Derwent Reservoir and return to Ladybower

We had arrived at that rather scary position below a dam. If the dam broke, we’d all be doomed!

We walked up to the top level where we found a memorial to the ‘Dambusters’. Derwent Reservoir had been used for practice.

It was really close to the 70^th anniversary of the dambusters raid which took place on 17^th May 1943. No wonder poppies and flowers had been left. Of the 133 men who took part in the raid, 56 were killed.

70 years on no training bomber flights disturbed the tranquillity of Derwent Reservoir above the dam or the scene down over Ladybower and beyond, below it.

We walked across the dam to the west tower.

Inside the tower there is a lovely little museum – the collection of just one person.

It’s an eclectic mix but we could say it covers three areas. There are the lost villages, construction of the reservoirs and the dambusters. On display there is Guy Gibson’s report book of the raids on the German dams. He sums it up with the single word, ‘Successful’.

This is a model of Derwent Village – or a part of it. It was demolished before it was flooded. It brings it home that it was a real place with real people living there – and they had to give up homes, possibly generational ones, and livelihoods to provide water for the folks of South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

It’s a good museum with a wonderful photographic record of Birchinlee, the temporary town built for original dam builders in the very early 20^th century as well as interesting artefacts. I particularly liked the servant’s bell recorder from the very grand Derwent Hall. Well done to Vic Hallam – it is his museum.

For us it was lunchtime and we found a good bench with a view over the lower Ladybower Reservoir. Being in a tourist hotspot, we were not alone for long.

Robin number 1 joined us and clearly hoped we’d offer him some sustenance. His friend, Robin 2 was more wary of us but looked more in need of a bit of food. I suspect this chunky chap was the male and the other one, who had done the energy sapping egg production work, was the female.

That’s number 1 again but both birds carried rings on their legs.

I think it may have been the first time our niece realised that different birds of the same species really did show considerable variation. We never saw the two birds together but straight away knew which was which.

Later, the drakes arrived and were equally demanding.

After lunch I had a good chat with some motorbike riders. There was a good collection of them around the place. These were what you might call the aging rockers – probably about my age but living their version of the bank holiday dream.

And then we walked back to our oh so lucky car parking spot – a pleasant stroll through the woods.

A little stream adds to the waters in the reservoir.

It was a gorgeous spring green scene – enough to make a tree hugger out of anyone.

Across the water, we could see remains of the Derwent village.

It’s zoom in time.

Just what that was, we don’t know, but it was time to move on.