Toddbrook Reservoir Dam in Whaley Bridge

One piece of big news in Britain just over a year ago was not Covid-19 and Coronavirus infections but the possible collapse of the Toddbrook Reservoir Dam in Whaley Bridge and the likely flooding of the small Derbyshire town.

The sandbags dropped from an RAF Chinook to shore up the Toddbrook Reservoir Dam in Whaley Bridge

In fact, parts of the town had to be evacuated and emergency repairs were undertaken to drain the 300-million-gallon reservoir. An RAF helicopter dropped sandbags on to the damaged part of the Victorian-era dam in a desperate attempt to prevent its collapse.

The reservoir remains drained and the repair job is expected to cost around 10 million Pounds. The Trust also thankfully rescued as many fish as possible before draining the reservoir of its water.

Kier are in charge of the reconstruction work which is expected to take several years.

Kier in partnership with the Canal and River Trust are in charge of the reconstruction work which is expected to take several years and begin in 2021 after temporary repairs during 2020

Access – Getting There

The dam is a short walk uphill from Whaley Bridge Station. Below the reservoir is the pretty Brookfield Pond built between 1853 and 1858. It used to serve clean water for a now disused print works in the town. Today, Brookfield Pond provides a habitat for frogs, toads, birds and fish.

Whaley Bridge Station is on the A5004 (Buxton Road) and a close walk from the A6 and the 199 bus route to Manchester Airport via Hazel Grove and Stockport. A nearby pub is The Railway with good beer and food and outdoor seating. The Goyt Inn is another local pub on Bridge Street and there are a number of local shops, restaurants, and a chippy, The Fryery, on the main road.

Further to the south of Whaley Bridge towards Buxton are the twin reservoirs of Fernilee and Errwood.

Also close by is the charming Peak Forest Canal and the Bugsworth Canal Basin.