What a surreal day yesterday was.
I had a little trip over to Ladybower Reservoir in the Peak District, for those of you who don't live in the UK, we are currently going through a drought, brought on by the hot summer. I really couldn't believe my eyes when I got there, as the reservoir looks almost empty, I've seen it low before, but never as low as it is in it's current state.
The above shot is the main "Snake Pass" road, which is currently closed just after the reservoir due to a land slide, usually the water is right up to the arches, and as you can see from the brown shoreline just how much higher the water should be (around 30-40 feet higher in some areas).
However, there are some things under the reservoir that you can only see when it does become this low, and that's why I decided to visit.
Before the 3 dams (Derwent, Howden & Ladybower) were built, there was a little village, which now rests on the bottom of the reservoir.
The water board made a compulsory purchase and demolished the village, only now when the water is low, you get the echoes of the past of what was once there.
(The Old Pump House, usually well under water)
I love how there are still things like this little old arched bridge, which again should be well under the water, there's even streams that still flow from the hills down to the water, which again should be flooded over.
I ended up walking around 6 miles, and a lot of that walk was along the bed of the reservoir, it certainly felt surreal knowing that there should be tonnes of water above my head, I'm thinking to myself, I may never ever be able to do this again in my life time. Then my mind started being over imaginative and thinking that what if the dam wall of Derwent or Howden burst, where would I run to escape the tidal wave, and most of all, how fast would the wave be lol.
The main part of what's left is the old Derwent Hall, there are still cellars there if you look hard enough, it was too warm to light a fire though, as even though it's October, the weather was beautiful.
The remains of Derwent Hall and gardens
I have to say this was a fascinating visit, it's just a shame as to what happened to the hall, as I bet it would have been a massive tourist trap in todays world. But as they say, needs must and the expanding population needs water.
When the reservoir is full, it can hold 464 Billion litres of water, a number that I cannot comprehend, it's also one of the largest reservoirs in the peak district.
I have a lot more pictures to share in part two, but for now I'll leave this blog here.
Drone shots done using a DJI Mini 3 Pro (Yes, it's fantastic!!), and all other shots done using a Sony A7iii camera.
I hope you have found this interesting so far and looking forward to seeing you in part two.
Have a great weekend.
All the best :-)
