History

The earliest recorded mention of the lake is 1330, when it was recorded in the Derbyshire Assize Rolls. It was built by the owners of nearby Codnor Castle to house their fresh fish supply and also to run the castle's corn mill.

In the 16th Century Sir John Zouch, then the owner of Codnor Castle, converted the lake to operate his nearby blast furnaces, which were some of the first in the country.

Loscoe Dam has maintained its strong links with nearby Condor Castle, the ruins of which are currently being looked after by the Codnor Castle Preservation Society. In the past the dam played an important role in the development of local industry and would have impacted on the economy and lives of the local community. For this reason Loscoe Dam is an important part of the area's history and should be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

The Loscoe Dam Project aims to conserve a local, historically significant site and develop an environment were the local community can enjoy and learn about their local heritage. For example in the future, educational visits, talks, road shows and school projects will be set up for members of the local community and visitors to the area and interpretation panels will be installed around the site explaining the site's history to presentation day. In particular local schools will be encouraged to include Loscoe Dam as part of their curriculum visits programme.

As part of the project we are building a collection of people's memories of the Loscoe Dam. If you have any recollections or photographs you'd like to share please contact us to tell us more.