Butterley Reservoir — Attraction in Amber Valley

Absolutely stunning views. Pathways gravelled and easy to walk. Nice to watch and have a chat with the anglers as you pass. Take heed of the 'Beware of trains' sign as the footpath takes you across the railway, they're not travelling at great speed or anything but they're not that loud so take care. Entrance to the reservoir isn't that obvious, we had to ask someone who works at the private anglers club. You can park for free in the Midland Railway car park, but then you have to walk through the anglers club car park to gain access. A bit confusing because there are 'private' signs everywhere! So, once you're in, the footpath snakes the reservoir in a figure of 8, passing over the train line where it crosses. So you can either choose one of two reasonably short walks (approximately 40 minutes at a steady pace), or you can do the whole lot. Depends how much time you have I suppose but next time I visit will take a picnic and plan to spend the whole day there. The footpaths are good but I wouldn't say they're wheelchair, or pushchair friendly. They're well laid and mostly flat, but there's lots of gravel, steps and banks to negotiate as well. Part of the path is concrete, but quite narrow as it sits on the bank of the railway with no barrier should you swerve off track for whatever reason you could end up in the reservoir. All in all perfect for a family or...

Just a simple place to walk around, grab a moment of peace n quiet, admire the dedication of men fishing and the paraphernalia needed. Some bits are a little off the track and may be unadvised for the more elderly or infirm but thate doest prevent you too much from experiencing some good well maintained paths and secluded areas to sit, rest, and breathe. There's even a small hut selling good simply hot food (burgers, sausage n bacon sarnies, etc) and hot drinks if you want to...

This place is absolutely magnificent, here you can find a beautiful lake, where you can actually practice fishing if you ask for permission, but the best part was the silence and the nature, you could see swans, ducks and more other types of birds in natural scenery. It really impressed me...