| The start of the trek is the Fairholmes car park
just a mile up the small road that leads away from the
A57 Snake Pass road at the Ladybower Reservoir bridge.
Fairholmes is the main hub of all activities in the
Derwent Valley and is well looked after and maintained
by Severn Trent Water and the National Trust. Fairholmes
is situated just below the Derwent Dam and was originally
a farm in the now ancient Derwent Valley community that
was sacrificed for the building of the famous Ladybower,
Derwent and Howden dams and Fairholmes was also used
as a base for many of the engineering activities that
were involved in the building of the dams. These days
however Fairholmes is now home to a National Trust shop
and visitors centre and an excellent tea room and cafe.
The car park isn't expensive compared to most places
and the facilities are excellent.
Ladybower Bridge
|
Ladybower Reservoir
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From Fairholmes follow the signs for Derwent Dam and
after following the track along side the outflow from
the dam you will eventually be staring at a huge wall
with two towers, one either side. This is one of three
major dams built in the valley to provide water to the
cities and town of the North and East Midlands. The
Howden and Derwent dams were built between 1901 and
1916, they were finally opened in 1916 by King George V. The lower
down Ladybower reservoir was built between 1935 and
1945 and was officially opened by King George VI.
Sadly the construction of the dams spelt the end of
the existing civilizations in the Derwent Valley. The
dams were subject to much controversy as the valley
was to loose the villages of Derwent and Ashopton, now
known as the Drowned Villages they can be seen at times
of drought. Despite the darkened past of the building
of the dams no one can deny they really are something
too look at, unlike most dams that are usually created
using concrete, the dams of the Derwent Valley do have
a certain charm about them. The dams were built using
local millstone grit blocks and are designed with a
charming victorian gothic style.
Derwent Dam
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Howden Dam
|
The full story of the dams and the dramatic changes
the valley went through in the early 20th century can
be read about in the National Trusts visitor centre
at Fairholmes. Sadly the construction of the dams spelt
the end of a few small communities in the Derwent Valley.
I find it hard to believe that the valley as it is today
is only a hundred or so years old as it has developed
into such a beautiful and some what peaceful place that
is loved and used by thousands of people.
The path passes the front of the dam wall to the right
tower and then leads up steps to the right of the tower
and joins the bridleway that then hugs the banks of
the Derwent Reservoir. The track crosses Hollin Clough
then Walker's Clough as it follows the waters edge and
Hancock Wood and Plantation. At the Abbey Tip Plantation the path splits and here you need to follow the path leading off to the right through the forest, follow this track
up to a gate which heads up onto the Little Howden Moor
and is sign posted by a small National Trust sign. Incidentally
if you happen to get to the bridge that crosses Abbey
Brook then you have gone too far so simply follow your
footsteps back about a hundred yards and find the Little
Howden Moor track.
Derwent Reservoir
|
Abbey Brook
|
The track leads steeply up Little Howden Moor giving
great views out to the left over the deep clough of Abbey
Brook. After the track tops out on heather moorland
after a mile or so you will see a stile on the left,
from here you should now be able to make out the hill
of Lost Lad Hill End. Cross the stile and head in that
direction following an old track through a small stream
at the top of a small clough and then over flatter moorland
being careful not to disturb the Red Grouse that thrive
here and more recently Black Grouse have been successfully
re-introduced to this particular area. On this quieter
area you may well see the odd Mountain Hare too. Once
at Lost Lad Hill End a small climb up a steep path is
required until you eventually reach the actual summit
of Lost Lad with its large cairn and a toposcope memorial
erected by the Sheffield Clarion Ramblers.
Lost Lad
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Back Tor
|
The hill of Lost Lad gets its name and its impressive
cairn from a story of a shepard boy who got lost and
lost his life on the moors in a severe blizzard. It
wasn't until the spring that another shepard passing
by found the lost shepard's body and by it written on
a rock was the words "Lost Lad". From the
summit of Lost Lad the highest point of the trek Back
Tor is visible and easily reached by an obvious footpath.
The 538M summit of Back Tor has some very impressive
grit stone formations and its summit trig point isn't
the easiest I've climbed to despite its obvious appearance
it is actually set on top of the grit stone rock formations
so requires a bit of scrambling to actually bag. The views
from Back Tor are quite unique, there aren't many places
in the Peak you can see so many of its highest features.
The Great Ridge, Derwent Valley Reservoirs, Stanage
Edge, Bleaklow and Kinder Plateau can also be seen from
this viewpoint and all seem so close. From Back Tor
head south along the ridge path in the direction of
the craggy Derwent Edge passing two bizarre looking
round rocks on the way known as the Cakes Of Bread.
Salt Cellar
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Wheel Stones
|
The path which is often flagged now heads past Derwent
Edge which is best seen by leaving the path and heading
at it from slightly down the hill side to appreciate
it from below. The high point behind Derwent Edge is
known as Dovestone Tor. In the distance you should now
be able to see the Salt Cellar rock. This fantastic
piece of weather sculpted grit stone stands proud and
quite lonely above Ladybower reservoir and gets its
name from its visual similarity with a salt cellar.
After passing White Tor you will come across probably
the most awesome grit stone rock structure on the trek,
Wheel Stones or Coach and Horses as its known to the
locals as from down in the valley below it looks like
a stage coach and horses on the hill.
After a few hundred yards from the Wheel Stones the
path comes to a cross roads where it meets the bridleway
Take the path to the right that heads back down towards Ladybower
Reservoir through a hill of deep bracken. The path then
joins a track that leads down the side of a forestry
plantation until it reaches the old barns at Grindle
Clough, one being that old it still has its 1647AD dated
lintel on the outside and another that has been made
into a shelter for walkers in rainy weather. The path
goes through a gate and a steep slippery section of
path until it reaches the road. Head north along the reservoir road for a mile or so to get back to Howden Dam then Fairholmes at the start of the walk.
|
Duration
: 4.5 Hrs
