MAY 2018 WALK EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK CHALLENGE – DAY 4
Ladybower reservoir in Derbyshire was on today’s agenda for me and my friend. It is only 30 mins by car from my home in Sheffield. Last time I visited the reservoir was nearly a month ago. And how the landscape has changed in just four weeks is amazing!
So much green everywhere, the whole place was heaving with wildlife and beautiful, colourful spring flowers. Everything and everyone seem to be so happy and enjoying the sunshine in this stunning place.
Reservoir Walk
We first parked on the Ashopton Road and walked across the the Ladybower Reservoir Dam because I wanted to see the plugholes. I have never walked this part of the reservoir, only the one on the other side near to Fairholmes. At the end of the Dam we turned left where we came across a bridge ( Yorkshire Bridge?) with a little waterfall. We then went back to the Dam. We then went around the same part of the reservoir (Fairholmes side) as I did last time but in the other direction.
The Plugholes
The plughole, as it is known locally is one of two enclosed bellmouth overflows.
Completed in 1943, the dam was built by Richard Baillie and Sons to compensate for water held by two dams from the River Ashop and the River Derwent. The bellmouths are often completely out of the water and are only rarely submerged.
The ‘plughole’ like structure is taking surplus water from the reservoir and feeding it into the river Derwent and local streams. It is known as an overflow – which is called a ‘morning glory spillway’ – because it is shaped just like the flower! When the reservoir is full it drains excess water away, which helps to manage the reservoir levels.
You can see it in action in this video I found on YouTube.
Yorkhire Bridge
Pretty Wild Garlic
Overlooking Ashopton Viaduct
Awww…my beloved bluebells. I can’t get enough of them this month! 🙂
May Bug
Cockchafer or commonly known May bug or doodlebug is a European beetle. It had been nearly eradicated in the middle of the 20th century through extensive use of pesticides and has even been locally exterminated in many regions. However, since an increase in regulation of pest control beginning in the 1980s, its numbers have started to grow again.
They are big. A common cockchafer can reach sizes of 25–30 mm; the forest cockchafer is a bit smaller (20–25 mm). You can distinguish the two species by the looking at their tail: the tail is long and slender in the common cockchafer, but shorter and knob-shaped at the end in the forest cockchafer. Both have a brown colour.
The larvae develop in the earth for about 3-4 years and then they come out in spring and live for about five to seven weeks! :-O
We have done pretty well today. 6.4 miles plus about a mile at the begging, 7.4 miles in total. What a stunning walk. I highly recommend this walk around the Ladybower Reservoir. It is mostly push chair, bike and scooter friendly. Perfect for a family walk.
