walking | Hagg Side
What and where is Ladybower, and Hagg side?
Hagg Side overlooks Ladybower and Upper Derwent reservoirs, bordering their western sides. The reservoirs themselves are famous for a host of reasons, including the famed 'Dambusters' raid and their practise runs on Upper Derwent.
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Despite the scenic landscape, the area in and around the valley is almost entirely man made, shaped during the creation of Howden, Derwent and Ladybower reservoirs to supply timber and water to the growing industry in the local area. (There is an entire village at the bottom of the reservoir flooded during its creation in fact).
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Start this one at the Fairhomes visitors centre next to Ladybower Reservoir. It can get quite busy as Ladybower is a popular tourist stop.
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Remember to stick to The Rules and have fun!
1-2 hours
4.3 miles
Peak District
Get this route
Download our route and follow this yourself from either OS Maps or ViewRanger. OS Maps requires a subscription, which luckily you can get 10% off with Northern Stroll on any 12 month subscription. Check out our blog post for the code.
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ViewRanger is free and much like OS Maps doesn't require any data to work. All you need is a GPS signal, especially if you have downloaded your maps beforehand. It also has OS Maps available as a layer inside the app.
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Don't have ViewRanger on your phone yet? See our guide, or download it in your app store.
Route overview
From the Fairholmes Visitors Centre, head back out onto the road and head south (the way you drove in). After walking a short way, you'll come across a sign for Bridge End car park. Take the path to your left which will take you through the trees by the lake side. As you clear the trees near the stone building, bear right back to the road and then cross to the car park opposite.
At the back of the car park a track climbs in to the trees. Take it, and follow the path as it weaves through the trees. As you get towards the top, you'll come to some gates and stiles. Take the right hand gate and keep the woodland on your right as the views open up to your left across Hagg side and (hopefully with the right weather) to Alport Bridge and beyond to the Kinder plateau.
You'll cross a stile beside a gate, and then quickly notice the point in front of you where several paths merge. Ensure you head essentially 90 degrees to the right and keep the forest on your right hand side, now on the path towards Lockerbrook Outdoor Centre.
The path will start heading downward gently as you reach the activity centre - go straight on past it onto a track that starts to clumb again through a gate and follow this to it's conclusion over the hill and onto a main road (keep going for some time, and watch out for mountain bikers!)
Follow the road all the way back round the lake (now the Upper Derwent Reservoir) back to Fairholmes.
Key things to know:
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Time: About 3 hours for a quick 'up and down' but the full extended route could be up to 5
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Distance: 4.35 miles
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Elevation: 868 feet
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How to get here:
Postcode: S33 0AQ
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Parking at the car park is a great place to start from. Use the Google Maps marker here or just search for it in your favourite search engine. You can also visit the official Visit Peak District page.