Ward's Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Ward's Reservoir known locally as the Blue Lagoon, is a small reservoir close to the village of Belmont
, Lancashire
, England. It is in the West Pennine Moors
north of Bolton
in Greater Manchester
.
The reservoir did not supply drinking water but was built to supply water to Rycroft Works in the early 19th century. It was enlarged in 1893 by Deacons who used the water to supply Belmont Bleachworks.
It holds 150,000 cubic metres of water, with a surface area of 28,000 square metres, when full. Most of the reservoir is only a few feet deep, but it has a depth of about 80 feet (24.4 m) at its deepest point.
The reservoir was drained by its owner, Belmont Holdings, in 2010, despite efforts by local residents to save it. It had fallen into a state of disrepair following the closure of the bleachworks, and was considered a flood risk by the Environment Agency
.
By the end of August 2010 heavy rain had refilled the reservoir, and in September 2010 it was sold for £50,000. The buyer is thought to be a Horwich
-based consortium who will renovate and develop the reservoir for recreational use.
Belmont, Lancashire
Belmont is a village in Lancashire, England. It is close to Winter Hill between the towns of Bolton and Darwen. It has around 500 inhabitants and lies within the civil parish of North Turton in the unitary authority area of Blackburn with Darwen.-History:...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. It is in the West Pennine Moors
West Pennine Moors
The West Pennine Moors cover an area of approximately of moorland and reservoirs in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.The West Pennine Moors are separated from the main Pennine range by the Irwell Valley. The moorland includes Withnell, Anglezarke and Rivington Moors in the extreme west,...
north of Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
in 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...
.
The reservoir did not supply drinking water but was built to supply water to Rycroft Works in the early 19th century. It was enlarged in 1893 by Deacons who used the water to supply Belmont Bleachworks.
It holds 150,000 cubic metres of water, with a surface area of 28,000 square metres, when full. Most of the reservoir is only a few feet deep, but it has a depth of about 80 feet (24.4 m) at its deepest point.
The reservoir was drained by its owner, Belmont Holdings, in 2010, despite efforts by local residents to save it. It had fallen into a state of disrepair following the closure of the bleachworks, and was considered a flood risk by the Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
.
By the end of August 2010 heavy rain had refilled the reservoir, and in September 2010 it was sold for £50,000. The buyer is thought to be a Horwich
Horwich
Horwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...
-based consortium who will renovate and develop the reservoir for recreational use.