300 million years ago, the area now known as the Peak District was part of a river delta that flowed into the sea. The deposits were sorted such that the finest material travelled the furthest and was deposited in the deep ocean as black shales. Further deposits accumulated on the slopes of the oceans and collapsed, resulting in turbidite deposits. Further turbidite flows eroded into previous ones, resulting in the type of deposit seen at Alport Castle. As the delta prograded (the mouth of the river moved further out to sea), the deposits become coarser. In the Peak District this coarse material is the gritstone that caps high points, protecting them from erosion.