Ladybower and Castleton
— A day out in Derbyshire blessed with a rare spell of good weather.”
Last week, J and I took a walk around the Northern section of Ladybower Reservoir and Castleton, both in Derbyshire.
Regular readers will remember our visit to Longdendale in February 2007, so this is kind of a sequel.
The Derbyshire reservoirs are a fascinating aspect of the region and these photos are hot off the press.
J and I walked around the Northern section of Ladybower Reservoir. Work started on the reservoir in 1935.
Cutthroat Bridge
“Cutthroat” Bridge is nicknamed after the scene of a murder documented 400 years ago. In a macabre twist, just a few years ago a fresh corpse was found headless in the same spot. Two Sheffield men were later convicted.
The sunken village of Derwent
All that remains of the village of Derwent today is a scattering of stones. The village was flooded in 1943 along with neighbouring Ashopton.
Graves were exhumed from the village church and moved to Bamford. The last service was held in March 1943.
The spire of the village church could be seen above the surface of the water for some time after the reservoir had filled, a process which took two years.
Castleton and Peveril Castle
Down the road from Ladybower is Castleton, a popular destination for Peak District tourists. Several of the region’s famous caves are readily accessible from the village, such as the Devil’s Arse, the largest natural cave in the United Kingdom. If you were wondering, the epithet originates from the surprising noises emitted from the cavern whenever the water level falls.
Peveril Castle is possibly the most inaccessible estates in English Heritage‘s portfolio. I had no idea I suffered from vertigo until I started climbing up to it!
Peveril is named after William Peverel, a Battle of Hastings veteran who looked after the wild Peak estates for his namesake the Conqueror.
The castle wasn’t really used for defence purposes – its role was purely administrative – but there is one record of a siege there, the result of a spot of royal disagreement.
See also:
A walk in Longdendale
A bleak, depopulated valley on the Manchester side of the Peak District and a symbol of the industrial revolution.
- Originally published: 21 Feb 2007 in UK
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