West Pennine Moors - Geology and Geography

Geology and Geography

The underlying geology is the Millstone Grit series with sandstones and coarse gritstones separated by bands of shale. The area was covered by ice during the Ice Age and boulder clay deposited as the ice retreated. The rounded hill tops are millstone covered with shallow soil or peat above 400 metres. Lead, tin and coal have been mined in the area. Witherite was discovered at White Coppice.

The rounded moorland hills of the West Pennine Moors are generally lower in height than the higher moorland plateaux of the main Pennine range to the east. There are gritstone crags and steep escarpments creating dramatic landforms with "V"-shaped valleys drained by fast-flowing streams. The highest peak is Winter Hill at 456 metres (1,496 ft). The moors are incised by wooded valleys and cloughs; the largest is in the Roddlesworth valley near Tockholes. There are small coniferous plantations, particularly around the reservoirs, but overall woodland cover is minimal.

The larger settlements are around the edges of the moors in the valleys, while the moors have scattered individual farmsteads built of local gritstone some of which have been abandoned or deserted. The predominant land use is for sheep farming. Unlike many areas of moorland in the north of England, the moors here are not managed for grouse shooting and consist largely of rough grassland and peat bog. There was a 50% loss of heather cover between 1946 and 1988.