LADYBOWER WALK
THE WALK
Ladybower Walk is outstandingly beautiful and must be one of the most enjoyable walks in the Peak District, suitable for anyone with a moderate fitness level. The reservoir is situated in the Upper Derwent Valley at the heart of the Peak National Park, in an area often referred to as the ‘Lake District of the Peak’. There are three reservoirs, Ladybower, Derwent, and Howden, surrounded by forest, farmland, and glorious moorland scenery. So, pick a clear day for this walk and get there early before the crowds.
LOOK OUT FOR
Route Point 1 – At the Upper Derwent Visitor Centre and Picnic Site, a refreshment kiosk is available, open at the same time as the Visitor Centre, in what is a picturesque spot despite its proximity to the car park. Picnic tables and benches are available. The centre is an ideal starting point for exploring the Upper Derwent Valley and the surrounding moorlands. The team at the Visitor Centre is available to advise you on how to make the most of your visit, whether you want a short stroll or a more demanding walk on the moors. But, best of all, try this walk to appreciate the area you may return to many times in the future.
Point 2- The largest and most recently constructed of the reservoirs in the Northern section of the Upper Derwent Valley is Ladybower, which entailed the flooding of the villages of Ashopton and Derwent and the re-housing of the inhabitants. The three reservoirs provide 10,000 million gallons of water for the growing urban population in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
Point 5 – Ashopton Viaduct carries the Snake Road to Glossop. When Ashopton Village was demolished, the residents were rehoused a short distance away at Yorkshire Bridge. A few scattered farms, houses and the Shooting Lodge remain on the hillside.
Point 6 – Ladybower Viaduct carries the road from the village of Yorkshire Bridge and beyond to the A57. The reservoir was finally opened by King George VI in 1945, and to mark the occasion, a commemorative monument was built close to the dam wall. The dam was completed in 1943, and it took two years to fill the reservoir. Following the recent renovation of the Ladybower Dam, a permissive path across the dam wall opened. At the western end of the dam is a small sculpture that forms part of the Touchstones Sculpture Trail, established by the residents of Bamford to mark the millennium.
Point 9 – All that remains of the former Derwent village, which was flooded to make way for the reservoir, are a few houses and other buildings passed near the end of the walk. In addition, there are several scattered hill farms in the area, most of which are involved in sheep farming. Including the hardy white-faced woodland sheep, often seen in this part of the Peak National Park. The flooding of the valley inevitably caused a great deal of controversy. Derwent Church had to undergo exhumation of its graves for reburial at Bamford, and the inhabitants were rehoused at Yorkshire Bridge. The church tower was initially left intact and reappeared eerily above the waters during the 1947 drought before destruction. The Packhorse Bridge at Derwent, which had a preservation order, was moved stone by stone and rebuilt at Slippery Stones, at the head of Howden Reservoir.
Point 10 – The Derwent Dams were used during the Second World War to perfect the ‘bouncing bombs’ technique, which in 1943 breached the Ruhr Valley Dams in the heartland of industrial Germany. For six weeks before the attacks, the Lancaster bomber pilots used Derwent Dam to practice, the location having been chosen because of its similarity to the target site. In the Upper Derwent Valley in 1954, the film The Dambusters was made with Richard Todd as Gary Gibson
WALK DETAILS
Length: 5.75 miles.
Start: Ladybower Walk starts from Fairholmes Car Park at the northern end of Ladybower Reservoir, off the A57 Glossop to Sheffield Road. (SK174894). Public transport users may wish to start the walk at Point 6 (A57), as the bus service up the valley is not always available.
Terrain: Easy walking on good, clear tracks around Ladybower Reservoir.
Refreshments: A small kiosk at the Visitor Centre sells hot and cold drinks and food. Picnic tables are available. There are toilets on site. Yorkshire Bridge Inn, located close to the Ladybower Dam, is a popular inn. Another good choice is the Ladybower Inn on the A57, overlooking the reservoir.
THE ROUTE
1. Start with your back to the Upper Derwent Valley Visitor Centre at Fairholmes and walk towards the top right-hand corner of the main car park.
2. Continue along an obvious path towards the road up the Derwent Valley. When you reach the road, turn left.
3. Only a short distance down the road, keep a careful lookout for a small roadside car park. Here, you turn left off the road and follow a marked, permissive path down the valley, which runs between the road to your right and the reservoir to your left.
4. With the Ashopton Viaduct in view, the path edges slightly to the right to reach a stile only a few yards from the A57. Here, you turn left to cross the viaduct.
5. To get a better view of the southern section of Ladybower Reservoir, walk a little further along the A57 before returning to the route point 6.
6. On the eastern side of the viaduct, turn left (right if you have taken the diversion) to follow the track up the other side of the reservoir. Stay on the track beside the reservoir without deviating for about two and a half miles.
7. Keep to the left where the road forks at what remains of Derwent village, following the flooding of the old village when the
8. Follow the road to the left, with Derwent Dam towering above on your right. Soon after the road begins to climb, turn left to return to the Upper Derwent Visitor Centre at Fairholmes.
9. A short diversion is recommended. Leave the car park at the entrance/exit and turn right for a few yards along the road to reach Tip’s Memorial. Here, you can enjoy good views of the other side of the Derwent Reservoir dam wall and the reservoir. Retrace your steps to the starting point of the walk.
Ladybower
