The nearest car park is Fairholmes at the Upper Derwent Visitor Centre (S33 0AQ), right at the start of the hike. It's open during daylight hours (no overnight parking) and it's pay & display: £3.50 for up to 2 hours, £6 for 2–4 hours and £7 for over 4 hours, paid by cash or card at the machines or with the RingGo app; check the latest prices here. There's always plenty of space, and other car parks close by are listed below. For public transport, click "Directions" and choose public transport (the little train icon).

Most people who journey to Lost Lad ponder the origins of its intriguing name; for the denizens of nearby villages, the harrowing tale surrounding its roots has passed into local folklore. The story begins with Abraham Lowe, a 13-year-old shepherd boy who lived with his mother in the now-lost village of Derwent. On a cold winter's day, Abraham went to gather his sheep that were grazing on the moorlands of the Dark Peak, and as always, his faithful dog accompanied him.

As time went by, the weather deteriorated until a ferocious snowstorm enveloped the hills. Despite his excellent knowledge of the landscape, Abraham and his devoted friend became lost; for countless hours they wandered the moors, searching for a way home, but as night arrived and hypothermia set in, they huddled together to try and endure the storm. When he didn't return that night, his mother ventured out to search the hills but her efforts were in vain.

It wasn’t until the following spring that a local shepherd found Abraham's body; he lay in a fetal position, and on a gritstone slab next to him, he had scratched the words "Lost Lad". As the legend goes, his faithful dog was found alive by his side after all those many months. The large cairn which lies at the summit of the hill is said to have been created by passing shepherds as a mark of respect for Abraham, they would add a stone to the ever-growing pile as they passed by. Over the years there have been many reports of a young boy with a dog, walking the windswept moors during stormy weather in the winter months; the lost lad of Derwent and his faithful companion, still trying to find their way home.

It's March 1943, World War 2 is in full swing and the RAF’s Bomber Command has secretly assembled an elite Squadron, charged with carrying out an audacious night-time mission to disable Germany’s industrial heartland. Code-named Operation Chastise, this epic raid is to be led by flying ace Wing Commander Guy Gibson, accompanied by crews chosen for their prowess and "press-on spirit". With just two months to prepare, the squadron eternally remembered as "The Dam Busters", started training with the famous bouncing bomb at Derwent Reservoir, Derbyshire. 133 aircrew in 19 Lancasters took off to bomb the dams. Of those, 53 men were killed and three became prisoners of war.

The operation took place on 16th May 1943, it aimed to destroy the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in western Germany; the loss of hydroelectric power coupled with the devastation of the flooding would greatly impact industries supporting the German war effort. To successfully pull off this feat, an innovative new war weapon was needed, one which could evade German torpedo nets, whilst accurately targeting the base of the dam. A Ripley-born inventor called Barnes Wallis answered the call and developed the revolutionary bouncing bomb, code-named "Upkeep", which when dropped at the right speed, rotation, height, and distance from its target, would bounce off the surface of the water until it reached the dam, where it would sink to its base and explode. Crews flying modified Lancaster bombers used Derwent Reservoir to practice bombing runs for the mission, as the dam had a close resemblance to the Ruhr Valley targets.