The Peak District National Park - Fact Zone 5. Farming in the National Park

	The Park
	Tourism
	Land Use
	Conservation
	Design
	Farming
	Castleton
	Dovedale
	Upper Derwent
	Geology
	Minerals
	Nature
	Burbage Valley
	Erosion
	Bakewell
	Population
	Langsett
	The Rangers
	The Pennine Way
	The Goyt Valley
	Longdendale

HISTORY OF FARMING IN THE PEAK DISTRICT

The limestone uplands were first farmed by Neolithic people between 3500 and 4000 years BC because of their light, well-drained soils. These people reared sheep and cattle and grew crops like beans, pulses, wheat and barley. At Chee Tor and Roystone Grange it is possible to see fields and terraces that were cultivated during Roman times.

More woodland was cleared by the Saxons and this continued until after the Norman Conquest in 1066. This led to the familiar open landscape that we see today.

Haymaking near Rowsley @ 1900

From the 12th to 14th centuries, many abbeys and monasteries around the Peak District had extensive sheep farms (granges) within the Peak and exported wool to the Continent. In Medieval times, large open fields of ridge and furrow existed around all the Peak District settlements, with rough, open, common grazing land beyond. Enclosure of these open fields began around 1500 AD. The long narrow reversed S-shaped fields that can still be seen around many of the settlements are the result of this enclosure. Between 1760 and 1830, further enclosure produced the geometric-shaped fields beyond the settlements. The landscape was divided up by miles of stone walls. This landscape management, together with improved grass growth and quality, allowed more intensive sheep farming to take place.

Improved roads and the coming of the railways, allowed easier movement of goods and arable farming declined in favour of sheep farming. Now, almost all arable farming takes place within the Peak District. The area is principally given over to grazing for sheep, beef and dairy cattle. Some barley and root crops are grown and the grass crop is cut to provide hay and silage for the livestock.

EFFECT OF GEOLOGY ON TYPES OF FARMING ....

The landscape of most of the Peak District National Park has been influenced by farming activities. Although much of the Peak Park appears natural, it is the clearing of forests, grazing of animals, marking out of fields and building of farmsteads and barns that have formed this characteristic landscape.

There are three different rock types which help determine the type of soil and vegetation and therefore the type of agriculture that is possible.

A slightly porous sandstone, the Millstone Grit forms the highest land in the Peak Park. This area is covered with a peaty, acid soil with many areas of bog. Heather is often the dominant vegetation on dryer soils with cotton grass moorland on peat bogs. This land is used as grazing for sheep and a good deal is also managed for grouse. Below the gritstone edges lie valleys on the impermeable rock called shale.

These two land types form the Dark Peak (example left). The lower, more sheltered land of the shale valleys is more fertile and suitable for dairy cattle as well as sheep farming.

Limestone is the rock which forms the White Peak area of the Park. This forms a fairly high plateau where the green fields are criss-crossed by drystone walls and where there are sheep and dairy farms and some beef cattle. There are also steep, grassy dales or valleys which are often grazed. Some of these are protected as nature reserves or as SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest). Where the grassland has not been ‘improved’ (ploughed, re-seeded or fertilised) the meadows are rich in wild flowers such as ox-eye daisies, cowslips and early purple orchids. The farm buildings form clusters of grey stone buildings blending into the Limestone landscape.





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