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.
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