Unfortunately not as it is prohibited. People do swim in the reservoir but there are no lifeguards and therefore dangerous. It is such a shame as I like open water swimming and it would be amazing to swim in the reservoir.
Great walk around the water. Just under 10 miles. Some on path, some on b road towards the sailing club.
There is parking bays along the side of the reservoir for free or you can pop into the Yorkshire Bridge pub for a pint then walk up, it's 5 mins from there!
Car park locations
| Car park name | Location | Spaces |
|---|
| Crowden | Longdendale | 25 |
| Dennis Knoll | Near Stanage | 10 |
| Derbyshire Bridge | Goyt Valley | 115 |
| Derwent Overlook | Ladybower | 60 |
Squadron Leader George Leonard "Johnny" Johnson, MBE, DFM (born 25 November 1921) is a retired Royal Air Force officer who is the last surviving original member of No. 617 Squadron RAF and of Operation Chastise, the "Dambusters" raid of 1943.
Bouncing bomb
| Vickers Type 464 code name: Upkeep |
|---|
| Manufacturer | Vickers-Armstrongs |
| Produced | February 1943 |
| No. built | 120 (62 inert and 58 HE filled) 19 used operationally |
| Variants | Highball spherical bouncing bomb, inert training bombs |
From December and into early January 1943 testing was carried out using metal spheres dropped from a Wellington Bomber at Chesil in Dorset. However they were being badly damaged when they hit the water rather than bouncing across the surface.
Number 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, originally based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire and currently based at RAF Marham in Norfolk. It is commonly known as the "Dambusters", for its actions during Operation Chastise against German dams during the Second World War.
The results certainly impressed the world at the time - two dams were breached, and a third damaged. As flood water surged down the valleys, factories and infrastructure were badly affected.
In 2018, a hot, dry summer descended on the English Midlands, and as the waters of the Ladybower Reservoir fell, the lost village of Derwent emerged. It was all gone.
Derwent Water offers a lot of access points for Wild Swimming. With a footpath around a lot of the lake you can pretty take your pick. Derwent is a popular lake and as such it has a lot of lake traffic, so for safety we highly recommended that anyone swimming in Derwent has a chill swim float (or the equivalent).
This lovely, gentle walk is on well-made paths and offers the most magnificent views for only a small amount of effort. The circular route completes a circuit of one half of Ladybower Reservoir and passes the awe-inspiring Derwent Dam, scene of the practice flights for the famous Dambusters raids during WWII.
Members can kayak, and must currently follow the buddy sailing rules and booking system / or go on the water during informal sailing times.
Dogs are very welcome at Derwent but must be kept on leads.
To get here by car, turn off the A57 Snake Pass road at Ladybower Reservoir following the brown signposts for Derwent Valley Dams. There is paid parking at the visitor centre.
The first 2 dams – Howden and Derwent – were built between 1901 and 1916. Work started on the third dam – Ladybower – in 1935.
Our site is still open. Car parks and toilets are open as usual.
The area has a long and interesting history - for more information visit our history of the Derwent Walk page. The park is open 24 hours. Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm or dusk if earlier.
