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'Blue heaven' !
Derwent Reservoir in Derbyshire
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwent_Reservoir_(Derbyshire)
Low water level of the Derwent Reservoir seen from the ruins of Bamford House.
Some further infomation about Bamford House here:
heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/HBSMR/MonRecord.aspx...
Looking back to the wall of Howden Reservoir from the path up Abbey Bank. The reservoirs water level showing the result of the lack of recent rain. The group of trees immediately in front of the reservoir wall is normally an island of Derwent Reservoir.
A view of the very dry northern end of Derwent Reservoir. On the right of the image can be seen the wall of the Howden Reservoir and its low water level.
The car park at Fairholme, located at the upper end of Ladybower Reservoir, was surprisingly busy yesterday, despite our 10am arrival - although perhaps not so much of a surprise given the school holidays and parents surely keen to escape the confines of the house on what promised to be a good-weather day.
Our planned walk was comparatively short at 10 miles and took in the eastern side of Derwent Reservoir before turning right uphill at Abbey Brook, just before the dam-wall of Howden (the three reservoirs being effectively stacked and a key source of water to the East Midlands).
The hike continued to climb up to Lost Lad and eventually Back Tor on Derwent Edge with great views over the length of the Hope Valley a few miles to the west and South Yorkshire to the east, before descending near Whinstone Lee Tor and back to the car park.
It must be almost twenty years since we walked this route but the one element we never forgot was the heather display along Abbey Brook, when the moorland on this side is guaranteed to turn pink in August. Strange then that as we ambled along, no more than 2-3 miles from the car-park, not a soul was seen taking in the beauty of this approach, and that despite a 20 minute break for an early lunch.
Maybe that was a good thing though. This was one of the favourite walks of my Dad who, having lived with us for the last three years in an urn in my den, was finally set free to enjoy the visual delights of the heather moorlands against the soundtrack of the chattering brook below. Together with a similar hike last week to Kinder Downfall, another one of his favourite spots, he's now finally where he wanted to be.
R.I.P. Dad
24th August 2020
PS Apologies for the tardy responses and stream visits of late, real life has been getting in the way but I'm hoping to catch up over the next few days.
This is the Derwent Reservoir.The whole valley was flooded and this is one of the now defunct fences leading down into it.
I love the Peak in Autumn such beautiful colours and sometimes if you're really lucky the weathers good to you.
Looking along the totally calm water of Howden Reservoir towards Howden Dam that holds the flow of the River Derwent. The tranquil morning gives rise to perfect reflections in the deep blue water.
Howden Dam, Peak District, UK
© 2025 Paul Newcombe. Don't use without permission.
I spent an enjoyable 30 minutes or so photographing the transient light illuminating various parts of this scene and at different focal lengths. Howden Dam currently with no water to hold back. I forgot the polariser for this lens unfortunately.
There was a chap who was already at this viewpoint with his long lens. He was waiting for helicopter to fly through Derwent Valley. I think he said it was an Apache. That was very impressive to see. I didn't photograph it though.
Another composition of Derwent Dam, including the weir, which is only a short walk from the Fairholmes Visitor Centre. The stone used to build the Dam came from the Bole Hill Quarry which i photographed a few months back.
The Derwent River at its source is quite small, but it is this that feeds the 3 reservoirs of Howden, Derwent and Ladybower. I've never been to this end of the reservoirs before and never realised how scenic it was, as the Pennines rise around me.
A small cascade on the River Derwent which eventually feeds to the three reservoirs of Howden, Derwent and Ladybower. A long exposure smooths out the water to a dream-like effect.
A view of the overflowing Howden Reservoir seen through a brief break in the weather from the climb up Abbey Bank.
Since being a kid, I have always wanted to do a full circuit around Ladybower Reservoir, but its distance has always been too much. However, now with the aid of my trusted mountain bike I'm able to explore much further up the water than I have done so. Here I approach the water just below Howden Dam on a calm day, creating perfect reflections in the water.
Howden Reservoir in the Peak District on a calm and beautiful morning, reflects the trees on the banks in the still water.
Derwent Dam overflowing to Ladybower..
I had tried so many different compositions from above the dam wall looking towards Derwent Edge and from Fairholmes and wasn't happy with any of them.
I'd packed away a little disappointed and decided to have my pack lunch and a think. None of the picnic tables were free so I ventured closer to the dam and noticed the stream that the dam flows into off to my left. Of all the times I've been here I've never noticed it before and saw that there are some well positioned rocks and a small weir/waterfall. With my mouth on fire from the silly amount of Piccalilli I'd put on my sandwiches I got my gear back out.
Head on from the path despite some nice heather just looked flat and uninteresting but I'm quite pleased to have found some foreground interest and to come away with something.
This is my view for my lunch today, on the shores of Derwent Reservoir below the ruins of Tin Town, with wonderful views across the water to the tree lined banks of the eastern shores.
Autumn colours beginning to show around Fairholmes between the Ladybower and Derwent Reservoirs in the Derbyshire Peak District. Photo taken from the old packhorse trai from the now submerged Derwent village up Fox Hagg.l
One of the original stone bridges cross the River Derwent at its upper reaches and makes it a great place to stop and rest for a while before making my way back down the opposite western shores of Howden and Derwent reservoirs once more.
Cycling around Howden and Derwent Reservoirs in the Peak District, I take a rest on the shore of Howden Reservoir to take in the tranquil morning. They day is so still and peaceful as the far shores are reflected in the calm water.
Below the ruins of what was once a thriving community on the banks of The River Derwent, Tin Town is long lost to the ravages of time. As I settle on the shore to have my sandwiches after cycling most of the way around Derwent and Howden Reservoirs, Howden Dam can be seen emerging from the trees as it dams the water of the River Derwent.
The third, and most remote, of the three reservoirs around Ladybower is Howden Reservoir above Howden Dam. The river Derwent was dammed back in 1914 flooding the entire valley. Here we start to explore above the dam and is the furthest I've ever been, but with the aid of my trusty bike I get to explore right to the far tip of the water complex.