The glaciers that covered the North of England during the last ice-age began to melt about 20,000 years ago and the Ferryhill Gap was an escape route for this water into the North Sea. The valley is natural and is very marshy at the bottom. The river North Skerne used to flow south in the gap in a valley about 900 yards wide until it disappeared beneath the Limestone Escarpment about 300 years ago. When the Ferryhill Station was being excavated, fossilised fish were found in the walls of the valley about 70 feet above the valley floor.
Ferryhill Carrs has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature due to the rare wild plants and animals it supports.The Carrs is most important for the large areas of Fen vegetation in the valley bottom and also for the woodland and meadow present on the valley side.
"Carrs" is an old name and is associated with areas of marshy ground with their own typical vegetation.
View Ferryhill Carrs from all angles
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Go forward to Ferryhill Gap | |
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| Go right to Wood Lane Junction | |||
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Turn back to face the Ferryhill Gap to the North | |
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More information...
Eric Thompson Watercolours of Ferryhill
Ferryhill Street Map
The Ferryhill and Chilton Chapter - Our Free Newspaper
The North East Forum - Ferryhill Section
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© Copyright Dave O'Hara 2008. Last updated 7 February 2008.
The photographs and other material on this site are copyright of the author, unless stated otherwise. If you wish to use any of them or link to them, please ask me and your request will be considered. The contact address is on the site.
