Derwent Reservoir

Today's walk was round Ladybower Reservoir - on the map below we followed the middle piece of water - from just to the left of Ladybower Inn up to Derwent Dam and back round the other side.





















Ladybower is a fascinating place, not least because of what lies underneath the water. When the reservoir was built during 1935 and 1943, the villages of Ashopton and Derwent were 'drowned. Ashopton was completely demolished but Derwent Village was remained intact..

Here is a picture I found of the old church from Derwent Village. The clock tower of the church and some of the buildings were still visible some 14 year later when the reservoir was low. The tower has since been dismantled.

Ladybower was used during the Second World War by 617 Squadron for practicing the low-level flights needed for Operation Chastise, also known as the Dam Buster raids. There are still occasional fly pasts of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flights to commemorate this.

When we set off it this morning it was fairly clear and the water was still as anything. As we wound our way around the lake it got foggier and foggier and I was glad I'd used my camera earlier.

Here's a photo I took not far from the spot the photo above was taken.