Swithland Reservoir

Swithland Reservoir

View from the causeway at the southern end, with Brazil Island in the centre and the railway viaduct to the right.
Location Leicestershire
Coordinates 52°43′20″N 1°10′25″W / 52.72222°N 1.17361°WCoordinates: 52°43′20″N 1°10′25″W / 52.72222°N 1.17361°W
Type Reservoir
Primary inflows Lingdale Brook, Swithland Brook, Hallgates Brook, Bradgate Brook
Primary outflows Buddon Brook
Basin countries United Kingdom
Water volume 600 million gallons
Settlements Swithland

Swithland Reservoir is a reservoir in the English county of Leicestershire. It is north-east of the village of Swithland from which it takes its name, north-west of Rothley and approximately 133 metres south-west of Mountsorrel Quarry.

History

Leicester's rapidly growing population in the latter half of the 19th century required the construction of a series of reservoirs. In 1854 Thornton Reservoir was opened, serving a population of 61,000.[1] By 1861 the population had increased, with the Waterworks Company now directly supplying 24,000 people, and five years later the company was supplying between 60 and 70,000 people and work began on Bradgate Reservoir (now known as Cropston Reservoir).[1] By 1878 the "water population" had increased to 110,000 and by 1893 to 203,000, requiring further reservoirs to be constructed.[1]

In 1890 Leicester City Council sought Parliamentary authority to acquire the land required to construct Swithland reservoir, which would be supplied from Lingdale Brook, Swithland Brook, Hallgates Brook, and Bradgate Brook, and construction commenced in 1894, with completion in 1896;[1][2] The reservoir opened on 10 September in that year.[3][4][5] The reservoir was constructed by Messrs. John Aird & Sons of London, who submitted a successful £133,511 tender and had a temporary railway extension built from Mountsorrel to assist with transportation of construction materials; This was extended to Hallgates in Cropston, where an additional storage reservoir was constructed, making the length nine miles in total.[1][6] The road from Swithland was diverted due to the reservoir's construction and a bridge constructed at the South end.[6] Construction of the reservoir necessitated the removal of 5,800 trees and nine miles of hedgerow.[7] The dam is at the north end and is crossed by Kinchley Lane. An island known as Brazil Island (the part of Brazil Wood left above water level after flooding) is located south of the centre of the reservoir, with a weir on either side. Brazil Island was the site of a game reserve until it was destroyed by fire in 1938.[8]

The dam

The dam is 404 yards long and is 26 feet wide at the top and 48 feet wide at the base; It was constructed of concrete and water-clay.[1] Behind the dam there are six filter beds with a total area of 75,000 square feet, surrounding a clear water tank.[6] Water is pumped from the storage tank to the 2 million gallon capacity Hallgates reservoir, and from there it travels through a water main to the lower reservoir at Oadby via gravitation.[7] Several of the buildings at Swithland Reservoir are listed, with much of the pumping station site Grade II listed.[9]

The capacity was initially stated at 600 million gallons (100 million gallons more than was originally envisaged), and was thought sufficient to serve a population of 300,000.[1][5] Early operation of the reservoir was not without difficulties; While it had been envisaged that it would be sufficient to serve Leicester for 20 years, by 1898 further supply capacity from Derbyshire was needed, and the reservoir was considered by some to have been a failure.[10][11][12] In 1909 supply to Leicester was temporarily halted due to "vegetable growth" caused by warm weather.[13]

Local woman May Cook drowned in the reservoir in 1924 after apparently fainting while bathing her head.[14] The body of 19 year old Ethel Oxford was recovered from the reservoir in April 1925.[15] In 1926 the reservoir was the scene of the suicide of local man Albert Edwin Pepper, who drowned himself by entering the water with a stone weighing 40-60lbs tied to his waist.[16]

Today, Swithland Reservoir is a popular location for birdwatching.[17]

Viaducts

Two viaducts were constructed over the reservoir as part of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway's London Extension, crossing via Brazil Island.[18] Today this forms part of the route of the preserved Great Central Railway. To the south of the viaduct is Swithland Sidings.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "The Swithland Reservoir: Meeting of the Town Council". Leicester Chronicle (British Newspaper Archive). 14 April 1894. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  2. ↑ "Local and District News". Leicester Chronicle (British Newspaper Archive). 14 December 1889. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  3. ↑ "The New Swithland Reservoir: Turning the "First Sod"". Leicester Chronicle (British Newspaper Archive). 7 July 1894. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  4. ↑ "Charnwood Ward". Leicester Chronicle (British Newspaper Archive). 20 October 1894. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Opening of New Waterworks for Leicester". Derby Daily Telegraph (British Newspaper Archive). 10 September 1896. Retrieved 20 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "The Leicester Waterworks Extension: The New Reservoirs at Swithland and Hallgates". Leicester Chronicle (British Newspaper Archive). 7 September 1895. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "The New Waterworks at Swithland: Formal Opening by the Mayoress". Leicester Chronicle (British Newspaper Archive). 12 September 1896. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  8. ↑ "News item". Portsmouth Evening News (British Newspaper Archive). 5 May 1938. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  9. ↑ "Listed Buildings: Swithland Reservoir", Charnwood Borough Council. Retrieved 29 June 2014
  10. ↑ "Charnwood Ward". Leicester Chronicle (British Newspaper Archive). 29 October 1898. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  11. ↑ "Councillor Hancock on the Government of Leicester". Leicester Chronicle (British Newspaper Archive). 4 March 1899. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  12. ↑ "Leicester Water Supply". Nottingham Evening Post (British Newspaper Archive). 10 August 1909. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  13. ↑ "Leicester Water Scare". Nottingham Evening Post (British Newspaper Archive). 21 July 1909. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  14. ↑ "Girl Clerk's Fate: Fainted While Bathing Head in Reservoir". Nottingham Evening Post (British Newspaper Archive). 17 July 1924. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  15. ↑ "Local Happenings". Nottingham Evening Post (British Newspaper Archive). 15 April 1925. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  16. ↑ "Widow's Tribute to "Kindest Husband"". Nottingham Evening Post (British Newspaper Archive). 8 June 1926. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).
  17. ↑ Gamble, Ian (2001) The Birdlife of Swithland Reservoir, Kairos Press, ISBN 978-1871344271
  18. ↑ "The M. S. and L. Line to London". Nottingham Evening Post (British Newspaper Archive). 22 December 1894. Retrieved 29 June 2014. (subscription required (help)).

External links