Linacre Reservoirs

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Linacre Reservoirs
Linacre Middle Reservoir
Linacre Reservoirs is located in Derbyshire
Linacre Reservoirs
Linacre Reservoirs
LocationDerbyshire
Coordinates53°14′56″N 1°30′32″W / 53.249°N 1.509°W / 53.249; -1.509 (Linacre Reservoirs)
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsBirley Brook
Primary outflowsLinacre Brook
Basin countriesUnited Kingdom
Max. length1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi)
Max. width250 metres (820 ft)
Max. depth18.75 metres (61.5 ft)
Water volume1,125,000 cubic metres (39,729,000 cu ft)

Linacre Reservoirs is a series of three reservoirs on the western outskirts of Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The village of Old Brampton lies 500m to the south of the reservoirs.[1]

Linacre Lower Reservoir dam
Linacre Upper Reservoir boardwalk

Linacre Lower Reservoir (storage capacity of 140 million litres, 9m deep) was built in 1855 following an Act of Parliament granting permission for its construction to supply drinking water to Chesterfield. Linacre Upper Reservoir was built in 1885 (capacity 575 million litres, 19m deep). Linacre Middle Reservoir was built in 1904 (capacity 410 million litres, 13m deep). From 1909 the public water supply was filtered through filter beds. Previously there were widespread complaints about its taste and odour, with a report that: "The appearance of the public water supply was such that the poor used it as soup, the middle class for washing their clothes and the elite for watering their gardens."[2] They reservoirs ceased to be used for public water supply in 1995.[3]

The reservoirs are currently owned and operated by Severn Trent Water.[3]

There is a public car park on the edge of the woods to the north of the Lower Reservoir.[1] There are walking trails around the reservoirs, including a boardwalk section along the Upper Reservoir. Cycling is not permitted on the reserve. The woods around the reservoirs contain oak, beech, alder, larch and pine trees. Bluebells cover the woodland ground in springtime. The woods are habitat for nuthatches, flycatchers and woodpeckers, whilst kingfishers and mandarin ducks live around the water's edge.[3][4]

The earthwork remains of the 16th-century lead smelt mill in Linacre Wood (160m east of the Lower Reservoir) is a protected Scheduled monument.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b OL24 White Peak area (Map). 1:25000. Explorer. Ordnance Survey. West sheet.
  2. ^ Mosley, Sally. "Derbyshire Walk - Linacre Reservoirs". Derbyshire Life and Countryside. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Linacre | Come visit us | Experience water | Wonderful on Tap | Severn Trent Water". Severn Trent Water. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Linacre Reservoirs - Things To Do in The Peak District and Derbyshire". www.visitpeakdistrict.com. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Lead smelt mill in Linacre Wood, 160m east of Lower Linacre Reservoir dam (1009707)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
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