Hollingworth Lake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hollingworth Lake | |
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| Location | Littleborough, Greater Manchester |
| Coordinates | |
| Primary inflows | Longden End Brook |
| Primary outflows | Hollingworth Brook |
| Basin countries | England |
Hollingworth Lake is a lake within the district of Littleborough, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is the only lake in this borough, and as its name suggests, is located in Hollingworth.
The lake covers an area of 130 acres (0.53 km²) and the path around it originally measured two-and-a-half miles, beneath the cold waters was the old hamlet of Hollingworth. The lake is still used for recreational purposes, and is classed as a national trust due to a nearby wildlife sanctuary. The lake was man-made in 1801 to supply water to the Rochdale Canal.
The lake boasts many watersports such as sailing, canoeing, swimming, rafting, rowing and fishing. Since 1989 Hollingworth Lake Water Activity Centre has offered quality tuition in outdoor activities. This provision has been available to schools, youth groups and the general public, continuing the proud tradition of water based activities on Hollingworth Lake. Visitors can also take trips across the lake on the launch 'The Lady Alice'. Rowing Boats are also available to hire. The scenic walk around the lake is two and a half miles long and passes by a nature reserve with a bird hide. The lake is teeming with wildlife and is often used as a means of adventure activities for children, whereby they can catch various pond life.
To the East of the lake, a visitor's centre showcases children's artwork from around the area, and also displays things that have been found in the lake. Hollingworth Lake has even been used as a practice for those training to cross the English Channel to France. The children's play area has a sign on it, proclaiming that Captain Matthew Webb swam in the lake, practising every week.
