Great Rocks Dale
Great Rocks Dale is a dry valley in the Derbyshire Peak District, known for its extensive quarrying.
Geography and geology
The valley runs from Peak Dale down to Blackwell Mill on the River Wye.
The scenery is of limestone, which extends to a depth of around 380 metres. It contains the only dikes in the White Peak.Boreholes have enabled the extraction of significant amounts of water, used by local industry.
Prior to the local quarrying, the southern part of the valley was described as "narrow, flat-bottomed, rocky... [with] almost perpendicular cliffs of limestone on either side...", whereas the northern part was broader and grassy.
History
The dale fell within the bounds of the mediaeval Forest of High Peak. The surrounding land was first farmed in about 1250, by people connected with the nearby hamlet of Tunstead.
In 1867, an extension of the Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midlands Junction Railway was opened, running through the valley between Peak Forest and Millers Dale. This section of line remains open, for freight traffic.
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