King George VI Reservoir
Encyclopedia
The King George VI Reservoir in England lies to the south of Stanwellmoor
near Stanwell
and Heathrow. The reservoir
was opened in November 1947 and named after the then reigning monarch King George VI. It is owned by Thames Water
.
The reservoir occupies 350 acres (1.4 km²) and holds 3493 million imperial gallons (15,880,000 m³). Its maximum height above the original ground level is 56 ft (17.1 m). Like the other Lower Thames reservoirs, it is of traditional earthen dam construction, with a puddled clay core supported by ballast embankments built from materials excavated on site. It is entirely man-made, as the area had no natural topographical features that could be dammed off to create a reservoir.
The reservoir was completed in 1939 but was left empty due to the outbreak of the Second World War. It was reputed that a mock Clapham Junction railway station
was built inside to confuse the Luftwaffe
.
This reservoir and the adjacent Staines Reservoirs
receive their input from the River Thames
at Hythe End
just above Bell Weir Lock
. The Staines Aqueduct continues eastwards, passing the Water Treatment Works at Kempton Park
, to supply the Water Treatment Works at Hampton
. The other adjacent reservoir, Wraysbury Reservoir
, is situated to the west on the other side of the M25
.
The reservoir forms part of the Staines Moor
Site of Special Scientific Interest
. The reservoirs carry nationally important wintering populations of tufted duck
s, pochard, goosander and goldeneye
.
Stanwellmoor
Stanwell Moor is a village in Surrey, England which lies immediately east of the M25 near Heathrow airport and west of the village of Stanwell. The River Colne runs past Stanwell Moor. To the south lies King George VI Reservoir whilst to the west lies Wraysbury Reservoir....
near Stanwell
Stanwell
Stanwell is a suburban village in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne. It is located 15.7 miles west south-west of Charing Cross and half a mile from the southern boundary of London Heathrow Airport and the London Borough of Hillingdon...
and Heathrow. The reservoir
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...
was opened in November 1947 and named after the then reigning monarch King George VI. It is owned by Thames Water
Thames Water
Thames Water Utilities Ltd, known as Thames Water, is the private utility company responsible for the public water supply and waste water treatment in large parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Kent, and some other areas of in the United Kingdom...
.
The reservoir occupies 350 acres (1.4 km²) and holds 3493 million imperial gallons (15,880,000 m³). Its maximum height above the original ground level is 56 ft (17.1 m). Like the other Lower Thames reservoirs, it is of traditional earthen dam construction, with a puddled clay core supported by ballast embankments built from materials excavated on site. It is entirely man-made, as the area had no natural topographical features that could be dammed off to create a reservoir.
The reservoir was completed in 1939 but was left empty due to the outbreak of the Second World War. It was reputed that a mock Clapham Junction railway station
Clapham Junction railway station
Clapham Junction railway station is near St John's Hill in the south-west of Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Although it is in Battersea, the area around the station is commonly identified as Clapham Junction....
was built inside to confuse the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
.
This reservoir and the adjacent Staines Reservoirs
Staines Reservoirs
The Staines Reservoirs lie to the east of the King George VI Reservoir near Heathrow airport in the county of Surrey within the Colne Valley regional park. The village of Stanwell is nearby as is the town of Staines. The two reservoirs are placed between the A3044 and the A30...
receive their input from the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Hythe End
Hythe End
Hythe End is a place in Berkshire between Wraysbury and Staines, England on the northern bank of the River Thames close to Bell Weir Lock.Hythe End consists of several riverside homes, mainly on The Island, Hythe End. There are gravel pits to the north which make up a Site of Special Scientific...
just above Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock
Bell Weir Lock is a lock on the River Thames in England situated on the Surrey bank near Egham. It is just upstream of the M25 Runnymede Bridge which carries the M25 and A30 road across the river...
. The Staines Aqueduct continues eastwards, passing the Water Treatment Works at Kempton Park
Kempton Park, Surrey
Kempton Park is a locality in the Spelthorne district of Surrey, which is the location of Kempton Park Racecourse.Kempton Park appears on the Middlesex Domesday Map as Chenetone. It was held by Robert, Count of Mortain...
, to supply the Water Treatment Works at Hampton
Hampton, London
Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. Formerly it was in the county of Middlesex, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500...
. The other adjacent reservoir, Wraysbury Reservoir
Wraysbury Reservoir
The Wraysbury Reservoir is a water supply reservoir for London lying just west of the M25 near the village of Wraysbury and Heathrow airport. The reservoir was begun in 1967 and completed in 1970 with a capacity of 34,000 million litres....
, is situated to the west on the other side of the M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
.
The reservoir forms part of the Staines Moor
Staines Moor
Staines Moor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest at the NW corner of Surrey, England. It is around 2 sq km in area, and consists of rough pasture. The River Colne, Hertfordshire runs through it. It lies between Staines to the south and the village of Stanwellmoor to the north.The Staines Moor...
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. The reservoirs carry nationally important wintering populations of tufted duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
s, pochard, goosander and goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
The Common Goldeneye is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus Bucephala, the goldeneyes. Their closest relative is the similar Barrow's Goldeneye....
.