Carsington Water
OS Grid ref:- SK241516
Carsington Water, a popular attraction located on the edge of the Peak District National Park, between Ashbourne and Wirksworth, is owned by Severn Trent Water and was opened by Queen Elizabeth in May 1992.
It was built to store water pumped from the River Derwent at times of high rainfall and return it to the river when the river level would otherwise be too low to allow water extraction for treatment further downstream.
The reservoir is a major centre for leisure activities including walking, cycling, fly fishing, birdwatching, sailing, canoeing, and windsurfing and there are a variety of scenic walks around the reservoir and beyond.
Carsington Water has a popular purpose built visitor centre with exhibitions, a range of shops, a cafe and a restaurant. The Kugel Stone, a ball of granite weighing over a ton, stands in the coutyard it revolves on a thin film of water under pressure.
Birds sighted at the reservoir include Little Owl, Little Grebe, Great Northern Diver, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Common Tern and breeding Common Redshank. Feral Barnacle Geese are found there