Clubs and special events Dovedale Visit Year 5 & 6
On 16^th October 2006 Year 5 & 6 went on a geography field trip to Dovedale in Derbyshire to look at the river valley. As we walked along the valley we noticed that the river was full because of all the rain we have had recently.
			This is a scree slope. We looked at the types of stones and noticed that the larger stones are at the bottom of the slope and the smaller stones were near the top. We decided that the heavier stones have fallen further down the slope because of their weight.
We noticed that the river in this section was smooth and then rough on the surface. When we investigated we saw that there were big rocks under the surface where the surface of the water is rough. Where the water was smooth, the river bed was level and smooth.
We chose to cross the river using the stepping stones.
Tributaries to the River Dove flow down at join the river along the valley.
All along the river we saw little waterfalls like this one.
The children found that the water table was right under the surface of the ground close to the river and in some places where the ground dipped it was forming pools.
As the river meanders along the river valley we saw the river eroding one bank and on the opposite side the river was shallow where it has deposited sand and stones.
Lots of the landforms along the valley have names. There are a group of outcrops along this section of the river that are called The Apostles.
We stopped for lunch at Lovers Leap. According to local folklore a young lady loved a local man but he did not love her. So she threw herself off this rock but the bushes saved her. She never married and died a spinster. The valley is very deep her and the path climbs high up the valley side. The National Trust have built steps to protect the landscape from the erosion that the feet of many tourists was causing.
The children noticed that this tributary flowed out from beneath a rock. The water has found a natural fault in the limestone and flows through the cracks in the rock.
Tourists have pushed coins into this tree stump and into several logs along the side of the path.
This rock formation is called Reynards Cave. A young gentleman brought his lady friend on a picnic here. He tried to ride his horse up the steep slope and the horse reared up and threw the man off his back. He died because of this accident.
Here the water in a tributary has eroded a small cave.
As well as tourists walking along the river banks, people enjoy fishing in the river. This fisherman had caught a trout earlier on in the day.
		At the end of the day we all enjoyed a well deserved ice-cream.
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