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Derbyshire Dales

Derbyshire Dales is a picturesque district located in the heart of England, known for its stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. The area is home to a diverse range of landscapes, from rolling hills and lush valleys to rugged moorlands and dramatic limestone cliffs. For photography enthusiasts, the Derbyshire Dales offers a wealth of opportunities to capture breathtaking images of the countryside, including historic villages, ancient ruins, and stunning vistas. Some of the most popular photography locations in the area include the Peak District National Park, Chatsworth House, and the picturesque towns of Bakewell and Matlock.

Monsal Weir 05
Monsal Dale Weir, River Wye, Derbyshire mkii
by Alan Taylor

My website: Deep Mono Photography

Downriver from the Headstone Viaduct is the picturesque four-step weir that is a favourite picnic spot on the River Wye.

Monsal Dale Weir, River Wye, Derbyshire
Monsal Dale Weir, River Wye, Derbyshire mkii
by Graham Morris

Weir side story........it's not very often I can be bothered with a write up so bare with me it might get a touch dull....... Another shot from Mondays trek to the Peak District with the Welsh one, just off the Monsal Trail. When we arrived at the top of the weir we were greeted by half a tree, ok might have been a large branch, sat nicely on the first shelf and spoiling the view somewhat......after a half hearted attempt to move it by chucking a few small rocks at it and trying to reach it with a tripod it was obvious said tree/branch wasn't going to budge. At some point I decided to go in for a paddle, I mean seriously where is Paul when you need him? Tree/branch eventually moved with the help of the tripod and the forces of nature.................. At which point 3 toggers on the other side of the river decide that the view is quite nice now and they'll stay after all and proceeded to stand in the same spot for an hour blocking our shots.......... Is it just me or do toggers fit nicely into two categories, nice friendly ones that don't mind sharing a few helpful hints or tips and coconut ring or two, or ones that are so far up their own backside?.....best stop there it's a family show!

Litton Tunnel
Headstone tunnel
by Graham Morris

Monsal Trail, Peak District

Underground
Headstone tunnel
by Graham Morris

Headstone tunnel, Peak District.

No tune for a while so how about.....

youtu.be/l7Fy5uGNMUM

Dove Bridge
Dove Bridge
by Alan Taylor

The parapet stone is dated 1691, but this is assumed to be the date of rebuilding. The bridge is a Grade II Listed Building. Just out of shot to the left, the traffic on the A50 thunders past on the modern replacement bridge. www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk

Lumsdale Millpond
Lumsdale Millpond
by Alan Taylor

"Past the Pond Cottages (originally for lead smelting) and a footbridge is a picturesque pond, held by the Lower Dam, which was built in 1830 to harness the Brook. This stone-lined reservoir features a central drain plug. From high on its dam wall, a still-visible metal pipe conducted water to the wheel of the adjacent, second mill, dating from 1850, and still functioning as a sawmill at the turn of the 20th century." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bentley_Brook

Big Bend, Dovedale
Big Bend, Dovedale
by Richard Down

3 shot panorama from the edge of Thorpe Cloud, looking down onto the stepping stones. It's a shame about the ash trees, which have mostly died now.

Waterfall amongst the ruins
Arkwright's Lumsdale Project
by Alan Taylor

One of the more spectacular waterfalls at Arkwright's Lumsdale Project, at the side of one of the ruined mill buildings.

Gimme Shelter
Higger Tor

The last shot of the day before I hurriedly headed back down to the car. With the rain was fast approaching, I decided to call it a day. The view...

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Higger Tor at Dawn
Higger Tor

Another shot of some sunlit rock formations on Higger Tor.

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Higger Tor Highlights
Higger Tor

Higger Tor just after sunrise provides beautifully lit rock formations. This is looking south-west towards Eyam Moor.

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Over Owler Tor I
Over Owler Tor

Headed up for my 2nd trip to the Peak District in a week yesterday, there was a lovely cloud inversion in the valley & eventually some side light...

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Millstones
Millstones

Abandoned Millstones on Stanage Edge in the Peak District, UK

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Padley Gorge
Padley Gorge

A long exposure of Burbage Brook at Padley Gorge using an ND16 neutral density filter.

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Monsal Head, Derbyshire, England
Monsal Head, Derbyshire, England

The beautiful vista from Monsal Head gives a beautiful panorama of the Monsal Dale and Wye valley. The majestic former Midland Railway viaduct over...

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'Breakthrough!' Peak District, England
'Breakthrough!' Peak District, England

A frustrating couple of days in the Peak District driving around waiting for the rain to abate admittedly led to a couple of good shots. Here the sun...

