Ladybower Reservoir and the Lost Derwent Village Remains

We are in Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park today to explore the lost sunken village of Derwent and the Ladybower Reservoir.

Every so often during severe dry summers, the water levels of the Derwent Valley reveal a fascinating underwater world of lost communities. The villages of Ashopton and Derwent were flooded when construction of the Ladybower was started in the early 1940s. Although a lot of the villages were demolished, the drought of the summer of 2022 have once again revealed the lost remains and ruins of the villages.

We look at the Mill Brook, the old St James & St Johns Church, school, cottages and of course the ruins of the former Derwent Hall. The village of Derwent was a small community centred around where the Mill Brook flowed into the River Derwent.

Next to the village, we can walk alongside what we see on old maps as the Fish Pond, part of the gardens and grounds of the Derwent Hall. By the side of Derwent Hall is the old St Henry's Roman Catholic church. After spending time looking around the ruins and remains and the hall, we see the Lovers Seat that perched at the side of the River Derwent.

Related video - remains of the railway viaduct in Derwent Reservoir    • Remains of Railway Viaduct in Derwent...