Limestone gorges: Wye Dale
The River Wye, a major tributary of the Derwent, flows west to east from Buxton to Rowsley and maintains a continuous flow of water across the limestone outcrop. The river originates on the impermeable strata at the margins of the limestone west of Buxton and it is this headwater flow which sustains the river course across the limestone bedrock. Wye Dale is gorge-like for much of its length as the deeply-entrenched river meanders eastward.
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The white-weathered limestone gives rise to spectacular vertical cliffs which make the walk along Wye Dale one of the most attractive in the whole of the Peak District. This is particularly so to the east of Topley Pike, where the footpath follows the course of a former railway with spectacular bridges crossing the river gorge. In places, the River Wye has incised into the limestone to a depth of 100m. It is likely that the river cut down into the bedrock in response to a lowering of sea levels during the ice age. Glacial meltwaters and regional tectonic uplift may also have contributed to gorge formation, both here and elsewhere in the Peak District.
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