Weekend Walk: Lady Bower Reservoir

On Sunday morning, we woke up to a sky that was clear, a great echoing bowl of blue, drenched in light from the sun that has just risen over the horizon. The early morning air was crisp and the ice crystals that formed overnight were still clinging to the leaves of the potted plants by our kitchen door. It was a sort of day that brought a lot of promise, perfect for a photo walk in the countryside to capture the poetry of the changing season.

The night before, I have suggested taking the wheel and driving the family to the Lady Bower Reservoir, a twenty minute journey from Hillsborough through the quiet country lane that is Rivelin Valley Road which follows the course of the river until it joins A57 to the right, the trunk road between Sheffield and Manchester which passes through sheep pastures and wild heather moorlands with spectacular views of the valleys from the rising hills. This idea was not met with much enthusiasm and with perfectly good reasons.

Sundays are never the best times to go to the Peak District. Roadside parking spaces are quickly snapped up by the enthusiastic middle classes whose past times include early morning commune with nature in their Regatta outfits, walking poles and hiking boots. When we got there just after nine in the morning, we had to circle around to find a free space but even that was due to luck as we have a small car that can squeeze in when others can’t.

But perhaps the bigger reason was the state of my driving which even I am still nervous about. It has taken me an expensive nearly two years of weekly driving lessons with a very patient instructor to pass my driving exams at my second attempt while I was on the 37th week of pregnancy. John thinks I have charmed my way to get it, judging by my poor subsequent performances on the driver’s seat, which resulted to more weekend driving lessons (with a not-so-patient-instructor) involving uphill junctions, 20mph streets and circular routes. It wasn’t much fun so I suggested that on last week’s lesson, we should hit two birds with one stone: a driving lesson and a day out.

It was supposed to be easy: a quiet road with maximum speed limit of 50mph, so I started off with a lot of confidence. But there is never an easy route in Britain where you share the road with groups of cyclists hogging the road instead of their designated cycle paths, impatient drivers overtaking close to incoming bends and over-speeding motorcyclists signing their own death sentence. Add the fact that you never really see where you are going because the roads are never straight. But when we arrived at our destination without a scratch in the car, I was congratulating myself. My passengers though would tell a different story.

When we approached the reservoir, a wisp of mist was still hovering over the treetops but it didn't stay long. We parked closed to Ashopton Bridge and crossed the viaduct to the direction of Bamford, admiring the stunning view of the hills covered with woodlands in its autumnal glory, beautifully reflected in the calm water. We walked the length of the dam towards the other side, taking plenty of photos along the way.