Peak District
upland area in central and northern England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. It is mostly in northern Derbyshire but also includes parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and Yorkshire.
Peak District National Park | |
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"The Peak" | |
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
Location | Derbyshire Cheshire Greater Manchester Staffordshire South Yorkshire West Yorkshire |
Coordinates | 53°21′N 1°50′W |
Area | 555 sq mi (1,440 km2) |
Designated | 17 April 1951 (1951-04-17) |
Visitors | Over 10 million[1] |
Administrator | National park authority |
Website | www |
The area has two main parts. The northern 'Dark Peak' is where most of the moorland is found. Its geology is gritstone. The southern 'White Peak' is where most of the population lives: its geology is mainly limestone.
Much of the area is uplands above 1,000 feet (300 m), with a high point on Kinder Scout of 2,087 feet (636 m).[2] Despite its name, the landscape generally lacks sharp peaks, but has rounded hills and gritstone escarpments (the "edges"). The area is surrounded by major conurbations, including Huddersfield, Manchester, Sheffield, Derby and Stoke-on-Trent.
The area is very difficult to travel across. The roads are few and narrow. This is due to the terrain, which is hilly, rough and uneven. Major motorways run east and west of the area.
The Peak District National Park became the first national park in the United Kingdom in 1951.[3] It attracts many visitors every year.[4][5]