Above: The 1979 Ford Granada was recovered first, followed a week later by the Fiat Punto. (Photos Christopher Watmough & Sheila Higton.)
Many of the objects that have appeared above the surface of Errwood Reservoir during the recent drought have been fairly mundane (see previous post). But there’s been considerably more excitement at the small pond half way down the lane from Long Hill to the Goyt Valley.
The first sign of anything unusual was the surfacing of the rusting roof of what turned out to be an old Ford Granada. This was recovered over a week ago. And then last week another car – a Fiat Punto – was found in the same pond.
The police have been fairly tight-lipped about what they’d managed to discover about both vehicles, but rumours of bodies being found in the boots were soon quashed.
It was later revealed that the Punto had been reported stolen. But as far as I know, nothing has been said about the Granada, apart from the fact that it had a 1979 registration plate so could have been down there for quite some time.
Above: The discovery of the two cars and four safes brought BBC Radio Derby reporter, Matt Barlow, to investigate.
Two fairly large safes and two smaller ones were also found near the edge of the pond (see inset above). I asked the police whether they’re likely to fully dredge the pond but they told me they don’t have the resources. So I doubt we’ll ever know what else lies below the surface.
The pond was created in the 1830s to provide water for steam engines on the Cromford & High Peak Railway. The nearby engine house has long been dismantled so it would have been interesting to see whether any of the old machinery had been discarded into the pond.
Matt Barlow investigates
Click above to hear BBC Radio Derby reporter, Matt Barlow, interview both me and John Harding about the discovery of the two cars. I think I was probably exaggerating by saying the valley had been a magnet for crime. Apart from the two murders back in 1984 (click here for details), there’s been very little, apart from the usual anti-social behaviour that occurs everywhere.
Bullet cache found
A more recent discovery of a cache of bullets is alarming. The photo, posted on the Facebook Group by Trevor, shows there are at least two calibres, and some look as though they’ve been in the water longer than others. I’m not exactly sure where they were found, and the police aren’t revealing any details. But it’s a worrying development.