When working with robots, and especially when studying for the MSc RAS component of the CDT, the balance of indoor time to outdoor time can sometimes get a bit out of sync – mainly towards indoor time! To address this and to also prepare for all the chocolate eggs everyone planned to eat over the Easter period, a fearless group from the AgriFoRwArdS CDT cohort 3 arranged an early April social hike to the Ladybower Reservoir, located in the Upper Derwent Valley in Derbyshire.

The Ladybower Reservoir is a large Y-shaped reservoir at the heart of the Peak District National Park. The reservoir was built between 1935 and 1943, and was officially opened by King George VI on 24th September 1945. The reservoir is surrounded by stunning countryside with magnificent views of water, woodland and moorland. It hosts many circular walking and cycling routes nearby, plus stunning viewpoints such as Bamford Edge.

In preparation for the hike, the team got to work. Planning was immaculate. Everyone had eaten at least two Weetabix (with warm milk). The group were ready. Transport was prepared. On the day the group turned up on time and to plan. All go.

Then the weather arrived …

However, this only added to the memories of the day. The hike itself was nearly a 14 mile super trek across some of the most wonderful landscape the United Kingdom has to offer. Even though at some stages the weather turned a little chilly, equal parts of the walk were filled with wonderful blue skies and awe inspiring vistas across the valley.

Those views though …

Some socks got wet, everyone was tired, and after several hours tackling the sharp peaks, the rounded hills, plateaux, valleys, limestone gorges and gritstone escarpments, the hike draw to a crescendo with a well earned retreat to the beautiful Ladybower Inn. A traditional stone-built pub that dates back to the 18th century when it served as a Coaching Inn.

Here, the team sat down, had a well earned rest and ate a wonderful lunch together. One of the team members, Callum Lennox, said that:

I really enjoyed the walk. It was nice to get out of Lincoln and into the peak district. The walk was very scenic with a surprising amount of snow given the time of year. The walk concluded with us getting into the Ladybower Inn for food and drinks felt like an excellent end to the walk given how tired we all were. This walk definitely gave me a desire to get more into hiking in the future.

An amazing bunch of people …

When trying to complete your MSc studies, and with your future PhD research constantly in your mind, it is important to make sure you also plan a break. Thank you to the Cohort 3 students, Samuel Carter, Bethan Moncur, Kyle Fogarty, Emlyn Williams, Callum Lennox, Nikolaos Tsagkopoulos and Rachel Trimble for taking the time to do this.

Thank you to the whole group for sharing these wonderful photos and memories of the day.

If you would like to find out more information about being a student with AgriFoRwArdS, or the research that we do, then please visit our Study with Us or the About Us link respectively on our AgriFoRwArdS website.