Ladybower

[philmayfield 6,115]

Those pictures from Knotty Ash are quite frightening. I went past in late summer and the water was as low as I've ever seen. It's now seriously lower. I know a lot of us in Notts get our water pumped up from the bunter sandstone and I believe here in the Trent Valley our water comes from Oxton reservoir and Newark's from Kelham reservoir and I think their source is pumped from underground reserves. I was passing Rutland Water today and that looked quite full. I'm drinking my Scotch neat as I type this as my contribution to water conservation.

[notty ash 370]

Don't worry Phil. The water looks much deeper at the Bamford end - and the Derwent and Howden reservoirs upstream have a fair amount of water in them too. The Ladybower only becomes a river at Derwent village itself. This is the view from the side of the main road near the Ladybower Inn

 

and looking northwards from more or less the same spot

 

 

It is only when you reach the ruins of Derwent village that the reservoir peters out - not far from the very end of the reservoir, near the Fairholmes visitor centre.

 

 

 

[philmayfield 6,115]

That's reassuring. I've never been up to the top end. So I won't have to share a bath just yet then!

[notty ash 370]

I thought sharing a bath was supposed to be fun

 

 I did my bit to increase the water level by visiting the toilets at the visitor centre.

[philmayfield 6,115]

27 minutes ago, notty ash said:

I thought sharing a bath was supposed to be fun

 

 I did my bit to increase the water level by visiting the toilets at the visitor centre.

I wondered why our tea tasted funny!

 

[PeverilPeril 3,279]

Three great pics there knottyash. In the first pic you can see the extended slipway down to the fishing boat moorings. It seems quite astonishing that in April I got into a boat at the very top of that extended slipway. In the distance in the same pic you will see the fish stock cages. There are always trout close to the cages especially downwind where they pick up the food pellets that drift from the cages. The dam wall is in the distance and from that view it would have appeared as a thin line when the reservoir was full. 

[notty ash 370]

Out of sheer curiosity are there limits as to how far you can take a boat along the reservoir? I've never seen a boat the north side of the A57, for example.

[PeverilPeril 3,279]

The best fishing is around the area that you can see from the fishing lodge (pic #1). That is where the fish are stocked, so boats don't tend to venture too far. I don't think there are limits but the res is so big that it can be a bit daunting trying to find fish holding areas away from the lodge. I do go far and wide just to have a look around because I am not that familiar with the place. I intend fishing there a lot more next year. Such a nice place to be.

 

[notty ash 370]

Even more contrasting is how the place looked before the dam was built vs today.

 

This is Derwent Village remains on Friday

 

and a shot from near enough the same place before the reservoir was built

 

 

Here's a closeup of Derwent Hall, with the river in the foreground.

 

[plantfit 7,580]

Just up the valley from Ladybower, Derwent water dam

 

 

Rog

[plantfit 7,580]

A gaggle of trikes at Derwent water Derbyshire

 

 

Rog