Stanton Moor

Stanton Moor is a small upland area in the Derbyshire Peak District of central and northern England, lying between Matlock and Bakewell near the villages of Birchover and Stanton-in-Peak. It is known for its megaliths – particularly the Nine Ladies stone circle – and for its natural, wind-eroded sandstone pillars.

Stanton Moor consists of an outlier of Millstone Grit, known as Ashover Grit. This is a coarse-grained sandstone which weathers to produce coarse sub-soils, rich in sand, and the soils themselves are typically podzols. The Ashover Grit sandstone layer lies on top of shale, which in turn lie upon Carboniferous limestone. The whole of the moor is of geological interest as a syncline.

Several large, wind-eroded pillars of sandstone are found around the edge of Stanton Moor, and form significant features of its topography. From north, clockwise, these outcrops are the Duke of York Stone (in which the legend "Y 1826" is carved), the Cat Stone, the Duchess of Sutherland Stone, the Gorse Stone, the Heart Stone (9 metres high), the Cork Stone (5 metres high) and the Andle Stone.

The moor's sandstone has been quarried for many years, and has left several old dormant quarries around the moor. In 2009 an attempt to re-open dormant quarries failed after much local and national protest that had lasted for over ten years.

A large part of Stanton Moor is designated as a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS) because of the unusual nature of its sandstones. Much of the vegetation that grows on the moor is upland heathland, regarded as a both local and national priority Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Habitat.

...
Wikipedia