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Monsal Weir 03
Monsal Dale Weir, River Wye, Derbyshire mkii
by Alan Taylor

My website: Deep Mono Photography

Downriver from the Headstone Viaduct is the picturesque four-step weir that is a favourite picnic spot on the River Wye.

Cascade in the shadows
Lumsdale Cascade
by Alan Taylor

My website: Deep Mono Photography

The upper cascade at Lumsdale, catching a ray of sunlight in the shadows, taken on a trip with my good friend Julian Weitzenfeld and his wife Ruth when they recently paid a visit to the Peak District.

Lumsdale Cascade
Lumsdale Cascade
by Alan Taylor

A long exposure of one of the top falls at Arkwight's Lumsdale Project. One of my favourite locations in the Peak District, I have to keep returning again and again. www.cromfordmills.org.uk/lumsdale

Lumsdale Paint Mill
Lumsdale Paint Mill
by Alan Taylor

This is one of the oldest mills in the valley, known as Paint Mill because of its use in grinding barytes (Barium Sulphate) for the paint industry. The material was heated (calcined) on metal floors supported on bricks in a kiln-like structure and was used as a white pigment for paint manufacture. This mill has also been used as a lead smelting mill, to grind corn and as a bleaching mill and the wheel pit, old bleaching vats, traces of white barytes and the underground heating system with the associated chimneys to dry out the mineral are still visible.

Bole Hill Quarry 43
Bole Hill Quarry
by Alan Taylor

My website: Deep Mono Photography

Bole Hill Quarry is an "Elephant's Graveyard" of abandoned Millstones. It was first worked for grindstones in the late 19th century, but the majority of the stone was quarried from here between 1902 and 1910, for the 1.25 million tons of stone used in the Derwent and Howden dams. Gritstone millstones were known by millers as “peaks”, and came in pairs. Grain was ground between the close fitting pair of stones to produce rough flour. Gritstone millstones fell out of fashion because they had a tendency to turn flour a grey colour. The were replaced with churt composite millstones, or “French” stones, which although more expensive to manufacture produced a white flour, and needed re-facing less often. Millstones from this quarry are reported to have been transported to the river Trent by placing an axle through 2 millstones and driving them over the moors. From the Trent they were transported by river to Hull and then distributed around the country from that port.

Mother Cap
Mother Cap
by Alan Taylor

The curiously shaped Mother Cap stone at Surprise View near Hathersage in the Peak District.

Headstone Viaduct
Headstone Viaduct
by Alan Taylor

My website: Deep Mono Photography

The Headstone Viaduct across Monsal Dale in the Peak District.

Binocular Bridge
Binocular Bridge
by Richard Down

Chatsworth House

Old Railway Hut on the Tissington Trail
Old Railway Hut on the Tissington Trail
by Alan Taylor

Hartington railway station opened in 1899 about two miles away from the village it served. Originally the line was the trackbed of the Buxton to Ashbourne railway line, built by the LNWR. The trail, known as the Tissington Trail was created after the railway closed in 1967. It runs along a 13 mile route from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay.

Higger Heather
Higger Tor

A combination of strong wind and very poor light made last nights photography challenging, but the walk was bracing and enjoyable as ever. I decided...

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Padley Trees 2
Padley Trees

Heading deeper into the trees this composition of moss covered boulders appealed.

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Padley Trees
Padley Trees

Couldn't resist a wander in the woods at Padley Gorge (along with a million other photographers). Great Colours and conditions, easy to see why its...

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Burbage Brook
Padley Gorge

Burbage Brook as it rushes through Padley Gorge near Grindleford in the Peak District.

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Over Owler Tor II
Over Owler Tor

Wednesday's sunrise over Over Owler Tor, there was some beautiful colours to complement the beds of heather.

Over Owler Tor, Peak District...

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Point to the Sky
Light on Rocks

Hardly an original composition (I have taken this shot myself before on more than one occasion), but when the light and sky are this good, its hard...

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The Peak District National Park, England
The Peak District National Park, England

A spectacular view over the beautiful Peak District National Park from the wonderful vantage point of Curbar Edge.

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300 million year old Coral Reef
Peak District Sunrise
by Richard Down

View from Chrome Hill to Parkhouse Hill, with the steep side in shade formed by an old fault line.

Monsal Dale Weir, River Wye, Derbyshire mkii
Monsal Dale Weir, River Wye, Derbyshire mkii
by Graham Morris

It's not often I come away from a day out with more than 5 half decent shots so i'll have to bore you with another of this lovely location!

