Lazy day on the lake
Carsington Water, Derbyshire Play wildlife detective, spot waterbirds, wander gentle trails or just mess about in boats at this family-friendly reservoir, says Helen Moat
Carsington Water, Derbyshire
Summer is on our doorstep. The evenings are long and warm. It’s a precious time of year to spend with children and grandchildren in the outdoors among nature.
Walking benefits us all, strengthening lungs, heart and muscles and improving mental wellbeing. After the demands and stresses of the workplace and classroom, nature is wonderfully healing. As we focus on the moment – preoccupied with a bird, flower or insect – we can relax and forget our worries.
WALKING WITH KIDS
Increasing numbers of studies show that woodlands have healing powers: they quicken recovery from illness, boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Trees help to improve mood, sleep and energy levels and increase our ability to focus – great for children with ADHD. Water relaxes and invigorates, too. Throw a rug down on a riverbank, beside a lake or reservoir and have an al fresco lunch. Skim stones. Have an energising swim in a mountain stream. Stretch out on a grassy bank, close your eyes and listen to the soothing babble of a brook.
As you walk, introduce the youngest members of the family to the extraordinary world of nature: the strange whirring of a nightjar at dusk, the pale lights of glow-worms after dark or fox cubs playfighting in a meadow. And more ordinary – but just as magical – the intricate patterns of leaves, the music of a songbird or the tiny details of moss and lichen. Take a magnifying glass and turn your ramble into a treasure hunt and create lasting bonds and memories with your children. Photograph your discoveries, create art and forage for food. Visit a sculpture park or a nature reserve with bird hides. The secret to walking with children is to keep it to a manageable distance, make it an adventure and factor in a café stop.
RELAX BY THE RESERVOIR
You can easily spend a full day at Carsington Water, a reservoir lying just outside the Peak District National Park near Ashbourne. Along with its Wildlife Centre there are four other bird hides, while the nearby Water Centre hires out bicycles and boats. You can cycle the eight-mile perimeter of the reservoir or rent out paddleboards, rowing boats or sit-on-top kayaks for a lazy afternoon on the water.
Walking is the ultimate way to experience the reservoir’s wildlife. Carsington Water has hosted over 200 species of birds, along with butterflies, bees and insects. Explore the surrounding wildflower meadows, reedbeds, ponds and woodlands, taking on the role of wildlife detective with young ones. Hunt pondlife, spiders and minibeasts.
Spend the morning exploring the waterside attractions on the west side of the reservoir. From the main car park, follow the northbound path to the
“HUNT FOR MINIBEASTS, SPIDERS AND PONDLIFE IN THE MEADOWS, REEDBEDS AND WOODS”
Wildlife Centre, a wooden structure with a grass-turfed roof, interactive information panels and viewing windows overlooking Horseshoe Island. On-site staff are happy to point out the prolific birdlife that gathers in the water channel and off-shore islet. Look out for curlews, cormorants, coots, great crested grebes, mallards, tufted ducks and terns before retracing your steps to the car park.
Here you’ll find the Visitor Centre. Inside, an interactive exhibition tells the story of water, from rainfall to tap. Upstairs, the bright and airy restaurant shows off ceiling-tofloor views of the reservoir and Stones Island. Explore the shops in the courtyard, ice-cream parlour and fascinating Kugel Stone – a one-tonne ball of granite that can be rotated on its thin film of water with just a finger.
Climb nearby Stones Island with its modern interpretation of the prehistoric stone circle. Great stone slabs line the spiralling path. Peep through the portholes that are bored at various heights on the stone sculptures, each one framing a different view of the reservoir and surrounding countryside – great fun for the young and young-at-heart. Back at the car park, the green is perfect for a leisurely picnic, and children can enjoy the adventure playground.
In the afternoon, walk across the dam head to Stones Shelter, a magical ramble along waterside and through woods to a fairy-tale cabin.
1 ALONG THE WALL
From the south end of the main car park, head through trees, crossing the road by the marina to follow a wooded pathway out on to the head of the dam.
2 WOODS AND MEADOWS
Pause at the viewing area just beyond the dam head, a large circular construction with great vistas to the attractive Valve Tower controlling the flow of water. From here the path continues south, then east to Millfields car park – with an opportunity for a toilet stop and a drink or a snack at the ice-cream van.
A pathway between woodland and wildflower meadow wriggles along the rest of the south end of the reservoir before heading north, passing between Millfields Island and Hays Lane.
3 FAIRY-TALE CABIN
Sticking as close to the banks of the reservoir as possible, you’ll soon reach Stones Shelter, a cabin filled with fantastical wooden furnishings that children will love. There’s a table, fireplace, picture frame with alpine scenes, armchair, piano, love-heart chair and decorative clock – all slightly wonky. It could be a scene from a Grimm’s fairy tale. Look up to see the bat box.
4 SEVERN HEAVEN
Returning to just beyond the viewpoint, drop down off the dam head and cross the road to take the Severn Trent Water track through the wildflower meadow, looking out for butterflies. At the other end, cross the road again to the path at the end of the marina and retrace your steps back to the main car park.