The Peak District

Dominating north-west Derbyshire and in the centre of England, there can be few areas of wild Britain so easily accessible to so many people as The Peak District National Park. Large conurbations surround the Park, making day visits an easy option for thousands of potential visitors every year.

Because of this long standing attraction of the park to its surrounding population, the Peak District can no longer be described as 'a wilderness area'. Nevertheless, there is still plenty of opportunity for the visitor, and those seeking peace and quiet, to enjoy a variety of terrain and wildlife that is quite remarkable, bearing in mind the comparatively small area of the Park.

As a result of the 1949 National Parks Act, the Peak District became the first region in England and Wales to be designated a National Park - a designation that took effect in 1950. This enshrinement in law gives some indication of the area's importance to the nation's heritage.

One reason for conferring National Park status was to conserve the beauty of the area for future generations, but not to the exclusion of a variety of economic activities, as there remained a need for the local inhabitants to continue with their everyday lives. Wildlife conservation was not the only reason for establishing National Parks as the public also felt that access to the countryside for recreation and enjoyment was a fundamental right

Nevertheless, the protection of the landscape has clearly benefitted the plants and animal life in the Park. The richness of the Peak District's wildlife owes much to the variety of rock types and geographic environments that make up the region.

It is this balance of variety and abundance that is explored in this site.