Parkhouse Hill
Encyclopedia
Parkhouse Hill is a small but distinctive hill in the Peak District National Park in the English
county of Derbyshire
. It lies on the north side of the River Dove, close to the border with Staffordshire
.
Geologically, the hill is the remains of an atoll
(a 'reef knoll
') which is believed to have existed during the Carboniferous
period when what is now the Peak District was covered by a tropical
sea. Together with its higher but less distinctive neighbour, Chrome Hill
, it forms the Chrome and Parkhouse Hills SSSI, cited for their geology and limestone flora.
For many years access to Parkhouse Hill was difficult, as there was no right of way to the summit. Access is now possible under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
, as the hill is a designated access area.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. It lies on the north side of the River Dove, close to the border with Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.
Geologically, the hill is the remains of an atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
(a 'reef knoll
Reef knoll
A reef knoll is an immense pile of calcareous material on land that accumulated on the ancient sea floor. At the time of its accumulation it must have had enough structure from organisms such as sponges to have been free-standing and to withstand the sea currents as material accumulated, and was...
') which is believed to have existed during the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
period when what is now the Peak District was covered by a tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
sea. Together with its higher but less distinctive neighbour, Chrome Hill
Chrome Hill
Chrome Hill is a limestone reef knollon the Derbyshire side of the upper Dove valley. It is adjacent to the more distinctive but lower Parkhouse Hill.Chrome Hill was declared open access land...
, it forms the Chrome and Parkhouse Hills SSSI, cited for their geology and limestone flora.
For many years access to Parkhouse Hill was difficult, as there was no right of way to the summit. Access is now possible under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 is a UK Act of Parliament which came into force on 30 November 2000.As of September 2007, not all sections of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act have yet come into force...
, as the hill is a designated access area.
External links
- Geology of Parkhouse Hill - From the British Geological SurveyBritish Geological SurveyThe British Geological Survey is a partly publicly funded body which aims to advance geoscientific knowledge of the United Kingdom landmass and its continental shelf by means of systematic surveying, monitoring and research. The BGS headquarters are in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, but other centres...