Top 20 Lakes around Pilsley

Really interesting pick up a leaflet in the end bungalow on left at the start of walk .outside in a box

Small Pond, clear water, we spotted some beautiful roach with silver body & red fins, mother moorhen & chicks hiding in the flora

Portland Park has woodland, grassland, and a number of wetland areas found in the valley of a tributary of the River Erewash, bounded by used and disused railway lines. The meadow area was once a limestone quarry, which was infilled during the 1950s and the park is known locally as ‘The Quarries’. The site is based on a band of magnesium limestone that enables many rare plant species to grow, making it a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

"Spring has arrived – and the sun has melted the ice on the mill pond. Its rays reach to the bottom of the pond – and tickle awake the little water sprite, who has been hibernating with his mermaid parents. And what's the first thing a curious little water sprite does? Spring cleaning with his mother? Repairing the broken roof of the water sprite's house? Wrong! Of course, the little water sprite's first priority is to meet his old friend, Cyprinus the carp... The little water sprite isn't quite as cheeky here as in the 1955 original – but Daniel Napp's little spring story has been enchantingly illustrated. A magical, endearing, and ageless reading experience for children ages 4 and up." The Stiftung Lesen (Reading Foundation) reviews a four-volume sequel to the popular "The Little Water Sprite" by Otfried Preußler (1923 to 2013), which guides children through the seasons in this children's book series.

Not great to walk around unless you want to walk on the road a lot. There is no direct access to the reservoir because it is a conservation site. The car park is free and there are benches to sit on to watch the birds. Ognaston Bird Club conducts a guided bird walk on the first Saturday of each month and everyone is welcome. With them, you can access the reservoir surrounding areas to watch birds. If you want great views of the reservoir however you can combine a visit with a footpath walk up from the reservoir through fields and these are quite well signposted and accessible except from a slim squeeze with a holly hedge on one side and part of a footpath which is quite nettly - but will probably be okay by Autumn.

The Mill Pond (aka Lower Pond) was originally a quarry but was converted into a reservoir in 1850 to supply a continuous flow of water to power machinery.

Really needed a better camera for the resident kingfisher but it's there if you look hard enough.

The Cotes Parkland was sold off in small plots during the nineteenth century when the area was being mined for coal and ironstone. Three of the ponds were constructed during the nineteenth century as a result of mining operations, but it is thought that pond 3 is considerably older. In 1942 the area was re-landscaped for public use by Italian prisoners of war and subsequently became very popular for walking and picnicking. The creation of Cotes Park Industrial Estate in the 1970s has isolated the ponds within an industrial and residential landscape. They fell into disuse and decay and suffered from pollution. In the late 1980’s the borough council improved the ponds, which encouraged angling, walking and horse riding, there is an active friends group who have raised funds in partnership with Palmer Morewood Angling Club to install new paths and fishing pegs, the Borough Council have also improved the infrastructure and work with the Environment Agency to combat pollution.