Bewl Water
Encyclopedia
Bewl Water is a reservoir
in the valley of the River Bewl
(which is a tributary of the River Teise
), straddling the boundary between Kent
and East Sussex
. It is about 4 km south of Lamberhurst
, Kent
, England
. The reservoir was part of a project to increase supplies of water in the area.
It supplies not only Southern Water
’s customers in the Medway towns, Thanet
and Hastings
, but is also used by other water companies in the area.
Work began to construct the reservoir in 1973 by damming
and then flooding a valley. It was completed in 1975 having been filled with over 31,300 million litres of water. It is now the largest body of inland water in south east England.
In winter, when the flow in the River Medway
exceeds 275 million litres per day, river water is pumped to storage in the reservoir. There is an outline plan to raise the water level by a further 3m to increase the yield by up to 30% to help with the growing water demand in south-east England. This will however put further demands on the River Medway to supply the additional water required with the potential for environmental degradation in the river and the eco-systems that it supports.
The reservoir in common with most large clean water lakes, is host to a large variety of wildlife. Many recreational activities such as sailing and windsurfing at
Bewl Valley Sailing Club
as well as rowing, trout fishing and walking take place on and around the reservoir which makes it one of the region’s most popular attractions.
There is also a passenger boat , a restaurant, conference facility and gift shop.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in the valley of the River Bewl
River Bewl
The River Bewl is a tributary of the River Teise in Kent, England. Its headwaters are in the High Weald, in Sussex between Lamberhurst, Wadhurst and Flimwell. The valley is deeply incised into Tunbridge Wells red sandstone, with a base of alluvium on Wadhurst clay.Between 1973 and 1975, a was...
(which is a tributary of the River Teise
River Teise
The River Teise is a tributary of the River Medway in Kent, England. It begins in Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells. and flows eastwards past Bayham Abbey and then through Lamberhurst...
), straddling the boundary between Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. It is about 4 km south of Lamberhurst
Lamberhurst
Lamberhurst is a village and civil parish in Kent although the latter parish was at first in both Kent and East Sussex. The line of the county border was adjusted following the Local Government Act 1894, which required that parish boundaries be aligned with counties...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The reservoir was part of a project to increase supplies of water in the area.
It supplies not only Southern Water
Southern Water
Southern Water is the utility responsible for wastewater collection and treatment in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent, and for water supply and distribution in the approximately half of this area...
’s customers in the Medway towns, Thanet
Thanet
Thanet is a local government district of Kent, England which was formed under the Local Government Act 1972, and came into being on 1 April 1974...
and Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, but is also used by other water companies in the area.
Work began to construct the reservoir in 1973 by damming
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and then flooding a valley. It was completed in 1975 having been filled with over 31,300 million litres of water. It is now the largest body of inland water in south east England.
In winter, when the flow in the River Medway
River Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
exceeds 275 million litres per day, river water is pumped to storage in the reservoir. There is an outline plan to raise the water level by a further 3m to increase the yield by up to 30% to help with the growing water demand in south-east England. This will however put further demands on the River Medway to supply the additional water required with the potential for environmental degradation in the river and the eco-systems that it supports.
The reservoir in common with most large clean water lakes, is host to a large variety of wildlife. Many recreational activities such as sailing and windsurfing at
Bewl Valley Sailing Club
Bewl Valley Sailing Club
Bewl Valley Sailing Club is a sailing dinghy and windsurfing club that currently has approximately 920 full members . It is affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association and a registered RYA Training Centre. The club organises safety boat cover for sailing and windsurfing every Saturday and...
as well as rowing, trout fishing and walking take place on and around the reservoir which makes it one of the region’s most popular attractions.
There is also a passenger boat , a restaurant, conference facility and gift shop.