The 'cycle track' at Carsington is ill-conceived, poorly planned and badly managed. This route is advertised as being family friendly and safe. It is neither. This then ruins it for people who are suited to the route. We are a cycling family, both myself and my husband mountain bike regularly around North Wales. Our son (aged 9) races BMX at a national level, and our 7 year old is starting to follow in his footsteps. We took our mountain bikes to Carsington on a grey overcast day having completed the full length of the Tissington trail the day before. The hills mentioned are a challenge for even a hardened adult cyclist, they nearly all needed to be broken into 2 for our  Read the complete review

Carsington Water is a wonderful place to get back to nature. The man made reservoir was developed by Severn Trent Water in 1992 and is a popular spot to try out various water sports including windsurfing, sailing and canoeing. The perimeter of the lake forms a walking / cycling / horse riding route and the 8 miles of pathway goes through woods, over the reservoir dam and past the picturesque village of Carsington. Along this scenic route, there are various boards with information about the local flora and fauna. I went with a couple of friends and hired a cross country bike for 3 hours which cost just £10, they require you wear a helmet and provided us them ...  Read the complete review

Carsington Water or better known as Carsington Reservoir was opened by the Queen in 1992. Carsington Water helps Severn Trent to guarantee suplies for millions of customers in the East Midlands. Water is pumped from the River Derwant when the river level is high, stored in the reservoir and released when the weather is very dry. I visited Carsington Water about 5 weeks ago, and it was totally amazing. It is heaven for water sports lovers but unfortunatly there aren't any facilities for Water Skiers - like myself which is a downside to it all! -However *every cloud has a silver lining*. There is a large visitors centre and car park on its western shore. The ...  Read the complete review

A really good value family day out. - Advantages: Fantastic childrens play area, Free admission, Great restaurant - Disadvantages: Can get cold (very open)

This reservoir was built by the Severn Trent Water Authority and came into use in 1992. It is about eight miles around the edge of the water and has produced a beautiful lake in a very scenic part of Derbyshire, close to the town of Ashbourne. As you would expect the reservoir is the centre for many water sports, including canoeing, sailing and wind surfing, but it also has become a haven for many species of wild life and situated around the water are conservation areas, a wildlife centre and many bird hides. When the reservoir was established it was realised that many tourists would visit the area, and from the start this has been included in the ...  Read the complete review