Seeing Carsington Reservoir for the first time was a shock, as this vast sheet of water wasn't on our map. Though a twinkle in the planners eye since the 1960s it took 20 years before work began and then catastrophically the dam collapsed, so they had to start all over again. Finally opened in 1992, this is the ninth largest reservoir in England. Walking around the perimeter, a treat for both birdwatchers and botanists, it is impossible to go wrong - now there's a challenge!
LOCATION: Peak District, ten miles south of Bakewell
START: B5035 near Carsington village, Sheepwash car park
Grid ref: SK248528 Postcode: DE4 4DD
DISTANCE: 8 miles
GRADE: Easy
TIME: 4 hours (longer to include bird hides & Visitor Centre)
MAP: Explorer OL - White Peak Landranger 119
REFRESHMENTS: Visitor Centre & Miners Arms
EN ROUTE: Hopton, Millfields
This walk was originally published by
The Manchester Evening News