Lamaload
At the head of the River
Dean, and its steep sided valley that winds above the village
of Rainow, Lamaload Reservoir is piled up behind an impressively
tall concrete dam wall.
Rainow village and the bridge
over the still infant River Dean.
From Buxter Stoops Farm
the view south to the shapely peak of Shutlingsloe is over the
hidden Lamaload. Macclesfield Forest is the dark wooded fringe
on the horizon on the right.
Looking north-east the long
flat top of Kinder Scout makes the horizon with the dark knobbly
outline of Windgather Rocks just discernible on the near ridge.
...
Down the lane below the
farm, just before the Nab End road junction this curious stone
is erected by the wall atop the grassed bank. It reads 'HERE JOHN
TURNER WAS CAST AWAY IN A HEAVY SNOW STORM IN THE NIGHT IN OR
ABOUT THE YEAR 1755' 'THE PRINT OF A WOMANS SHOE WAS FOUND BY
HIS SIDE IN THE SNOW WERE HE LAY DEAD'. There are many questions
raised by these two statements and the delightful ambiguity of
'in or about'. What was he doing away from habitation out in the
snow at night, was there a woman, why wasn't the footprint covered
over by the snow, was there only one footprint. etc? I don't know
who put up the stone. John was no relation to this Turner.
Across the road we can get
our first glimpse of Lamaload
Reasonable car parking space
has been provided by North West Water from where it is possible
to walk around the reservoir albeit at some distance from the
water's edge. Access there is restricted to fishermen only.
The most striking views
of the area are from the northern end, up the valley towards the
feeder streams and the road towards Wildboarclough past Ankers
Knowl Farm.
Sadly the path across the
dam wall is not open to public access so a walk around the reservoir
involves dropping down to the valley bottom and climbing back
up the steep path on the other side.
...
Peering around the warning
notices and fences at the end of the dam wall it is possible to
glimpse views across the water to the eastern bank!
The sheep-track heading
north back to Buxter Stoops Farm, with Waggonshaw Brow on the
left.
Along the north side of
the valley edge towards Yearnslow and the farm buildings.
From the road on the east
of the reservoir, access to higher land (Shining Tor -559m/1834ft)
...
... from which to view and
capture something of the approaching sunset.
It was cold standing around
waiting, but I think worth it!
Heading back towards Rainow,
snapping at the sunset's tail, I got this 'Wuthering Heights'
shot looking east to Dawson Barn Farm.
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