer west of the south end of Tideswell Dale.
There's a car park for Tideswell Dale right on the B6049 road. From the car park, a footpath leads you into the valley. This path is lined with tall, old beech trees.
You can also reach the dale from the Monsal Trail. There's a footbridge at Litton Mill. From there, a path goes up through the dale all the way to Tideswell. There's another parking area close to Litton Mill too.
