Editing Lancashire (section)

===Geology, landscape, and ecology===
{{See also|Geology of Lancashire}}
[[File:Topography of Lancashire.png|thumb|upright=1.15|Topography of Lancashire]]The three main rivers in Lancashire are the [[River Ribble|Ribble]], [[River Wyre|Wyre]] and [[River Lune|Lune]], which all drain west to the [[Irish Sea]]. The Wyre rises in Bowland and is entirely within Lancashire, while the Ribble and Lune rise in [[North Yorkshire]] and [[Cumbria]] respectively. Many of Lancashire's other rivers are tributaries of the Ribble, including the [[River Calder, Lancashire|Calder]], [[River Darwen|Darwen]], [[River Douglas, Lancashire|Douglas]], and [[River Hodder|Hodder]]. The [[River Irwell|Irwell]], which flows through Manchester, has its source in Lancashire.

To the west of the county are [[the Fylde]] coastal plain and [[West Lancashire Coastal Plain|West Lancashire coastal plain]], which lie north and south of the [[Ribble and Alt Estuaries|Ribble Estuary]] respectively. Apart from the coastal resorts these areas are largely rural and devoted to vegetable crops. Further north is [[Morecambe Bay]]. In the northwest corner of the county, straddling the border with Cumbria, is the [[Arnside and Silverdale]] National Landscape, characterised by its [[limestone pavement]]s and home to the [[Leighton Moss]] nature reserve.

In the east of the county are upland areas leading to the Pennines. North of the Ribble are [[Beacon Fell Country Park]] and the [[Forest of Bowland]], another [[National Landscape]]. Much of the lowland in this area is devoted to dairy farming and cheesemaking, whereas the higher ground is more suitable for sheep, and the highest ground is uncultivated [[moorland]]. The valleys of the River Ribble and its tributary the Calder form a large gap to the west of the Pennines, overlooked by [[Pendle Hill]]. South of the Ribble are the [[West Pennine Moors]] and the [[Forest of Rossendale]], where former cotton mill towns are in deep valleys. The [[Lancashire Coalfield]], largely in modern-day [[Greater Manchester]], extended into [[Merseyside]] and to [[Ormskirk]], [[Chorley]], [[Burnley]] and [[Colne]] in Lancashire.

The highest point of the ceremonial county is [[Gragareth]], near [[Whernside]], which reaches a height of 627 m (2,057 ft).<ref>[http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/marilyns/chapter6.htm BUBL Information Service] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726194651/http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/marilyns/chapter6.htm|date=26 July 2012}} – The Relative Hills of Britain</ref> [[Green Hill (Lancashire)|Green Hill]] near Gragareth has also been cited as the [[Peak bagging|"county" top]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Administrative (1974) County Tops |url=http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/CountyTops1974.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124191010/http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/CountyTops1974.php |archive-date=24 November 2010 |access-date=25 September 2010 |publisher=Hill-bagging.co.uk |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The highest point in the historic county is [[Coniston Old Man]] in the [[Lake District]], at 803 m (2,634 ft).<ref>{{cite web |title=Historic County Tops |url=http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/CountyTopsHistoric.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123215803/http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/CountyTopsHistoric.php |archive-date=23 November 2010 |access-date=25 September 2010 |publisher=Hill-bagging.co.uk |df=dmy-all}}</ref>