# Ladybower - Jan 2013



## PaulPowers (Jan 16, 2013)

The wife wanted to watch a musical about miserable french lesbians so I decided to head out while it was on (I was out 2 1/2 hours and it was still on when I got back) 

History


> Ladybower was built between 1935 and 1943 by the Derwent Valley Water Board, and took a further two years to fill (1945). The dam differs from the other two as it is a clay-cored earth embankment, and not a solid masonry dam like the others. Below the dam is a cut-off trench 180 feet (55 m) deep and 6 feet (1.8 m) wide filled with concrete, stretching 500 feet (150 m) into the hills each side, to stop water leaking round the dam. The building of the dam wall was undertaken by the Scottish company of Richard Baillie and Sons. The two viaducts, Ashopton and Ladybower, needed to carry the trunk roads over the reservoir were built by the London firm of Holloways, using a steel frame clad in concrete. Both firms encountered mounting problems when the Second World War broke out in 1939 making labour and raw materials scarce. This extended the proposed build time, but the construction was carried on due to the strategic importance of maintaining supplies. The opening ceremony for the reservoir was carried out on Tuesday 25 September 1945 by King George VI accompanied by the future Queen Elizabeth.



I rocked up under the cover of darkness and checked the water level, the reservoir is about 2 - 3 foot off the top of the spillway so I was good to go 

To say it's pretty big is something of an under statement it's fooking massive but the XM-L 3800 shone like a beauty 

On with the pics

Taken a month ago





















It's pretty cold out and a layer of ice covers the walls





The twin outfall at the end




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## HughieD (Jan 16, 2013)

Totally awesome Paul.


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## TonyUK72 (Jan 16, 2013)

Great picture's, don't think I'd be brave enough to be down there though!!!!


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## PaulPowers (Jan 16, 2013)

TonyUK72 said:


> Great picture's, don't think I'd be brave enough to be down there though!!!!


nah it's a casual walk, getting in is the hard part


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## leftorium (Jan 16, 2013)

I'm very disappointed you didn't get naked are you nesh or summat?


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## PaulPowers (Jan 17, 2013)

negative numbers on the thermometer generally stops me getting naked


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## night crawler (Jan 17, 2013)

Brilliant looks awesome.


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## UE-OMJ (Jan 17, 2013)

Brave!


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## TeeJF (Jan 17, 2013)

Epic stuff!


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## Ramsgatonian (Jan 17, 2013)

Fantastic location and photographs!


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## UrbanX (Jan 17, 2013)

Excellent pics as usual! Always love pics from here. 
I'm off to google photos of glory holes...


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## flyboys90 (Jan 17, 2013)

Nice one!!!


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## MrDan (Jan 17, 2013)

Now that's impressive! I'd be chuffed if I took that first photo.


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## bridlad (Jan 17, 2013)

any photos of the french lesbians ?


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## PaulPowers (Jan 17, 2013)

bridlad said:


> any photos of the french lesbians ?



Just for you


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## Silent Hill (Jan 17, 2013)

Cracking pipeage mate. And that lesbian has sideburns :twitcy:


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## fragglehunter (Jan 17, 2013)

had a spin myself over here on sunday


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## fragglehunter (Jan 17, 2013)

it is the same place ?


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## PaulPowers (Jan 17, 2013)

Yeah that's the one


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## Sshhhh... (Jan 17, 2013)

Very brave of you to go down there, I think i would poop my pants! Great pics, like the self portrait silhouette and the ice shot


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## PaulPowers (Jan 17, 2013)

Sshhhh... said:


> Very brave of you to go down there, I think i would poop my pants! Great pics, like the self portrait silhouette and the ice shot



You get used to going solo it's a different beast to group explores


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## Stealthstar79 (Jan 18, 2013)

Stunning pics!


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## leftorium (Jan 18, 2013)

PaulPowers said:


> You get used to going solo



I told you you shouldn't mention the poop and fanny plasters until peoples' feet are in the warm water, you'd be far less lonely then


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## HughieD (Jan 18, 2013)

Know it well. When the water level is high it cascades over the edge of the dam - looks quite beuatiful...


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## hnmisty (Jan 21, 2013)

Rather you than me, so cheers! I take it that those tunnels all part of the overflow system? 
Wish I'd been around to see the church spire sticking up through the water, although am I right in saying that you can still see some ruins of the Derwent and Ashopton when the water is really low?

http://kreuzberged.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/ladybower_reservoir_derwent_church_spire_203x152.jpg

ps- what is at the end of your last pic? It looks like another wall...but of what?


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