Sunday last I took great pleasure in exploring the western side of the Derwent Valley Derbyshire, the magnificent West Tower was my first port of call; it houses a stone memorial plaque to the heroic 617 ‘Dambuster’ Squadron.
The majestic valley was dark and chilly and didn’t deter the most hardened trekkers and cyclists who flocked to fill every available space. Getting parked was pure jammy.
During WW2 Derwent and Howden dams were used by the Lancaster Bombers in preparation for operation ‘Chastise’. The dams provided 6 weeks of target practice due to their similarity to the industrial German Dams of Mohne and Eder.
The East Tower hosts a museum dedicated to the 617 Squadron and those involved with bomber command who served, fought and died for their country. The museum also provides a great dose of local history on the lost villages of Derwent and Ashopton.
Over a 1000 people were involved in the erection of the reservoirs, built over a 100 years ago to supply the neighbouring cities of Sheffield, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham.
x Della Marie