{"id":1010425,"date":"2026-01-29T17:03:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T17:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1010425"},"modified":"2026-01-29T17:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T17:03:15","slug":"upper-derwent-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.half-daywalker.com\/?p=1010425","title":{"rendered":"Upper Derwent Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Significant Anniversary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ten years ago today was my last day at work, at Weaver Vale Housing Trust. It really doesn’t seem that long, yet I’ve packed quite a lot in, with my weekly walks being a constant highlight, as I planned them to be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially recorded on Facebook posts, but for almost five and a half years recorded in this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are nearly 250 posts on the blog now, that’s a lot of miles, and much spectacular countryside enjoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I intend to keep going for the foreseeable future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today’s forecast said mainly dry and cloudy. I’d been planning a long walk in the Upper Derwent Valley, and over the moors to Alport Castles, but as I drove over from Chapel-en-le-Frith to Castleton I was enveloped in cloud, and realised that a walk over the moors was not a good idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I planned a shorter walk with less elevation along the western side of the valley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s just over an hour’s drive from Cheadle Hulme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 5 mile walk took 3 hours to complete, including an additional half a mile to go and view the spectacular man-made waterfall at the Upper Derwent Reservoir dam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a good walk for taking the dog, just a couple of sheep fields and a bit of minor road walking to negotiate, but mainly woodland and reservoir tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I walked in an anticlockwise direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half of the walk is on OS Explorer Map OL1, and half is on OL1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I parked at the Fairholmes car park, nearest postcode S33 0AQ, but on Google Maps just use Fairholmes Car Park for directions; What 3 Words \/\/\/forest.baths.moons<\/p>\n\n\n

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Upper Derwent Reservoir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As I left the car park I could glimpse the waterfall through the trees, and decided I must take a closer look later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the end of the dam is a sculpture commemorating the training runs performed by the dambuster bombers before their sorties to Germany in World War 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Even at this relatively low elevation, the visibility wasn’t great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Even the small feeder streams on the hillside were bubbling with water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As the road took a left bend towards Quzelden Clough, the dam of Howden Reservoir came into view through the murk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gores Plantation And Nabs Wood<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It was time for me to leave waterside and climb 425feet into the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I took regular stops to peer into the view below, with Howden Reservoir just visible above its dam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Soon, it was just me and the trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When the track flattened out, it was just me, the trees, and the reflections of the trees in the puddles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After the forest, I came to the pretty Locker Brook tumbling down the hillside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Descent To Ladybower Reservoir<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I could now see down into the valley which carries The Snake Pass (A57) over from Glossop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the mist was beginning to lift a little now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Turning into the woods at Hagg Side, some of the conifers had been harvested and the reservoir came into view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Soon, I could see up the valley to the Derwent dam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Down at the reservoir, I admired the two huge pipes, described as “Aqueduct” on the map, as they cross the reservoir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Derwent Dam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once back at Fairholmes, I kept to my word, and went to admire the dam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Couldn’t resist a video!<\/p>\n\n\n\n