Wintery View over Ladybower Reservoir Towards Ashopton Viaduct.

Ladybower Reservoir is a large Y-shaped, artificial reservoir, the lowest of three in the Upper Derwent Valley in Derbyshire. It was built between 1935 and 1943 by the Derwent Valley Water Board. The dam's design is unusual in having two totally enclosed bellmouth spillway overflows (locally named the "plugholes") at the side of the wall. The plugholes regulate water levels in the reservoir by draining away excess water when they overflow.

The building of the reservoir resulted in the submergence of the villages of Ashopton and Derwent, including Derwent Woodlands church and Derwent Hall. Ashopton stood roughly where the road to the Snake Pass met the Snake valley. The buildings in Ashopton were demolished before the reservoir was filled, but much of the structure of Derwent village was still visible during a dry summer some 14 years later. Derwent Bridge, a narrow stone packhorse bridge, over the Derwent was removed and rebuilt at the head of the Howden reservoir. The clock tower of the church had been left standing and the upper part of it was visible above the water level until 1947, when it was seen as a hazard and demolished with explosives on 15 December.

Ref: C&D011

Location: Ladybower Reservoir, Bamford, Peak District National Park, Derbyshire

Photographer: Andrew Fairclough LNPS, ANPS, QGPP