Kentmere Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Kentmere Reservoir is a water storage facility situated in the Kentmere
valley in the county of Cumbria
, England. It is located 10.5 km north-northeast of the town of Windermere. The reservoir is fed by the streams which form the headwaters of the River Kent
which rises 1.5 km to the north in Hall Cove on the southern slopes of High Street
as well as Lingmell Gill which drains the large corrie
on the western side of Harter Fell
beneath the Nan Bield Pass.
, Benjamin Turton’s wood mill at Staveley
, Wakefield’s gunpowder works at Sedgwick
and Gawith Hoggarth’s snuff mill at Helsington.
The mill owners introduced a private bill
into parliament in 1845 to get permission to build the reservoir, construction went ahead and was completed three years later. Over the years the James Cropper paper mill became sole owners of the reservoir with exclusive rights for use of the water. However the firm no longer need the reservoir in their production process even though there is a high use of water in paper making. In 1995 they offered to hand the reservoir over to any new owner for free in return for them paying for repairs totalling £100,000 plus annual maintenance of over £2,000. No buyers came forward and Croppers are still the de facto
owners of the reservoir today.
, Froswick
, Ill Bell
, Thornthwaite Crag
, Harter Fell
, Mardale Ill Bell
and Kentmere Pike
. These fells which make up the Kentmere horseshoe walk around the head and flanks of the Kentmere valley throw down steep slopes to the shore and give fine views of the reservoir.
Kentmere
Kentmere is a valley, village and civil parish in the Lake District National Park, a few miles from Kendal in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria, England. It is historically part of Westmorland...
valley in the county of Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England. It is located 10.5 km north-northeast of the town of Windermere. The reservoir is fed by the streams which form the headwaters of the River Kent
River Kent
The River Kent is a short river in the county of Cumbria in England. The river originates in hills surrounding Kentmere, and flows for around 20 miles into the north of Morecambe Bay. The Lake District National Park includes the upper reaches of the river within its boundaries.The river passes...
which rises 1.5 km to the north in Hall Cove on the southern slopes of High Street
High Street (Lake District)
High Street is a fell in the English Lake District. At 828 metres , its summit is the highest point in the far eastern part of the national park. The fell is named after the Roman road which ran over the summit.-History and Naming:...
as well as Lingmell Gill which drains the large corrie
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
on the western side of Harter Fell
Harter Fell (Mardale)
Harter Fell is a fell in the far eastern part of the English Lake District. The summit at lies the meeting point of three ridges, and Harter Fell forms the head of three valleys: Mardale, Longsleddale and the valley of the River Kent.-Topography:...
beneath the Nan Bield Pass.
History
The reservoir was built in 1848 after the mill owners on the banks of the River Kent decided they needed a regular and regulated supply of water to drive their water wheels. The main protagonists in the effort to build the reservoir were the James Cropper paper mill at BurnesideBurneside
Burneside is a small village in South Lakeland in Cumbria, England. It is located to the north of Kendal and to the south east of Staveley, on the River Kent, just upstream from the confluence of the River Sprint...
, Benjamin Turton’s wood mill at Staveley
Staveley, Cumbria
Staveley is a village in the District of South Lakeland in Cumbria, England. It is situated northwest of Kendal where the River Kent is joined by its tributary the Gowan.-Geography:...
, Wakefield’s gunpowder works at Sedgwick
Sedgwick, Cumbria
Sedgwick is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England, south of Kendal. Its main point of interest is Sedgwick House, built in 1868 by...
and Gawith Hoggarth’s snuff mill at Helsington.
The mill owners introduced a private bill
Local and Personal Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom
Local and Personal Acts of Parliament are laws in the United Kingdom which apply to a particular individual or group of individuals, or corporate entity. This contrasts with a Public General Act of Parliament which applies to the entire community...
into parliament in 1845 to get permission to build the reservoir, construction went ahead and was completed three years later. Over the years the James Cropper paper mill became sole owners of the reservoir with exclusive rights for use of the water. However the firm no longer need the reservoir in their production process even though there is a high use of water in paper making. In 1995 they offered to hand the reservoir over to any new owner for free in return for them paying for repairs totalling £100,000 plus annual maintenance of over £2,000. No buyers came forward and Croppers are still the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
owners of the reservoir today.
Physical features and location
The reservoir is built in area of volcanic and low-grade metamorphic (slatey) rocks, these are overlain by a wide tract of Silurian rocks comprising slates and grits. These very old “basement beds” are considered to be effectively impermeable . The reservoir covers an area of 19.5 hectares and holds 1020,000,000 litres of water. It has a 200 metre long dam wall with a stepped weir type overflow at the western end, there is a lower outlet for the River Kent in the middle of the dam wall. The reservoir's location is quiet and secluded surrounded by the fells of YokeYoke (Lake District)
Yoke is a fell in the Lake District in Cumbria, England. It has a height of 706 m and is situated in the far eastern sector of the national park, 7 kilometres north east of the town of Ambleside. Yoke is the southern extremity of the long ridge that runs southwards from the fell of High...
, Froswick
Froswick
Froswick is a fell in the English Lake District, standing on the fine narrow ridge between the valleys of Kentmere and Troutbeck.-Topography:To the north is Thornthwaite Crag, while the adjoining fell to the south is Ill Bell. Froswick is shorter in stature than either of its neighbours and also...
, Ill Bell
Ill Bell
Ill Bell is a fell in the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria, standing on the narrow ridge between the valleys of Kentmere and Troutbeck.-Topography:...
, Thornthwaite Crag
Thornthwaite Crag
Thornthwaite Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, standing to the west of Haweswater Reservoir. It is a focal point of the Far Eastern Fells, standing at the head of several valleys.-Topography:...
, Harter Fell
Harter Fell (Mardale)
Harter Fell is a fell in the far eastern part of the English Lake District. The summit at lies the meeting point of three ridges, and Harter Fell forms the head of three valleys: Mardale, Longsleddale and the valley of the River Kent.-Topography:...
, Mardale Ill Bell
Mardale Ill Bell
Mardale Ill Bell is a fell in the English Lake District, rising to the south west of Haweswater Reservoir. It stands on the watershed between Mardale and Kentmere and is the highpoint of the south eastern ridge of High Street, midway on its course to Harter Fell.-Topography:The head of the Kentmere...
and Kentmere Pike
Kentmere Pike
Kentmere Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, rising between the valleys of Kentmere and Longsleddale. It is the highpoint on the ridge between Harter Fell and Shipman Knotts.-Topography:...
. These fells which make up the Kentmere horseshoe walk around the head and flanks of the Kentmere valley throw down steep slopes to the shore and give fine views of the reservoir.