Mrs McPhail (Geography Teacher)

Year 9 students visited Castleton in Derbyshire for two days of Geography fieldwork last week (22nd-23rd September).  They boarded the coaches with enthusiasm and loved being able to be together, experience the joys of residential trips and see a different and beautiful landscape.

Whilst driving through Sheffield, the students saw at first hand the way in which the city has been regenerated. Driving past Sheffield Forgemasters reminded them of the industrial heritage this city has and the closeness of the Peak District National Park. Exiting the city via the A57 took us past the buzzing university area and it’s always a surprise for the students how soon we witness  beautiful limestone scenery. 

First stop was Ladybower Reservoir, where the pupils learnt about the Derwent Valley and the way in which the dam was used to prepare the British in their attack on the German dams in WW2.

This year the evidence of our hot summer and drought could also be seen in the very low levels of water in the reservoir revealing lost villages.

Then onward to Castleton, before a long walk around Mam Tor admiring limestone scenery and the beautiful Hope Valley. Learning outside the classroom is fundamental in enabling the girls to be able to appreciate the themes learned in class. The girls sketched and annotated diagrams and walked through the spectacular Winnats Pass before heading to the YHA.

Friday was another packed day, starting with Treak Cliff Cavern to see spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. Girls then visited two sites along Peakshole Water and conducted river surveys. Everyone enjoyed the chance to experience new skills and bring back plenty of information to use for the assessment back in the classroom.

We were so lucky with the dry and bright weather on Friday – the students saw Castleton at its best and all worked hard and even in the rain on Thursday afternoon girls showed weather was not something to stop fieldwork taking place.

Agnes Patterson (Year 9) said: “It was a fun trip full of experiences and special moments. A key thing I would say is you do not know if opportunities like this will come again, so I think we all made the most of it.”

Reyah Rizwan (Year 9) added: “My favourite part of Castleton was going into the dorms area and seeing the place I was staying with my friends. We had a great time in general and definitely learned a lot, like how to do the river work and lots about rocks.”

Rosalind Palmer (Year 9) said: I really enjoyed the field trip. I especially enjoyed the river work and doing lessons outside.”

Narayani Joshi (Year 9) said: “My favourite part of the trip was exploring the cavern. It was so interesting to see the history and little things that make it so fascinating. I also enjoyed learning about how features were formed and we could actually see how the land changed. It was a really fun trip and I loved spending time with my friends.”

To see updates on all the exciting things going on in Geography please follow @BGS_Geography.

View photos here.