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River Wye, Derbyshire

Derwent (Derbyshire) catchmentRivers and valleys of the Peak DistrictRivers of DerbyshireUse British English from September 2017
River Wye Through Buxton
River Wye Through Buxton

The River Wye is a limestone river in the Peak District of Derbyshire, England. It is 22 miles long (widely but incorrectly attributed as 15 miles/24 km, which refers to the section within the National Park), and is one of the major tributaries of the River Derwent, which flows into the River Trent, and ultimately into the Humber and the North Sea. The river rises just west of Buxton, on Axe Edge Moor. Part of the flow passes underground through Poole's Cavern before rising at Wye Head, and flowing through the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton. It then flows east through the dales of the Wye Valley, along a route roughly followed by the A6 road. It enters the Peak District, flows just south of Tideswell, then through Ashford in the Water and Bakewell, and south of Haddon Hall, before meeting the River Derwent at Rowsley. The main tributary of the river is the River Lathkill, which enters approximately one mile from its mouth. The River Wye is one of Derbyshire's best-known rivers and is popular with anglers because of the large numbers of wild brown, rainbow trout and grayling it contains. The alkalinity of the Wye provides a rich source of nutrients that leads to an abundance of insects, invertebrates and other wildlife. This ensures that the trout and grayling grow quickly on a diet of freshwater shrimp, caddisfly (also known as sedge-flies) and mayfly (to name but a few of the foods available). Some of the largest populations of water voles in Britain can also be found along the River Wye. It is possible to walk alongside much of the length of the river, mostly following a former railway line, part of which is now the Monsal Trail and provides views of the river. In Monsal Dale the former railway line emerges from a tunnel at Monsal Head, over a viaduct high above the river below. When this structure was built John Ruskin was enraged, and spoke of the Gods being banished by a scheme intended to convey "every Buxton fool to Bakewell in half an hour" and vice versa, "and you call this lucrative exchange—you fools everywhere". The railway is now closed, but the viaduct is itself a listed structure.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article River Wye, Derbyshire (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

River Wye, Derbyshire
Dale Road North, Derbyshire Dales

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Wikipedia: River Wye, DerbyshireContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 53.185555555556 ° E -1.6127777777778 °
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Address

Dale Road North

Dale Road North
DE4 2NH Derbyshire Dales
England, United Kingdom
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River Wye Through Buxton
River Wye Through Buxton
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Nine Ladies
Nine Ladies

The Nine Ladies is a stone circle located on Stanton Moor in Derbyshire in the English East Midlands. The Nine Ladies is part of a tradition of stone circle construction that spread throughout much of Britain, Ireland, and Brittany during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages, over a period between 3300 and 900 BCE. The purpose of such monuments is unknown, although archaeologists speculate that the stones represented supernatural entities for the circles' builders. Measuring 10.8 metres in diameter, the stone circle consists of ten millstone grit stones, although for several centuries one of these was buried, providing the impression that there had been nine stones. Whether the tenth was part of the original prehistoric design or a later addition is unknown. The earth rises up around the circle, although it is unclear if this was part of a deliberate earthen bank or the unintended result of other activities. It is possible that either a hollow, a standing stone, or an earthen mound was once located inside the ring. A single monolith, the King Stone, stands to the southwest of the circle; it is unknown if this was placed there in deliberate reference to the Nine Ladies circle or whether their proximity is incidental. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Nine Ladies attracted the attention of antiquarians like Hayman Rooke and Thomas Bateman. Archaeological excavation took place in 2000. A wall was built around the circle in the 19th century but removed in 1985. Since the late 20th century, the Nine Ladies has been regarded as a sacred site by modern Pagan groups who conduct rituals there. From 1999 to 2010 the area around the site was home to the Nine Ladies Anti-Quarry Campaign, which sought to prevent a nearby quarrying operation.