Cheddar Reservoir

Cheddar Reservoir
at dusk looking towards the western edge of the Mendip Hills and Crook Peak
Location	Somerset
Coordinates	51°16′50″N 2°48′5″W / 51.28056°N 2.80139°W / 51.28056; -2.80139
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	inlet from Cheddar Yeo
Basin countries	United Kingdom

Surface area	105.4 ha (260 acres)

Cheddar Reservoir
Site of Special Scientific Interest

Shown within Somerset
Area of Search	Somerset
Grid reference	ST441537
Coordinates	51°16′50″N 2°48′05″W / 51.2806°N 2.8014°W / 51.2806; -2.8014Coordinates: 51°16′50″N 2°48′05″W / 51.2806°N 2.8014°W / 51.2806; -2.8014
Interest	Biological
Area	105.4 hectares (1.054 km²; 0.407 sq mi)
Notification	1972 (1972)
Natural England website

Cheddar Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in Somerset, England, operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s it has a capacity of 135 million gallons (614,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo river in Cheddar Gorge. The inlet grate for the 54 inches (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen immediately upstream from the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge.

It lies to the west of the village of Cheddar and south east of the town of Axbridge. It is roughly circular in shape, and surrounded by large earth banks which are grazed by sheep. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (Ref No:1003948) due to its wintering waterfowl populations.^[1]

It was the first British reservoir to permit sailing.^[2] Bristol Corinthians sailing club is situated at its northern end. Other recreational activities at the reservoir include windsurfing, angling (for pike, tench, roach, perch and eels), and birdwatching.

Two car parks give access to the reservoir; one is at the Axbridge end, and on the eastern side, accessible from Cheddar. Two water towers are present, one at the Cheddar end, and one at the Axbridge end.

Birds

The reservoir, which has an area of 105.4 hectares (260 acres), is attractive to waterbirds, in particular wintering wildfowl and gulls.

Wildfowl present regularly in winter include mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), gadwall (Anas strepera), tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), common pochard (Aythya ferina), Eurasian wigeon (Anas penelope), common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and goosander (Mergus merganser). A large flock of coot (Fulica atra) is present, and great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) is also numerous.^[3]

Because of its proximity to the Bristol Channel, storm-blown seabirds are occasionally found here, including shag, grey phalarope, and divers and grebes.^[3]

A moderately sized gull roost has attracted glaucous, Iceland and ring-billed gulls on multiple occasions.^[3]

A number of rare and scarce vagrant birds have been seen at Cheddar Reservoir, mainly waterfowl and shorebirds. Up to 2004 the following species had occurred:^[3]

Second reservoir

Bristol Water has long identified Cheddar as the site for a new reservoir.^[4] In 2007 it announced that the new reservoir would be one of the options considered in its Draft 2009 Water Resources Plan.^[5] The new reservoir would hold 6,000 million litres, roughly the same size as the existing reservoir, which it would be based alongside.

In October 2012 survey work started on the new reservoir to the south of the existing one,^[6] with a planning application scheduled for December 2013.^[7]

References

↑ English Nature SSSI information for Cheddar Reservoir
↑ "Cheddar Reservoir Introduction". Bristol Water. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
1 2 3 4 Ballance, David K. (2006-06-01). A History of the Birds of Somerset. Isabelline Books. ISBN 978-0-9552787-0-9.
↑ "Water Resources Plan" (PDF). Bristol Water. April 2004. p. 30. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
↑ "Strategic Environmental Assessment of Bristol Water's Draft Water Resources Plan — Scoping Report" (PDF). Entec. October 2007. p. 6. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
↑ "Cheddar reservoir surveying work begins". BBC. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
↑ "The Project". Bristol Water. Retrieved 24 November 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cheddar Reservoir.

Bristol Reservoirs

The reservoirs	Chew Valley Lake Blagdon Lake Cheddar Reservoir Barrow Gurney Reservoirs Litton Reservoirs Chew Magna Reservoir

Related topics	Bristol Water

Mendip Hills

Settlements	Ashwick Axbridge Banwell Bishop Sutton Blagdon Bleadon Burrington Charterhouse Cheddar Chewton Mendip Compton Bishop Compton Martin Cross Draycott East Harptree Easton Hinton Blewett Hutton Leigh-on-Mendip Litton Oakhill Priddy Rodney Stoke Rowberrow Sandford Shepton Mallet Shipham Ubley Webbington Wells West Harptree Westbury-sub-Mendip Winscombe Wookey Hole

