| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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Shown within East Sussex
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| Area of Search | West & East Sussex |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TQ395347 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 374 acres (1.5 km2) |
| Notification | 1966 |
| Natural England website | |
| Weir Wood Reservoir | |
|---|---|
| Location | East Sussex |
| Lake type | Reservoir |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
| Surface area | 280 acres (1.1 km2) |
Weir Wood Reservoir is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) long stretch of water, situated close to Forest Row, East Sussex, England, on the north-western margins of Ashdown Forest. It has a full water capacity of 5,566,000 cubic metres (1.224×109 imp gal), covering a site of 280 acres (1.1 km2). The reservoir was built over the period 1951-54, a process which involved damming the valley of the River Medway. A daily average of 3.08 million imperial gallons (14,000 m3) is extracted.
The reservoir is owned by Southern Water and supplies part of Crawley, and other parts of Mid-Sussex. The western end of the reservoir is a protected nature reserve and bird sanctuary designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.[1] One of the main users of the reservoir is the Weir Wood Sailing Club, which is a RYA recognised training establishment, with sailing all year round. The reservoir is also a popular coarse fishing area, with day and seasonal passes available.
Weir Wood Reservoir lies due south of Greenwich and hence straddles the Prime Meridian. The line passes through Botley Wood which is just to the northwest of the dam at the east end of the reservoir.
Weir Wood Sailing Club is a RYA recognised establishment. It offers sailing all year round, with races on Saturday afternoons, all day Sunday and on Wednesdays during the summer. The club also has active Optimist and youth fleets. The club encourages members to sail one of the recommended classes, relying on the help and support of volunteers to keep it running; members perform duties, ranging from collating race results to operating the safety boats.
Weir Wood Sailing Club was shortlisted as one of the finalists of the RYA Club of the Year, with the eventual finalists, Gurnard Sailing Club, Isle Of Wight, being announced at the RYA Dinghy Show.