Our Visitor Sites

Upper Derwent Valley

The Derwent, Howden and Ladybower Reservoirs make up the Upper Derwent Valley

Upper Derwent
Fairholmes
Bamford
Derbyshire
S33 0AQ

The site is open every day except Christmas Day.

The opening hours of the visitor centre are:

Fairholmes and Heatherdene

Cash and card payments accepted

2 hours	£3.50
Over 2 hours	£6

Opening Times: 24hr (Only closes in extreme weather conditions)

Other car parks

2 hours	£2
Over 2 hours	£4

Parking charges apply for blue badge holders.

Some of the trails around Upper Derwent Valley are suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Please call in at the Fairholmes Visitor Centre if you are concerned about access around the site.

At Upper Derwent Valley you're welcome to walk your furry friend.

Due to the nature and wildlife on site you will need to keep your dog on a lead at all times.

Upper Derwent Valley was created in the early 20th Century to provide 10,000 million gallons of water for the growing urban population in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.
Over 1,000 people were involved in building the reservoirs and were housed in the temporary ‘Tin Town’ at Birchinlee.
There are the flooded villages of Derwent and Ashopton – when water levels are low, you may get a glimpse of the village remains.
The Derwent, Howden, and Ashopton Resevoirs were in fact once the training site of the famous Dambusters Squadron.