Biodiversity Action Plan

Limestone Dales

Limestone dales are confined entirely to the White Peak natural area and comprise a complex mosaic of habitats including grassland, scrub, scree, cliffs, woodland and heathland.

The dales have provided sheltered grazing for many centuries, and this practice is important to maintain the delicate balance of habitats.

Because of the general inaccessibility of the dales they have largely escaped agricultural improvement; thanks to this, and the mixture of habitats to be found here, the dales support an enormous variety of wildlife making them internationally important sites.

Many of the limestone dales fall within Sites of Special Scientific Interest which means that they have an increased level of protection. Over 80 percent of these are being actively managed for wildlife conservation by grazing them at the appropriate times of year and with the right number of stock, removing invasive non-native species, and not allowing the addition of fertilisers or herbicides.

On the neutral grasslands of the dales, Jacob’s Ladder, a rare speciality of the Peak District can be found.

Limestone Dales action plan (150KB)