Alport Castles is one of the most spectacular sights in the Peak
District, but it is often overlooked in favour of the more easily
accessible Mam Tor, which formed in the same way.
About 300 million years ago, when the British Isles were just a
few degrees south of the Equator, this area was in the middle of a
shallow tropical sea. To the north, the continent was being folded
and lifted – this area eventually becoming the Scottish
Highlands. The uplifting of these mountains gave rise to large
rivers, which flowed south into the shallow sea, bringing with them
sediments of fine sand, silty mud and grit - these sediments formed
a vast river delta in the area. As the land shifted, the
distribution pattern of these sediments varied - the river waters
sometimes ran clear and at other times more turbid (muddy).
Over millions of years the different layers of sand, mud and
grit were slowly compressed forming. The resulting alternative
layers of soft shale and hard gritstone are inherently unstable.
Water seeps in between the layers and the softer shale is eroded
away, causing the layers above to collapse and slide over one
another under the force of gravity.
There are several routes to Alport Castles, but the shortest
route is from the North. There is parking for several cars at N53
25.885 W1 46.090 but please note, this can only be accessed during
the week, as the road past Derwent Dam is closed at weekends (and
Bank Holidays).
From this parking area, take the track to the left of the
bridge. After about 200 metres turn left onto the signed footpath
which leads out of the plantation and up onto the moors –
continue on this path to Alport Castles; it takes about 30 minutes
by this route. If the road is closed, or you fancy a longer walk,
you can park at Fairholme car park N53 24.040 W1 44.469 and walk up
to the above starting location, a walk of about 3.5 miles. During
the summer a bus service usually operates from Fairholmes, if you
don’t fancy the walk. Alternatively, there is a footpath from
the A57, near Hayridge Farm, which leads North to Alport Castles
Farm, and then onto Alport Castles itself. Take a look at the
1:25,000 scale Ordnance Survey Explorer OL1 map for details of the
different footpaths
.
To claim the cache E-Mail me the following information:
1) When were the castles formed
2) How many years ago were the castles formed
3) What type's of stone's were formed by the compressed sand and
mud.
Also uload a photograph of yourself or your group, including
your GPSr, at the site and post it on here with your log.
Any logs with no photograph will be deleted.
WARNING: Please note, there are big drops at this location. The
rock faces are unstable and NOT suitable for scrambling or climbing
- boulders frequently fall from the crags. Children should be
closely supervised at all times. The dramatic geological feature of
Alport Castles is reputedly the largest natural landslip in the UK
and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
If you are lucky you may see Peregrine Falcons and Ravens here,
which occasionally nest on the crags.