Thornton Reservoir
| Thornton Reservoir | |
|---|---|
 The reservoir from the dam | |
| Location | Leicestershire |
| Coordinates | 52°39′50″N 1°18′8″W / 52.66389°N 1.30222°WCoordinates: 52°39′50″N 1°18′8″W / 52.66389°N 1.30222°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
| Surface area | 75 acres (30 ha) |
| Shore length1 | 2.45 mi (3.94 km) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Thornton Reservoir is a small reservoir situated in the National Forest near the village of Thornton in Leicestershire. It has a surface area of 75 acres (300,000 m2)[1] and a perimeter of 2.45 miles (3.94 km). It was originally built in 1854 when it had its own treatment works which were situated to the south of the current dam. It is now owned by Severn Trent and the water is treated a few miles away at Cropston Reservoir to which it runs via Rothley Brook. The reservoir is fed by two small streams which enter from the north via two weirs. Rothley Brook takes water away from the south.
Since 1997 the reservoir and the surrounding land has been open to the public. Facilities include a small visitor centre, a sculpture trail, a woodland walk and a game fishery. Within the visitor centre is a small cafe and a bait shop which opens at 7.30am daily. Boats can be hired from 8.30am and the most common species of fish are trout. The National Cycle Network also runs around the reservoir.[2]