This morning we had a walk around Fernilee Reservoir, located in the National Park of the Peak District, within the county of Derbyshire and very close to the border with Cheshire.
Fernilee reservoir was the first of two reservoirs incorporated into the Goyt Valley; the other is located at Errwood Reservoir. The reservoir was built by Stockport Water Corporation at the cost of £480,000, with work completed in 1938. It is currently owned and operated by United Utilities.
The reservoir provides drinking water to the city of Stockport and its surrounding areas and holds 4.940 million liters of water.
Why did we visit Fernilee Reservoir? Because of the recent droughts, we have had in Derbyshire, the result being that the old ghost village under the waters of Lady Bower in Derbyshire, can be seen pocking its head above water. I had heard rumors that the old dry stone walls which were submerged under the water at Fernilee reservoir could be seen.
I was excited to see how the test of time and the bashing of water would damage dry stone walls and I was so surprised to see they were still standing.
These walls must have been part of boundary walls of the time, and yet it is impossible to erase them from memory and sight, and show how once the field systems served the village.
Photographed with the morning light, so many visitors had walked out to the dry stone walls and built stacking stone monuments. This made interesting compositions in the landscape to photograph.
I would highly recommend a walk around the reservoir before the rains come, just to hear the old dry stone walls talk to you.
Here below is the inauguration ceremony at Fernilee reservoir in 1932
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