The Derbyshire Derwent

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The River

The Derbyshire Derwent is the most southerly and second longest of four rivers in England which bear the name. The others are in Yorkshire, Cumbria and on the Durham Northumberland border.



It is the longest river in Derbyshire and forms the backbone of the county.



At 50 miles long, the Derwent does in fact run virtually the entire length of the county. Rising in the peat bogs of Bleaklow it forms the border between Derbyshire and The City of Sheffield (South Yorkshire) from near to its source to just south of the Howden Dam. It ends at the Trent which at that point forms the border between Derbyshire and Leicestershire.



With a catchment area of approximately 1,200 sq kilometres it drains about half the area of the county.

The Source

As far as I am aware there is no official source of the river. I would place it in Swain's Greave just to the west of Barrow Stones:

The Mouth

There can be no mistake about where the river ends

Tributaries

The tributaries will be pointed out in the square by square view of the river below. They are perhaps worthy of another article in the future.

Grid Squares and Images

The Derwent flows through approximately 120 grid squares (some of these twice!). In most of these pictures of the river already exist.

It is my aim that all of these squares will, in time, have at least one picture of the river on the geograph site.

If you do submit any, please let me know via the email link on my Profile so I can add them to this article.

In some square pictures of the river abound and I have not included them all, rather just one or two of an interesting feature. I hope I offend no one by omitting one of theirs.

Do look at the full size images, in particular because there may be information you find interesting in the description. The comments in the article are mine and I have not "copied" any from the images, except where I refer directly to doing so.

The Upper Derwent Reservoirs

The stretch of the river where it now forms these three lakes is the most famous, and consequently the most photographed.

I have not included in my list of squares all those that these features cover. I have attempted determine which the un-dammed river would have passed through. In time I hope to perhaps confirm (or disprove) my guesses by referring to historical maps.

The Squares and the River

The Upper Derwent Valley - The Source to the Ladybower Dam

SK1396

If you agree with my definition of the source then there is just this one picture of the river in this square. Just one of many peat groughs in this part of the Dark Peak.

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SK1297

In the centre of this picture by Dave Dunford the various water courses join to form a definite main flow.


Here, in the distance, the valley through which the river exits Swains Greave to start its journey to The Trent can be clearly seen.

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SK1397

In this chilly picture by Pete Chapman the Derwent Valley begins to form.


The river leaves Swains Greave.

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After entering back into this square from SK1398 the Derwent enters another level and boggy area and meanders through it almost like a river in its old age on a low-lying flood plain.

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SK1398

The young Derwent just edges into this square. This is an important square as it is here that The Derwent becomes the border between the County of Derbyshire and The City of Sheffield. It is also here that it begins to have a southerly direction. It is destined to go no further north than this.

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SK1497

Another picture by Dave Dunford, there is now no doubt we have the makings of a river.

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SK1496

The river continues to gain flow.



As side cloughs empty into it.

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SK1596

The Derwent is now the dominant feature of the square.

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SK1696

The Derwent has by here formed the classic young river valley, with steep sides and interlocking spurs.

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SK1796

The river just edges into this square.

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SK1695

This is the first square through which the river flows north to south. This will be its predominant direction now until it has passed through Derby and approaches its end.


This picture looks south with the direction of flow. The name of the hillside is perhaps significant "Oaken Bank". The name Derwent is believed to originate from the Celtic for something along the lines of "valley lined with oaks".


It is bridged for the first time. Though as this image's description explains this bridging point is only fifty years old - the bridge itself is much older.

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SK1694

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SK1794

Here the river begins to widen and slow to form the Howden Reservoir.

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SK1693

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SK1692

About half of the Howden Dam wall is in this square. Although the dam wall is also in SK1792, I don't think that the river would have flowed into that square.

Just to the north of the dam the Derwent was joined by the River Westend from the west. The valley of that river now forms the large inlet in the reservoir which is mainly in SK1693




The Derwent Reservoir starts at the foot of the Howden Dam wall, there is no intermediate channel which you might call the river. But I think it would have flowed to the west of this small island.


In this square the Derbyshire / Sheffield border breaks-off to the east. From here on its Derbyshire all the way!

The tributary from the east is Abbey Brook.

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SK1691

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SK1791

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SK1790

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SK1789

The most photographed square so far. It contains the Derwent Dam wall and the Fairholmes car park.

Unlike at the foot of the Howden Dam, there is below the Derwent Dam a short stretch of channel which one could describe as the river.

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SK1788

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SK1888

In this square the river once flowed through the village of Derwent. I believe that the packhorse bridge now at Slippery Stones in SK1695 was originally sited here.

Follow the link to the square to see some interesting pictures of what remains of the village as seen when the reservoir is low.

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SK1887

This one by Steve Partridge is from SK1987 but shows the river/reservoir in this square and SK1888 really well (the sheep looks good too!)

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SK1987

There are some nice shots of the river/reservoir taken from this square (as above), and now thanks to Peter Barr a couple of the river/reservoir in it.

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SK1986

A well photographed square. Here the Derwent is joined from the west by the River Ashop and, probably as a result of that confluence, is nudged to the east - this is of course now somewhat obscured by the fact that both river valleys are filled by the Ladybower Reservoir. It is also difficult to tell if the Ladybower Brook, which joins from the east would have met the Derwent in this square or SK2086, I think it would have been in this square and that the Derwent would not have run through SK2086.

The village of Ashopton occupied this square and SK2086 but is, of course, now drowned. Unlike its more famous former neighbour of Derwent its remains have never been revealed at time of drought.


A nice view of the Ashopton Viaduct carrying the A57 over the course of the River. It is difficult to imagine just how tall the support piers of this structure are as they are nearly completely submerged. The viaduct was constructed (for obvious reasons) before the reservoir was allowed to fill, see this photo: Link


This shot by John Darch gives a very good overview of the valley through this square and SK1985.

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SK1985

Another square popular with geographers, not surprising as most of the Ladybower Dam wall and the western of the two spectacular outfalls are seen here.


By my estimations this image is looking directly along the line that the river once took.




Released from the confines of the reservoirs, the river continues on its way.

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