Rivers and lakes	River Axe Cheddar Yeo River Chew River Yeo Lox Yeo River Blagdon Lake Cheddar Reservoir Chew Valley Lake Litton Reservoirs

Hills	Axbridge Hill Black Down Bleadon Hill Burledge Hill Crook Peak Fry's Hill Pen Hill Purn Hill Shute Shelve Hill Wavering Down

Caves and gorges	Attborough Swallet Aveline's Hole Axbridge Ochre Mine Banwell Caves Banwell Ochre Caves Burrington Combe Charterhouse Cave Cheddar Gorge Compton Martin Ochre Mine Cox's Cave Eastwater Cavern Ebbor Gorge Fairy Cave Quarry GB Cave Goatchurch Cavern Gough's Cave Hunter's Hole Lamb Leer Longwood Swallet Manor Farm Swallet Picken's Hole Pierre's Pot Priddy Caves Read's Cavern Reservoir Hole Rhino Rift Rod's Pot Shatter Cave Shute Shelve Cavern Sidcot Swallet St Cuthbert's Swallet St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Stoke Lane Slocker Swildon's Hole Thrupe Lane Swallet Tyning's Barrow Swallet Upper Flood Swallet W/L Cave Wookey Hole Caves

Quarries	Batts Combe Callow Rock Cloford Cloud Colemans Cook's Wood Doulting Stone Dulcote Emborough Fairy Cave Gurney Slade Halecombe Hobbs Holwell Moon's Hill Torr Works Viaduct Whatley Windsor Hill

SSSIs	Asham Wood Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill Banwell Caves Banwell Ochre Caves Barns Batch Spinney Blagdon Lake Bleadon Hill Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins Burledge Hill Burrington Combe Chancellor's Farm Cheddar Complex Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar Wood Chew Valley Lake Cloford Quarry Compton Martin Ochre Mine Cook's Wood Quarry Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill Dolebury Warren Draycott Sleights Ebbor Gorge Emborough Quarries Harptree Combe Hobbs Quarry Holwell Quarries Kingdown and Middledown Lamb Leer Priddy Caves Priddy Pools Perch Rodney Stoke St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot Shiplate Slait Viaduct Quarry Windsor Hill Quarry Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl

History	Priddy Circles Cheddar Man Drove Cottage Henge Dolebury Warren Charterhouse Roman Town Fosse Way King John's Hunting Lodge, Axbridge Priddy Mineries Somerset Coalfield Somerset Coal Canal Cheddar Valley line East Somerset Railway

Transport	Mendip Rail Mendip Way Monarch's Way National Cycle Route 24 A37 road A39 road A368 road A371 road

Councils	Bath and North East Somerset Mendip North Somerset Sedgemoor

Surrounding areas	Chew Valley Somerset Levels North Somerset Levels

Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)

Aller and Beer Woods Aller Hill Asham Wood Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill Babcary Meadows Barle Valley Barrington Hill Meadows Berrow Dunes Black Down and Sampford Commons Brean Down Bridgwater Bay Briggins Moor Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors Chancellor's Farm Cheddar Complex Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar Wood Cleeve Hill Cogley Wood Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill Curry and Hay Moors Deadman Draycott Sleights Dunster Park and Heathlands East Polden Grasslands Ebbor Gorge Edford Woods and Meadows Exmoor Coastal Heaths Fivehead Woods and Meadow Freshmoor Friar's Oven Ge-mare Farm Fields Great Breach and Copley Woods Grove Farm Hardington Moor Hestercombe House Holme Moor & Clean Moor King's Sedgemoor Kingdown and Middledown Kingweston Meadows Lang's Farm Langford Heathfield Langmead and Weston Level Long Lye Long Lye Meadow Longleat Woods Millwater Moorlinch Nettlecombe Park North Brewham Meadows North Curry Meadow North Exmoor North Moor Old Ironstone Works, Mells Perch Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh Postlebury Wood Priddy Pools Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood Quantock Hills Quants Ringdown River Barle Rodney Stoke Roebuck Meadows Ruttersleigh Severn Estuary Shapwick Heath Sharpham Moor Plot South Exmoor Southey and Gotleigh Moors Southlake Moor Sparkford Wood St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Stowell Meadow Street Heath Tealham and Tadham Moors Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands Twinhills Woods and Meadows Vallis Vale Walton and Ivythorn Hills West Moor West Sedgemoor Westhay Heath Westhay Moor Wet Moor Whitevine Meadows Windsor Hill Marsh Wookey Hole Woolhayes Farm

Neighbouring areas Avon Devon Dorset Wiltshire

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