Dale Dike Reservoir

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dale Dike Reservoir
Dale Dike Reservoir -
Location South Yorkshire
Coordinates 53.41796° N 1.64036° WCoordinates: 53.41796° N 1.64036° W
Lake type reservoir
Primary inflows Dale Dike
Primary outflows Dale Dike
Basin countries United Kingdom

Dale Dike Reservoir or Dale Dyke Reservoir (grid reference SK240913), famous for causing the Great Sheffield Flood, is in the north-east Peak District, in South Yorkshire, England, a mile (1.6 km) west of Bradfield, eight miles (13 km) from Sheffield, on the Dale Dike, a tributary of the River Loxley.

Along with three other reservoirs around the village of Bradfield - Agden, Damflask and Strines - it was constructed between 1859 and 1864 by the Sheffield Waterworks Company to guarantee a supply of water to power the mills downstream and to supply drinking water to the growing population of Sheffield.[1]

[edit] Sheffield Flood

Remains of the Dale Dyke Dam after the flood.
Remains of the Dale Dyke Dam after the flood.

In 1864 the newly-built dam failed, causing the Great Sheffield Flood, which caused massive damage downstream along the Loxley and Don and through the centre of Sheffield. There were hundreds of fatalities.[2]

[edit] The new dam

The dam was rebuilt in 1875 and is still in use, holding 446 million gallons (1,790 million litres) of water, now used exclusively for domestic purposes.[3] It is owned by Yorkshire Water, part of the Kelda Group.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.mick-armitage.staff.shef.ac.uk/sheffield/book/floodatsheffield.txt
  2. ^ New Page 4
  3. ^ Yorkshire Water :: Dale Dike reservoir