The ashwoods found in the steep limestone dales of the White Peak area of the Peak District National Park are the largest areas of this habitat type in Great Britain. The central limestone plateau is cut by valleys, the 'dales', which are of high geological interest and support a mosaic of woodland, scrub and grassland habitats.

Hugging the steeper slopes of the limestone dales, ravine woodlands are an integral and dramatic component of the rich habitats found within these steep rocky valleys.

The wildlife of these upland ashwoods is of national importance and includes small- and large-leaved lime, mezereon and lily-of-the-valley, as well as rare invertebrates such as white-spotted pinion, barred-toothed stripe and lemon slug.

Through the Ravine WoodLIFE Project, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, English Nature, Forestry Commission and the National Trust completed works and entered into management agreements over 2,089 ha of the SAC.

The Peak District Dales project area comprises the following seven sites:

• Wye Valley
• Cressbrook Dale
• Lathkill Dale
• Via Gellia
• Matlock Woods
• Dovedale
• Hamps and Manifold

This map has been derived from the Ordnance Survey map by English Nature with the permission of OS on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Licence Number: GD272299

General information about the area: www.peakdistrict.org

Information for visitors: www.visitpeakdistrict.com