Rhodeswood Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Rhodeswood Reservoir is a man-made lake in Longdendale
in north Derbyshire
. It was constructed by John Frederick Bateman
between 1849 and June 1855 as part of the Longdendale chain
to supply water from the River Etherow
to the urban areas of Greater Manchester
. It is third in the chain, and it is from here that the water is extracted to pass through the Mottram Tunnel
to Godley for Manchester
.
The Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act 1847 gave permission for the construction of the Woodhead
and Arnfield reservoir
s; the Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act 1848 allowed the construction of Torside
and Rhodeswood Reservoir, and an aqueduct to convey the water to the Arnfield reservoir where it would pass through the Mottram Tunnel to Godley.
During construction, landslips were a problem. On the night of 6 February 1852, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land beneath the contractors' village of New Yarmouth moved 6 inches (152.4 mm) obliquely to the watercourse. Bateman consulted the engineers Robert Stephenson
, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
. Pipes were sunk to draw off the water from the underlying shale.
The purest water in a reservoir lies between 1.5 and 3 metres beneath the water's surface, so water was extracted by means of syphons. The water now flows directly to the Arnfield Treatment Works in Tintwistle
and to the Mottram Tunnel.
It was stated in a statutory report, under the Reservoir Safety Act 1975, dated 12 June, that all five reservoirs could be over-topped during a Probable Maximum Flood. Woodhead as the fountainhead would have the most drastic improvements, and with these completed there was no danger at Rhodeswood of overtopping; however, there was weakness in the north spillway. To reduce the pressure, the roadway was consolidated to protect the north spillway from erosion, the embankment was raised by 40 millimetres (1.6 in) above the road, the wave wall was heightened by 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) and the south spillway tunnel was remodelled. The work took place between 1994 and 1995.
Longdendale
Longdendale is a valley in the north of England, north of Glossop and south east of Holmfirth. The name means "long wooded valley".- Geography :...
in north Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. It was constructed by John Frederick Bateman
John Frederick Bateman
John Frederick Bateman was an English civil engineer whose work formed the basis of the modern United Kingdom water supply industry. For over 50 years from 1835 he designed and constructed reservoirs and waterworks. His largest project was the system that supplied Manchester with much of its...
between 1849 and June 1855 as part of the Longdendale chain
Longdendale Chain
The Longdendale Chain is a sequence of six reservoirs on the River Etherow in the valley of Longdendale, in northern Derbyshire. They were constructed between 1848 and 1884 to a design by John Frederick Bateman to supply the growing population of Manchester and Salford with fresh water.The top...
to supply water from the River Etherow
River Etherow
The River Etherow is a river in northern England, and a tributary of the River Goyt. Although now passing through South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Greater Manchester, it historically formed the ancient county boundary between Cheshire and Derbyshire. The upper valley is known as Longdendale...
to the urban areas of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. It is third in the chain, and it is from here that the water is extracted to pass through the Mottram Tunnel
Mottram Tunnel
The Mottram Tunnel is a tunnel carrying drinking water by gravity from Arnfield Reservoir, Tintwistle, Derbyshire in the valley of the River Etherow, to Godley, Greater Manchester in the valley of the River Tame. It was essential to the construction of the Longdendale Chain of reservoirs...
to Godley for Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
The Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act 1847 gave permission for the construction of the Woodhead
Woodhead Reservoir
Woodhead reservoir is a man-made lake near the hamlet of Woodhead in Longdendale in north Derbyshire. It was constructed by John Frederick Bateman between 1847 and June 1877 as part of the Longdendale chain to supply water from the River Etherow to the urban areas of Greater Manchester...
and Arnfield reservoir
Arnfield Reservoir
Arnfield Reservoir is a man-made lake in Longdendale in north Derbyshire. It was constructed in 1854 as part of the Longdendale chain to supply water from the River Etherow to the urban areas of Greater Manchester. Unlike the other reservoirs in the chain, Arnfield and Hollingworth Reservoir are...
s; the Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act 1848 allowed the construction of Torside
Torside Reservoir
Torside Reservoir is the largest man-made lake in Longdendale in north Derbyshire. It was constructed by John Frederick Bateman between April 1849 and July 1864 as part of the Longdendale chain to supply water from the River Etherow to the urban areas of Greater Manchester.The Manchester...
and Rhodeswood Reservoir, and an aqueduct to convey the water to the Arnfield reservoir where it would pass through the Mottram Tunnel to Godley.
During construction, landslips were a problem. On the night of 6 February 1852, 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land beneath the contractors' village of New Yarmouth moved 6 inches (152.4 mm) obliquely to the watercourse. Bateman consulted the engineers Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
. Pipes were sunk to draw off the water from the underlying shale.
The purest water in a reservoir lies between 1.5 and 3 metres beneath the water's surface, so water was extracted by means of syphons. The water now flows directly to the Arnfield Treatment Works in Tintwistle
Tintwistle
Tintwistle is a village and civil parish in the High Peak district of the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 1,401. The village is just north of Glossop at the lower end of Longdendale Valley...
and to the Mottram Tunnel.
It was stated in a statutory report, under the Reservoir Safety Act 1975, dated 12 June, that all five reservoirs could be over-topped during a Probable Maximum Flood. Woodhead as the fountainhead would have the most drastic improvements, and with these completed there was no danger at Rhodeswood of overtopping; however, there was weakness in the north spillway. To reduce the pressure, the roadway was consolidated to protect the north spillway from erosion, the embankment was raised by 40 millimetres (1.6 in) above the road, the wave wall was heightened by 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) and the south spillway tunnel was remodelled. The work took place between 1994 and 1995.