Bole Hill Quarry 01
Bole Hill Quarry
by Alan Taylor

My website: Deep Mono Photography

Bole Hill Quarry is an "Elephant's Graveyard" of abandoned Millstones. It was first worked for grindstones in the late 19th century, but the majority of the stone was quarried from here between 1902 and 1910, for the 1.25 million tons of stone used in the Derwent and Howden dams. Gritstone millstones were known by millers as “peaks”, and came in pairs. Grain was ground between the close fitting pair of stones to produce rough flour. Gritstone millstones fell out of fashion because they had a tendency to turn flour a grey colour. The were replaced with churt composite millstones, or “French” stones, which although more expensive to manufacture produced a white flour, and needed re-facing less often. Millstones from this quarry are reported to have been transported to the river Trent by placing an axle through 2 millstones and driving them over the moors. From the Trent they were transported by river to Hull and then distributed around the country from that port.

Lumsdale Ruins
Lumsdale Paint Mill
by Alan Taylor

My website: Deep Mono Photography

This part of Lumsdale always makes me imagine discovering an ancient, ruined temple in a jungle clearing.

Taken on the Flickr Lumsdale Group meet on February 15th 2014 with Graham Fox, Kev Palmer, Steve Woodhead, Sean Chapman, Dave Oxtaby and last, but certainly not least Liz. (Oh, and a flying visit by Iain)

More information about Lumsdale can be found here.

Weir in full flow
Lathkill Dale
by Richard Down

Lathkill Dale, Derbyshire Peak District

Emerging
Hitter Hill
by Pete Rowbottom

So this is a NEW picture, it's fair to say I've almost forgotten what one of those is, Lockdown hasn't treated me well, I've felt very trapped and very fed up about the whole not being able to go anywhere, I''ve not been on here as much as well as I really didn't want to see all the places I was being stopped from visiting. I know everybody is in the same boat but it has affected me adversely to the point where yesterday I just had to get out.

We decided to go for our allowed exercise (walk) in the Peak District where there had just been a recent dusting of snow, the drive over was interesting with nil visibilty in parts and thick snow, I envisaged the scene I wanted to photograph, and indeed 1 mile away everything was covered in snow but the mist was very dense so it would be a challenge, in this image there a little bit of mist at the the very summit, minutes before you couldn't see any of it!

Arriving at this spot I was quite amazed to find that this was the only hill in the area not to be completely covered in snow, not even a flake! also the mist was that bad you could hardly make the hill out, just so glad to be out again with the camera I decided to just stand there and wait to see if I got a break in the weather, as you can see, amazingly it happened, looking at the scene it didn't seem that it ever would but amazingly it did! so pleased, a worthwhile journey and the best image I've got from this location to date, it really didn't last long either with the clag coming back in shortly afterwards and hardly lifting again all day, enjoyed the walk, and came back with an image, happy camper, so good for the soul. Hardly saw anyone else all day, I'm gonna continue to pick quiet locations to travel to for a walk and hopefully some photography, all it needs is common sense.


Portfolio of images on my own website here


Lumsdale Overflow
Lumsdale Overflow
by Alan Taylor

Located immediately north of Pond Cottages the southern tip of the Pond 2 retains a sluice gate but the head of water was not used to provide power; the pond acted merely as a reservoir. This pond remains water-filled but is heavily silted, and is the subject of a current (2014) Heritage Lottery Grant bid to reinstate it.

historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1417570

kit-kat Sunrise (Higger Tor)
Higger Tor

The well known rock formation of the Kit-Kat stones that sit under the plateau of Higger Tor. In the distance the Iron Age Hill Fort of Carl Wark and...

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Blustery Higger Tor
Higger Tor

It was so very windy up on Higger Tor when my brother and I ventured up for sunrise that using a tripod was futile. It was well worth the effort...

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Padley Gorge
Padley Gorge

Padley Gorge always seems to look nice at this time of year with its many cascades and fallen leaves adding a dash of colour here and there.

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Peak District Sunrise
Peak District Sunrise

I am repeatedly drawn to Parkhouse and Chrome Hills because I find their shape so fascinating. I decided to compose this image to include the tree...

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Light on Rocks
Light on Rocks

Strong morning light hits a selection on rocks on Curbar edge. The ridge line of Baslow Edge stands proud against the backlit Derwent Valley. Another...

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Padley
Padley Trees

Padley Gorge in Derbyshire

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The Round Table
Millstones

A Millstone lies abandoned along Stanage Edge in the Peak District

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Sunrise View from Gratton Grange Farm, Derbyshire
Sunrise View from Gratton Grange Farm, Derbyshire

The beautiful morning sunrise over the Derbyshire Dales as viewed from the 14th century Gratton Grange Farm located on the outskirts of the tiny mote...

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Thanks to all Phoide contributors to Derbyshire Dales!
Most notably Alan Taylor, Richard Down and Graham Morris.