We are creating a series of 3D computer models showing how parts of the village appeared c 1960. This short tour takes us past some of the houses and shops that many people still remember. We follow the cable hauled tramway from the brickyard as it emerges from beneath Buxton Road and heads towards the exchange sidings alongside the railway line. The video will be extended as we add more buildings and features.
The loneliest village in England is how Blackwell Mill was described in 1921.
The name comes from the corn mill which was powered by the waters of the River Wye and which had existed at the time of the Domesday Book. The mill fell into disuse many years ago and only the weir remains today.
The Midland Railway came to the Wye Valley in1863 forming a triangular junction at Blackwell Mill. In the middle of the triangle, a row of eight cottages was built to house railway workers. Blackwell Mill could only be reached by footpath so in November 1874 a small station, Blackwell Mill Halt was opened.
The station had two
very short platforms without any accommodation but a platelayers hut provided
shelter from the weather. Only two trains a week were scheduled to call
although passengers could request additional trains to stop. The station never
appeared in the public timetables.
The 1914 Ordnance Survey map shows a mission room alongside the cottages, the only other building at Blackwell Mill.
In 1921, the oldest resident was 73 year old Mr Cook, the signalman. The highlight of the week was being entertained by Mrs Drabble's gramophone.
The eight cottages still stand but have been joined by a cycle hire centre. They are no longer quite so isolated as they may now be reached by road.
This article first appeared in our April 2022 Newsletter
The Lost Village of Ashopton.
The remains of the village of Ashopton, lie today beneath the waters of Ladybower Reservoir, completed in 1945 to supply water to South Yorkshire and the East Midlands.
Ladybower was the third of the North Derbyshire reservoirs of the Derwent Valley. Howden was completed in 1912 and Derwent, just below,filled with water four years later. Only a small number of residents had been displaced, from lost farms and smallholdings, and these people were re-housed in the nearby villages of Ashopton and Derwent just a short way south.
Building the first dams had been a major undertaking. An eleven kilometre long railway was built north from Bamford to carry construction materials and a temporary village was built to house the 1000 workers. Birchinlee was built from corrugated iron huts and became known as "Tin Town". Although it existed only for a few years, it boasted a hospital, school, post office, canteen cum pub, a recreation hlaa and bath house; there was even a police station.
On completion of the works, both railway and town were dismantled.
It was soon realised that despite their huge capacity, these reservoirs were not going to meet the growing demand of the East Midland's cities. A third reservoir, Ladybower was now planned and this would engulf the small villages of Derwent and Ashopton. Properties were compulsorily purchased by the Derwent Valley Water Board betweem 1935 and 1943 and construction commenced.
These were only small communities, the larger, Ashopton had a population of fewer than 100 people. The village did however sit on the main Sheffield to Glossop Road and being at a crossroads was a busy stopping place. The Ashopton Inn was a large, former coaching house. There was also a post office and store and a motor garage and Methodist chapel of 1840. Nearby Derwent had a parish church and a manor house, Derwent Hall, once owned by the Duke of Norfolk.
The villagers were rehoused at Bamford, to the south and their homes demolished. the last service at Ashopton chapel was held on 25th September 1939. St.John and St.James in Derwent survived until March 1943. Ladybower Reservoir was filled in 1945
Occassionally, in dry summers, the water levels fall to reveal some of the remains of Derwent village; Ashopton has however completely disappeared beneath silt. Until 1947, the spire of Derwent Church would eerily reappear but it was then demolished being considered dangerous.
The postcards below were published in 1939 by Raphael Tuck & Co.
The recent emergency at Toddbrook has tended to overshadow an earlier
incident at Combs Reservoir when the dam wall was damaged during a storm and threatened to cause flooding.
Combs Reservoir in 2015. The dam is on the left.
The dam at Combs Reservoir had been repaired on a number of previous occasions including the removal of trees in 1948 and the stemming of a leak in 1969 caused by decayed roots. It had been constructed in 1805 to the design of Benjamin Outram and raised by 2 metres in 1820.
A severe storm hit Britain on 3rd January 1976. Winds reached an average speed of 70 knots, gusting in places to 87 knots and causing widespread flooding and damage, especially in Eastern England. It was even stronger in Northern Europe where it reached hurricane force.
Another storm followed on 29th January bringing strong winds and very cold temperatures.
On the morning of 29th January, during the storm, a 10 metre wide slip occurred on the downstream slope of the dam. The damage was discovered at 7.15, reportedly by a postman on his rounds and the police and British Waterways alerted. At 9.0am the draw off valve was opened to lower the water level which was 11 cm above the spillway level and only 90cm below the level of the wave wall. Temperature was below freezing and spray was blowing over the crest. A deep cut was made in the overflow weir and pumps used to lower the water level to eighteen feet below the weir level and a month later by a further two feet and eventually twenty four feet.
Investigations followed and these involved digging a number of trial pits and drilling many bore holes to take soil samples. Eighteen months later, little progress had been made and it was questioned whether there was an economic case for repairs to the dam. It was 1978 before British Waterways were able to assign an engineer to the project and his proposals included strengthening the downstream face of the dam and installing a wave wall along the top. The road at the foot of the dam would be rebuilt at a higher level and the space infilled. . Although design work progressed it was not until 1982 that a capital grant was received to finance the project. Work commenced in June. It was December 1983 when the work was completed and the water level restored.
It was concluded that cavities had been created at the base of the wave wall by wave action leading to saturation by spray of the downstream face. An investigation found that the dam had been marginally stable for a long time and that the height of the wave wall was inadequate.
Although the dam was not breached a massive amount of water was released during the emergency. There are many reports of flooding and some people were evacuated especially between Combs Reservoir and Horwich End.
At Cadster Farm three fields of hay were ready for bailing and were lost to flooding; a hay rake was never seen again. A bailer jammed under Cadster Bridge and the river was 3 feet deep and the width of the field.
An area at the bottom of Elnor Lane where houses have since been built was flooded.
We are grateful to Wendy Alsop for allowing us to reproduce photographs taken by her late husband, Derek.
Many of the details of the slip and its repair are reproduced with permission from the history of Combs Sailing Club. The Club maintained their activities throughout this period despite greatly reduced water levels. They received much assistance from Toddbrook Sailing Club.
Damage
to the banking - January 1976
Reducing the water levels January and February 1976
Installing a new wave wall on the dam – July and November 1983
Building the new roadway 1983
Wood's Supper Bar. 
"Elder" in the above advertisement refers to a dish of cooked cow's udder.
This postcard, also from Kath Bennet, shows Buxton Road in the 1930s. The sign at the end of Wood's shop, advertises Barrett's Soda Water. We don't know when the fish and chip shop closed but it was re-opened as a newsagent's in 1957 by Brian Smedley.
In this picture we can also see Valentines confectioners (later Hill's grocers) and the Post Office. In the distance are Ernie Davies's "cafe" and the bank.
