Stocks Reservoir

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Capacity of water 12,000,000 m³
Greatest depth of useable water 31.4 m / 103 ft
Completed 1932
Surface area 1.92 km²
Dam height ?

Stocks Reservoir is situated the head of the Hodder Valley in Lancashire. It is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the largest fishery in the North West of England.

It was created in 1932 by The Flyde Water Board by flooding the village of Dalehead and the surrounding farmland. At the peak of the building over 500 men worked there and most of them lived in a temporary village called Hollins. Prince George officially opened the reservoir by unveiling a commemorative bronze plaque.

During the construction phase, the reservoir works were the site of an extensive 3 foot (914 mm) gauge industrial railway system which linked the dam works with a railhead on the Long Preston - Slaidburn road (Bowtell, 1988). Nearby stone quarries were also served by the railway. Steam traction engines hauled building material between the Tosside railhead and the water board depôt adjacent to Long Preston railway station.

Contents

[edit] Facilities

Car park

350 acres open water

Four and a half miles of fishable shoreline

32 fishing boats

Fishing Lodge with Cafe and Toilets

[edit] Activities

Fishing, from shoreline and boat.

Walking, a 17 km circular walk around the reservoir.

[edit] Reference

Bowtell, H.D., (1988), Lesser Railways of Bowland Forest and Craven Country - and the dam builders in the age of steam, Platewell Press, ISBN 0-95111-088-8

[edit] External links