History
Ladybower reservoir is a large Y shaped reservoir in the Peak district, its the largest of three in the upper derwent valley. It was built between 1935 and 1943 the project being delayed due to shortage of labour and materials as a result of the second world war. Due to its strategic importance of maintaining water supplies work continued and was completed in 1943, it then took 2 years to fill and was finally opened on 25 September 1945 by king George VI. It is interesting to note that as the reservoir was filling and final works carried out the area and sky in 1944 was full of Lancaster bombers of 617 squadron who were practicing on the Derwent dam just further up the valley in preparation their famous Dambusters raid.
Near the Ladybower dam wall there are two enclosed bell mouth overflows locally known as the "plugholes" and it is the far one of these and its outlet that this explore is about
The Explore
The day I had chosen for the explore had heavy showers forecast so going underground seemed a good idea. I had a early start so it would be quite around the dam embankment, but it appeared that the area is very popular with dog walkers and tourist looking at the plugholes. I got down to the outlet and crouched in the undergrowth waiting for the all clear before descending the locked access ladder, not easy. At the bottom I was surprised at the size of the outlet pipe 15 foot in diameter I took a few photographs of the outlet including a ladder that went no ware.
I then ventured up the massive outlet pipe and was met by a fine mist blowing down the pipe that appeared as fog in my torchlight. at first I thought that in these conditions light painting was out but using a flash and 5 sec exposure it gave some interesting photographs showing up the beam of light from my torch no sooner had the mist appeared that it disappeared, I think it was a heavy rain shower outside coming down the plughole and sort of vaporizing as the rain drops hit the concrete then sucked through the outlet by a draught of air.
In the clearer conditions I managed a few light painting photographs, I tried to get a photograph looking up the giant plughole itself but very steep and slippy and awkward to photo with light flooding down. Heading back down the outlet pipe I realized how short the pipe was at about 150 meters but its sheer size and location made a great explore
The Photographs
Waiting for the All Clear
Not Easy This
The Outlet
Ladder to No Where
Its Big
Like the Bow of a ship
The Outlet Through The Mist
Towards the Plughole
Bottom of Plughole
Up The Plughole
Towards Plughole Clearer Conditions
Ladybower reservoir is a large Y shaped reservoir in the Peak district, its the largest of three in the upper derwent valley. It was built between 1935 and 1943 the project being delayed due to shortage of labour and materials as a result of the second world war. Due to its strategic importance of maintaining water supplies work continued and was completed in 1943, it then took 2 years to fill and was finally opened on 25 September 1945 by king George VI. It is interesting to note that as the reservoir was filling and final works carried out the area and sky in 1944 was full of Lancaster bombers of 617 squadron who were practicing on the Derwent dam just further up the valley in preparation their famous Dambusters raid.
Near the Ladybower dam wall there are two enclosed bell mouth overflows locally known as the "plugholes" and it is the far one of these and its outlet that this explore is about
The Explore
The day I had chosen for the explore had heavy showers forecast so going underground seemed a good idea. I had a early start so it would be quite around the dam embankment, but it appeared that the area is very popular with dog walkers and tourist looking at the plugholes. I got down to the outlet and crouched in the undergrowth waiting for the all clear before descending the locked access ladder, not easy. At the bottom I was surprised at the size of the outlet pipe 15 foot in diameter I took a few photographs of the outlet including a ladder that went no ware.
I then ventured up the massive outlet pipe and was met by a fine mist blowing down the pipe that appeared as fog in my torchlight. at first I thought that in these conditions light painting was out but using a flash and 5 sec exposure it gave some interesting photographs showing up the beam of light from my torch no sooner had the mist appeared that it disappeared, I think it was a heavy rain shower outside coming down the plughole and sort of vaporizing as the rain drops hit the concrete then sucked through the outlet by a draught of air.
In the clearer conditions I managed a few light painting photographs, I tried to get a photograph looking up the giant plughole itself but very steep and slippy and awkward to photo with light flooding down. Heading back down the outlet pipe I realized how short the pipe was at about 150 meters but its sheer size and location made a great explore
The Photographs
Waiting for the All Clear
Not Easy This
The Outlet
Ladder to No Where
Its Big
Like the Bow of a ship
The Outlet Through The Mist
Towards the Plughole
Bottom of Plughole
Up The Plughole
Towards Plughole Clearer Conditions
