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| A view along South Parade at Matlock Bath |
After a busy year spent exploring the mediaeval churches in and around South Yorkshire, which ended with a brief study of Kentish ragstone, Reigate stone and Caen stone – in the Tower of London, Rochester's castle and cathedral and various churches during two visits to London – my last outing was with the Sheffield U3A Geology Group to Matlock Bath, in November.
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| A view of the Peak District Lead Mining Museum from Temple Mine |
Having last visited Matlock Bath more than 20 years ago, when living in Bakewell and undertaking a survey of the Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS) of the Peak District National Park, I was particularly keen to visit two places that I had never visited before – the Peak District Lead Mining Museum and its associated Temple Mine.
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| A view from Temple Mine to the Heights of Abraham |
For most of 2016, my investigation of mediaeval churches had been largely undertaken in an attempt to reconnect with architects, surveyors and archaeologists – who are involved with their restoration and conservation - and I neglected my interests in Geoheritage; however, I had still maintained links with geologists in Spain and Italy, through my interests in learning these languages and teaching English, and I wanted to assess the potential of these popular tourist attractions for visitors from abroad.
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| A view south along the River Derwent |
Set in a steep sided Carboniferous Limestone gorge, formed along a course of the River Derwent that existed before the area was glaciated, the development of Matlock Bath as a tourist destination stems from the discovery of warm springs in 1698 and the subsequent construction of a major road through the gorge and the opening of the North Midland Railway.
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| A relocated fountain that was fed by spring water |
Although never as grand as Buxton, the warm springs greatly contributed to its economy, with its hotels, spas and petrifying wells being very popular and attracting countless day trippers who would arrive on the many trains that served Matlock Bath at the height of its popularity.
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| A tufa encrusted fountain in the fish Pond |
A small deposit of tufa was formed by these perched springs in the Holocene and, as seen in the Derwent Gardens down by the river, it has been used locally for rockeries and for building stone.
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| Tufa used as a building stone in Derwent Gardens |
On this occasion, the Sheffield U3A Geology Group visit to Matlock Bath didn't include a detailed exploration of the geology itself but, in this area, it is quite varied. To the east of the River Derwent, Carboniferous limestone of the Eyam Limestone Formation forms the steep cliffs, with the overlying Millstone Grit forming the higher ground further in the distance.
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| The geology of the area around Matlock Bath |
To the east of the river, the Carboniferous limestone of the Monsal Dale Formation is largely dolomitized and contains basalts that form part of a major centre of volcanic activity around Bonsall further to the east – one of two such areas in the White Peak – and which have influenced both the hydrology and the extent of lead mining activities in the area, including that seen at Temple Mine.
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| A schematic cross section of the geology at Matlock Bath |
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