Cropston Reservoir

Cropston Reservoir
Location Leicestershire
Coordinates 52°41′37.07″N 1°11′38.68″W / 52.6936306°N 1.1940778°W / 52.6936306; -1.1940778Coordinates: 52°41′37.07″N 1°11′38.68″W / 52.6936306°N 1.1940778°W / 52.6936306; -1.1940778
Lake type reservoir
Primary inflows River Lin
Primary outflows River Lin
Basin countries United Kingdom
Water volume 500 million gallons
Settlements Cropston

Cropston Reservoir (originally known as Bradgate Reservoir) lies in Charnwood Forest in Leicestershire, England. The dam and associated water works are in Cropston, while the bulk of the reservoir is in the neighbouring Newtown Linford parish. It was opened in May 1871 in a corner of Bradgate Park, a large expanse of open land just northwest of Leicester. grid reference SK545110

Cropston Reservoir viewed from Bradgate Park

London-based consulting engineer, Thomas Hawksley, was appointed by Leicester Water Works in 1865 to carry out the surveying work. In September 1867, 180 acres of land adjacent to the deer park at Bradgate Park was purchased from the Earl of Stamford for a cost of £24,000.[1] A stone wall was built by George Rudkin around the boundary to separate the deer park from the reservoir, at a cost of 8s 10d per yard. The dam is 760 yards long and rises to a height of 51 feet at its highest point, which gives a depth of water of 38 feet. The cost of the dam was £41,356 and the reservoir £8,500 with the contract being awarded to Benton & Woodiwiss of Derby.[2] The reservoir was completed in 1870.[1]

The reservoir is formed by the River Lin and is owned and managed by Severn Trent. The growing population of Leicester and surrounding areas meant that by the late 19th century the reservoirs in Leicestershire were no longer adequate to meet demand, and water is now piped from Ladybower Reservoir to Cropston.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Elliott, Malcolm (2010) Victorian Leicester, Amberley, ISBN 978-1-84868-451-5, p. 128
  2. ↑ http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/cropston/buildingcropstonreservoir.html
  3. ↑ "Water bosses plan huge pipeline", BBC, 20 October 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2014


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