Derbyshire

The county is unusual in the it that it is in two different regions. The north and west of the county belong to the north west of England however the south of the county is in the english midlands. The county is similar to Cumbria being made of of fell country before these drop in the south towards the Trent Valley.

Geography

The county can be divided into two geographically the north and west of the counties contain the Pennines hills particularly the Peak District with the rivers Goyt, Dove and Wye whilst in the south and east the county is flatter as the fell land gives way to the plains of the River Trent the counties major River that runs through the southern end of the county.

Cities and Towns

As the name Derbyshire suggests Derby in the south of the county is the largest city which tends to dominate the county Towns include Buxton, Chesterfield, Bakewell, Matlock, Belper, Ashbourne, Glossop and Ilkeston.

The A6 and M6 in Derbyshire

The A6 , enters Derbyshire as it climbs out of the Mersey valley towards the Pennines just after Disley in Cheshire going south easterly, just north of Whaley Bridge a new dual carriageway takes the road easterly and the southerly passed Chapel en le Frith. There has been 3 changes of route here originally the road ran via what is now the A5004 through Whaley Bridge to Buxton, however this is a twisting fell route by at least the 1960's the A6 had been moved along the route of the present B5470 to Chapel en le Frith before joining the new 1980's bypass just east of the town. The road then turns southwards through the village of Dove Holes where it reaches its summit 331 meters above sea level the second highest point on the road after Shap summit. The A6 then drops into the Goyt valley and the spa town of Buxton where it regains its original course through the valley eastwards to Bakewell entering the Wye Valley which takes the road southeasterly to Matlock. From there it runs southerly through Belper and Derby before turning southeasterly joining the new A50 just before the Leicestershire border. The M6 does not enter Derbyshire.