Derbyshire Dome

The Derbyshire Dome is one of the keys to understanding the middle part of England. It is a geological formation across mid-Derbyshire in England.Cossey P.J. & Adams A.E. 2004. British Lower Carboniferous Stratigraphy. Geological Conservation Review Series. 29: 1–12.


The White Peak area of the Peak District is named after the limestone plateau landscape of the 'Derbyshire Dome' anticline. It was laid down in a tropical sea about 350 million years ago in the Carboniferous period. Later the limestone raised above water in a dome shape. It was eroded so that many caverns existed. This is described as a karst landscape.

The plateau is mostly between 200m and 300m above sea level. This limestone outcrop is surrounded on the west, north and east by a horseshoe-shaped formation of younger sandstones (gritstones) and shales, known as the Dark Peak (see diagram). The town of Buxton is at the western edge of the limestone region. The Triassic sandstones of the Midlands plain are the south edge of the limestone region. 

The ground is hard to move across. Evidently much of it was made of coral reefs, which are very tough and irregular. The roads of the Peak District are narrow and winding. Motorways avoid the Peak District by being to the East and West of the dome.

The other main karst landscapes of England are the Yorkshire Dales and the Mendip Hills.

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Category:Derbyshire