The Ghosts of a Drowned Village - Derwent & Ashopton Derbyshire

Please watch: "The Most Beautiful Closed Railway in the UK? Scarborough to Whitby Railway Episode 2"
• The Most Beautiful Clo... -~-
The Ghosts of a Drowned Village - Derwent & Ashopton Derbyshire
Ever since the Village of Derwent was flooded & drowned to make way for Derwent & Ladybower Reservoirs, long hot summer spells occasionlly allow the water levels to drop so low as to reveal the hidden and long lost secrets of the Derwent valley & her two vilages of Derwent & Ashopton. Join me as i walk around Ladybower Reservoir uncovering lost history and traces of long lost communities.
Featuring extensive drone footage and historical stills.
Music by Scott Buckley.
Join me on Patreon - / trekkingandtowpaths
Would you like to help support my Channel? Hit the link to find out how: / @trekkingexploration
Buy me a Coffee at ko-fi.com/trekkingtowpaths
PayPal at
www.paypal.me/trekkingtowpaths
Follow me on Facebook at / trekkingexploration
Twitter at / trekexploration
Instagram at
/ trekkingexploration
#derwent #village #reservoir #flood #dam Additional Music by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0.
www.scottbuckley.com.au

[@richardhobson5995]

A great video, and rather poignant for me. After returning from the horrors of the "Great " War, and suffering from the effects of mustard gas, my grandfather took on a chicken farm at Ashopton. To think that he would have walked those roads and worshipped in the church, sends a shiver down my back.

[@grahamdavidcowley]

The mysterious road at about18 minutes in could be the old drovers road, where they brought sheep from further afield on the way to market. There is (or was) an old drovers bridge right up the valley where the path gets steeper. The church tower was originally left standing, but was blown up after people started to swim out toit for a dare. Back in the 1960s there was another drought, and the photographs that I had from that time showed the valley with a lot less water than today. The ghostly shape at 20 minutes looks like an old garden. There is obviously nearest the camera a cross with a ring. The map quite clearly shows some gardens there, and it matches with my original 1920s/1930s map of the area, which states that this is either the site of Derwent Hall or Hollinclough Farm, not sure which because of the scale.Why it is marked Waterhouses I'm not sure, but it could be because after the building of Howden Dam, Sheffield Corporation did buy some houses in the area for water board staff to live in. The steps and wall could be part of a tiered garden scheme, rather than a loading bay. Also in that area was Dabbey Grange, and Howden House. There are various small streams, Abbey Brook, separating Dabbey Grange and Howden House and Cranberry Clough, opposite Slippery Stones, although I think these were covered by the Howden Dam. The whole area was a training ground for the Lancaster Bombers that made up the Dam Busters in the 2nd World War. If you want a scan of the map, please let me know.

[@lindastone679]

What a beautiful area but also a sad sight to see the remains of what was once a thriving and beautiful Village

[@attercliffecentral3802]

When I was younger me and my late grandparents used go to the Dronfield Contact Club every Sunday. They got to know a few locals we used to sit with a lady who in her younger years used to walk in the Peak District and Derwent Valley was one of her favourite spots. Nora was born in 1912 she would get on the bus and get off at Ashopton Inn I think she used to go in the pub sometimes. She did mention Derwent Hall at that time it was used by the Youth Hostel Association you could visit it, later the Hall was used by a girl's school after they got bombed out. They stayed for a few years before returning back to Sheffield. I got the impression Nora never really approved of the flooding of the valley she visited once after the dam was completed she never went back.

[@johnraworth8019]

One of your best so far ! I was lucky enough a few years ago to fly at low level between those two towers on the Dam in a Faulke Motor Glider ( VW beetle engine ) from Camp Hill. You never realise what was once under that expanse of water. Great work !

[@GreencampRhodie]

Interesting. Criminal that such history & society / community is drowned.

[@shirleyn546]

Very interesting, but so sad, the ghosts of people’s lives

[@buffplums]

That’s incredible, it’s like those gardens have come to life again as the grass seed has regrown … amazing

[@trainmanbob]

Hi Ant. It must be said, this is one of your best videos to date. Full of history, mystery and intrigue, A well taken opportunity to investigate a site not often seen by folk. Beautifully presented in your usual uncomplicated way. Thank you my friend, thoroughly enjoyable. Bob

[@craigmarsh3221]

Fantastic video very enjoyable so very interesting 👍 keep them coming.

[@judithziari8197]

Beautiful vidio. Thank you for sharing this amazing bit of history. So sad that they destroyed what looked like a beautiful village

[@martinhew981]

Excellent video. The ending was very touching.

[@NBMedia8928]

Another excellent video, I went there back in 2018 when the levels were even lower and the old pump house was high and dry. It's also sad to think the remains of Ashopton village will never be seen again

[@damonalbarn9854]

Wow Ant that was amazing to see, i loved the drone footage as you could clearly make out formal gardens possibly allotments or animal enclosures. Hope you enjoyed your walk of the Midland and great Northern railway in Norfolk there are many more hidden gems along the route some of which I recovered including chairs an original 1880s sleeper with rail fixing and gradient post arms. Whitwell and Reepham station is worth a visit and the ramains of the old wayside station at Honing. Keep up the great videos and look forward to the next one.

[@TeriWilde]

I live not far from there and I walked into that building at

[@briancooper562]

To fully understand the landscape you need to study the 1900, the 1920's and the 1940's OS maps, The building you call pump houses are manual valve houses to control flow. Notice no power input. The submerged one is for the pre Ladybower pipe line from Derwent reservoir which was duplicated to its current position near the old railway line track bed, so it was not underwater as Ladybower filled. The pipeline goes through the road bridge structure. A57. I had a great uncle who had to move from his farm near the Ashopton railway viaduct as the dam was started. His whole farm equipment and animals where moved by train to Ashbourne - Derby road. He lost half his farm to the RAF when they built Ashbourne airfield in the early 40.s.

[@daveanthony5050]

Love these types of videos all that history forgotten in time All memories gone

[@richardsutton01]

Very interesting video. I was also there in 1976 with my Dad and two younger brothers. It was very low then and you could see a lot of the Ashopton foundations. The famous Derwent church spire had gone by them although my Dad told us about it as he had seen it many times before I was born.

[@mushroom_coloured_stepthro]

Lovely video, the melancholic music evoking a sadness of times past. Thanks for exploring and showing us along with the old photos what it was like. Thant amazing submerged bridge! shame...

[@crosscriss8196]

Lovely piece of film and music choice... very moving to watch what was originally there.