Draycote Water
Encyclopedia
Draycote Water is a reservoir and country park
near the village of Dunchurch
, 6 km south of Rugby
in Warwickshire
, England
, owned and operated by Severn Trent Water. It supplies drinking water
to Rugby
, via Barby Storage Reservoir
, and is named after the nearby hamlet of Draycote
.
The reservoir was created in the 1960s and was opened in January 1969 and is by far the largest expanse of water in Warwickshire. It covers more than 600 acres (2.4 km²) and holds up to 5,000 million imperial gallons (23 million m³) of water.
It is renowned as a site for Birdwatching
and has a bird hide, with a feeding station sponsored by the West Midland Bird Club. Severn-Trent also manage an adjacent 20 acre (81,000 m²) country park
.
Draycote Water is now home to a herd of over 200 alpacas. Toft Alpacas is based on the banks of the reservoir and the animals can be seen from the road surrounding Draycote. Public footpath walks can be taken off the water to get a closer look at the farm and these unusual inhabitants of rural Warwickshire.
Draycote is particularly popular with boaters, windsurfers and fly fishers. Fly fishing is for brown trout
and rainbow trout
from the banks or from boats which can be hired from the fishing lodge.
It is also popular with cyclists and walkers.
Draycote Water is on the A426 road
at .
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
near the village of Dunchurch
Dunchurch
Dunchurch is a civil parish and village on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 2,842 in the village.- History :...
, 6 km south of Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, 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...
, owned and operated by Severn Trent Water. It supplies drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
to Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, via Barby Storage Reservoir
Barby Storage Reservoir
Barby Storage Reservoir is a reservoir near Barby in Northamptonshire, England, owned and operated by Severn Trent Water. It supplies drinking water to Rugby, being fed by water pumped from Draycote Water....
, and is named after the nearby hamlet of Draycote
Draycote
Draycote is a small hamlet in Warwickshire, England. It forms part of the civil parish of Bourton and Draycote along with nearby Bourton-on-Dunsmore, which is located around half a mile to the west, uphill from Draycote....
.
The reservoir was created in the 1960s and was opened in January 1969 and is by far the largest expanse of water in Warwickshire. It covers more than 600 acres (2.4 km²) and holds up to 5,000 million imperial gallons (23 million m³) of water.
It is renowned as a site for Birdwatching
Birdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
and has a bird hide, with a feeding station sponsored by the West Midland Bird Club. Severn-Trent also manage an adjacent 20 acre (81,000 m²) country park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
.
Draycote Water is now home to a herd of over 200 alpacas. Toft Alpacas is based on the banks of the reservoir and the animals can be seen from the road surrounding Draycote. Public footpath walks can be taken off the water to get a closer look at the farm and these unusual inhabitants of rural Warwickshire.
Draycote is particularly popular with boaters, windsurfers and fly fishers. Fly fishing is for brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
from the banks or from boats which can be hired from the fishing lodge.
It is also popular with cyclists and walkers.
Draycote Water is on the A426 road
A426 road
The A426 road is a road in England which runs from the city of Leicester to the market town of Southam in Warwickshire via the towns of Lutterworth and Rugby.-History:...
at .