Ladybower Reservoir (Derbyshire)

Just a couple of weeks ago we made a point of buying the Mail on Saturday simply because it came with a free copy of the DVD, The Dambusters. The storyline is based on a true life story and it tells of the blood, sweat and tears that Dr. Barnes Wallace went through to invent his amazing `bouncing bomb` that broke the Ruhr and the Eider Dams in Germany during the Second World War. Many of you will be too young to have heard of the wartime story but Barnes succeeded in creating a bomb that actually bounced, skimming the water in `Ducks and Drakes` fashion until it hit its target, exploding on impact. His marvellous invention was trialled at the Ladybower ...  Read the complete review

Before you continue to read i must first say that this review is not just about Ladybower reservoir but also about Derwent and the area around them.... Thank you for your time.... Brief description of area..... Ladybower reservoir... Shaped in a Y configuration this is the lowest of the three dams. The river Alsop runs into it from the west, The river Derwent from the south. It was the biggest reservoir of its time with its widest part being approximately 3 miles wide. Two villages were flooded to make this vast expanse of water, the village of Ashopton and Derwent. The buildings being demolished in Ashopton but not ...  Read the complete review

Ladybower reservoir is situated in the Upper Derwent Valley in an area of Peak District National Park known as the Dark Peak. This area is characterised by its high mountains and steep gritstone edges. I am fortunate enough to live less than a 20 minute drive from here, yet this has never been a place that I have taken for granted. This is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful places in England. The Ladybower reservoir lies at the heart of this area, occupying an area in the bottom of the lower derwert valley. In this difficult terrain there are few major roads around here, but the A57 (known locally as the Snake Pass), which is the main trans-Pennine ...  Read the complete review