GeologyRocks

I can't say I know of any websites, but I'll tell you what I know.
The carboniferous reefs aren't coral reefs as such. Corals did exist at the time, and may have lived on them in small numbers, but they weren't the colonial frame-building organisms of today. The reefs are actually mounds of lime mud, bound together and lithified by bacterial biofilm mats. They were probably formed in very deep water, beneath the photic zone and the influence of waves. In the Derbyshire Dome, they formed on what was at the time an elevated block bound by deep basins. In the north, the drop down into the basin was sudden and steep, and the edge of the platform was fringed with an almost continuous line of these 'reefs'. In the south, the drop was much more gentle, and the platform has a broken line of 'patch reefs' round its edge. If you can get hold of it, take a look at 'The pennines and adjecent areas' by the BGS. The BGS maps of Derbyshire show the distribution of the reefs quite well too. I'll try to find the sheet numbers/names for you if you need them.

Yes, I think i would like to look at those. I have looked up the domes on google, and there is alot of information. Most of it helpful. I was finding only scraps of information on what i needed. So thankyou for your help, its appreciated!

The sheet numbers you need are 99, 111 and 124 1:50,000 scale. 112 and 125 also show small areas of limestone but I'm not sure they're as relevant. The limestone has not been tilted too much in most places, so the current topography is very much like what it would have been during formation, with the reef limestone (dark blue or purple depending on what edition you have) fringing the relatively flat limestone platform. The areas to the north, west and south would all have been deep ocean basins.

Thank you for the sheet numbers, I will be looking those up once I stop doing essays! Cheers