Madeleine Bamford reviews the recent Geography trip:
On Wednesday the 19th September and Friday 21st September, all year 8 Geographers went to Castleton- a local village in the Peak District National Park. The Peak District was established in 1951, adopting the size of 1,437 KM2. Around 40,000 people live in the national park and it is perfect for calm walks and a little look around the local villages. Fortunately, the weather was on our side and the forecast was set to be sunny.
As part of our studies in tourism, we were investigating the impact of tourism in National Parks.
Following our task sheets and making use of our limited orientation skills we were tasked with mapping local shops to investigate whether they were for tourists or local shoppers. We did this by looking at the types of shops in the village and what they sold. Obviously, we couldn’t resist the temptation of going into some of these shops to see the range of sweets on offer; it goes without saying that the work came first!
We also examined the streets to see the amount of traffic, levels of pollution, litter and vandalism. This showed us the amount of tourism in the area, the levels of pollution from visitors and how the locals and the council looked after the area.
After that it was time for lunch. Unfortunately, this didn’t mean sitting in a cosy café, we had to sit on the floor and eat our packed lunch. Sitting in the gusty wind eating felt a little like being on a survival programme with Bear Grylls.
Next it was time for a walk along the Hope Valley. This involved a 40-minute walk up a steep incline. Fighting against the wind made this a tiring task – I’m happy to say we all made it in one piece. When we arrived at the top we were presented with a magnificent view of the valley and all made detailed sketches of the rural area. Alas the rain had decided to show its face, and this made difficult conditions for drawing but that’s the UK weather for you.
We were all then welcomed by the sight of the coach and the chance to get warm.
Overall, we all enjoyed the trip as it gave us a chance to get out, have some fresh air and experience a tourist area. Many thanks to all of the teachers from the Geography department for organising the trip and opening our eyes to a National Park.
