Ogston Reservoir is situated in beautiful Derbyshire countryside between the low-lying hills of the Amber Valley near the villages of Brackenfield, Ashover and Clay Cross.
Ogston Reservoir was originally created to supply the National Coal Board's Carbonisation Plant at Wingerworth but is now run by Severn Trent Water and supplies water for the local area and is used as a holding ground for water for nearby Carsington Reservoir. It has an area of 220 acres of open water, holds 1300 million gallons of water and gets its water from the River Amber.
Ogston Reservoir |
Ogston Reservoir |
Ogston Reservoir |
The flooding of the valley in 1958 and completely submerged farmland, roads and part of the Ashover Light Railway. The reservoir also destroyed most of the village of Woolley. The villagers were relocated into council houses built in another local hamlet, Badger Lane, which eventually became known as the village of Woolley on the Moor, which subsequently became the present village of Woolley Moor.
Ogston reservoir provides many leisure activities including sailing, windsurfing and trout fishing. There have been 200 species of bird life recorded at Ogston including Wilson's phalarope, Sabine's gull and long-tailed skuas. There are two observation hides used by local bird watchers.
The present sailing club building which can be viewed from the field was originally the Amber Valley Camp School. It was built in 1939 to give 250 children from urban areas the benefit of have a months education in rural surroundings.
There are three car parks, two of which have picnic facilities overlooking the water and toilet facilities.
Tip from the Derbyshire Ornithological Society: 'The best viewing areas are from the main car park and from the road along the western edge south of the car park. Please take care on this narrow lane and it recommended that you use the car parks at either end and then use the footpath for access. Another good vantage point is the small causeway at Milltown Inlet in the north-west corner. '
