Agden Reservoir | |
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![]() With the 100 foot (30 m) dam wall. View from High Bradfield | |
Location | Bradfield, South Yorkshire |
Coordinates | 53°25′43″N1°36′37″W / 53.42865°N 1.61017°W Coordinates: 53°25′43″N1°36′37″W / 53.42865°N 1.61017°W |
Type | Reservoir |
Basin countries | United Kingdom |
Surface area | 25 ha (62 acres) |
Agden Reservoir is a water storage reservoir, situated at grid reference SK260925 , 6.5 miles (10 km) west of the centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is owned by Yorkshire Water / Kelda Group. The reservoir covers an area of 25 hectares (62 acres) and has a capacity of 559 million gallons (2.11x109 litres) of water, the dam wall has a width of approximately 380 feet (120 m) with a height of 100 feet (30 m). [1] 'Agden' means 'Valley of the Oak Trees'. [2]
The reservoir is one of four built in the second half of the 19th century to satisfy the developing steel industry of Sheffield, collecting water from the moorlands around the village of Low Bradfield, west of Sheffield. The other three being Damflask, Dale Dike and Strines reservoirs. Agden was completed in 1869 and is fed by Hobson Moss Dike and Emlin Dike which flow off the Broomhead and Bradfield moors respectively. The reservoir is surrounded mainly by coniferous woodland, however, Sheffield City Council who own much of the woodland have started a policy of replanting and thinning to encourage broadleaved varieties of trees which give a better habitat for wildlife and also look more attractive.
The reservoir is ringed by a popular walk [3] which starts in the village of Low Bradfield and takes in Agden Bog which is a protected wetland area managed by the Wildlife Trust for Sheffield and Rotherham. [4] The Peak District Boundary Walk runs past the eastern end of the dam. [5] The former Keeper's cottage is at the western side of the dam wall, now a private home, and Agden Lodge built in 1870 for Samuel Fox of Stocksbridge, remains as a private residence. There are also remnants of old farm dwellings around the reservoir - the Water Authorities allegedly had a policy of buying any available property around their reservoirs, solely for demolition, claiming they were a source of possible water contamination. [6] Many fine old buildings were lost to this rationale, including Frost House early-1950s, Rocher Head Farm early-1960s and the 17thC Agden House on the western side, demolished 1972, although it's barn survives. [7] Details of a walk around the reservoir and remaining buildings can be found here: [8]
Bradfield is a civil parish in the City of Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England.
High Bradfield is a rural village 6.5 miles (10 km) north-west of the centre of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England and within the city's boundaries. The village lies just within the Peak District National Park, 1.3 miles (2 km) inside the park's north-eastern border, is at an altitude of 260 metres (850 feet) AOD and has extensive views across Bradfield Dale towards Derwent Edge and the Dark Peak.
Low Bradfield is a village within the civil parish of Bradfield in South Yorkshire, England. It is situated within the boundary of the city of Sheffield in the upper part of the Loxley Valley, 6¼ miles west-northwest of the city centre and just inside the northeast boundary of the Peak District National Park. Low Bradfield and the surrounding area is noted for its attractive countryside which draws many visitors from the more urban parts of Sheffield. At weekends the village can become quite crowded, especially when there is a match on the village cricket pitch. Low Bradfield which stands in the shadow of Agden Reservoir has a sister village High Bradfield which is located at a higher altitude, ½ mile to the northeast. The two villages are joined by the steep Woodfall Lane.
The Great Sheffield Flood was a flood that devastated parts of Sheffield, England, on 11 March 1864, when the Dale Dyke Dam broke as its reservoir was being filled for the first time. At least 240 people died and more than 600 houses were damaged or destroyed by the flood. The immediate cause was a crack in the embankment, the cause of which was never determined. The dam's failure led to reforms in engineering practice, setting standards on specifics that needed to be met when constructing such large-scale structures. The dam was rebuilt in 1875.
The River Loxley is a river in the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its source is a series of streams which rise some 10 miles (16 km) to the north-west of Sheffield on Bradfield Moors, flowing through Bradfield Dale to converge at Low Bradfield. It flows easterly through Damflask Reservoir and is joined by Storrs Brook at Storrs, near Stannington, and the River Rivelin at Malin Bridge, before flowing into the River Don at Owlerton, in Hillsborough. The Loxley valley provided the initial course of the Great Sheffield Flood, which happened after the Dale Dyke Dam collapsed shortly before its completion in March 1864.
The Little Don River also known as the Porter, is a tributary of the River Don in South Yorkshire, England. Arising on the Langsett Moors in the northern Peak District, the Little Don River feeds the Langsett and Underbank Reservoirs. It runs through the town of Stocksbridge before joining the River Don.
Sheffield is the most geographically diverse city in England. Lying in the eastern foothills of the Pennines, the city nestles in a natural amphitheatre created by several hills and the confluence of five rivers: Don, Sheaf, Rivelin, Loxley and Porter. As such, much of the city is built on hillsides, with views into the city centre or out to the countryside. The city is roughly one third urban, one third rural and one third in the Peak District. At its lowest point the city stands just 29 metres above sea level at Blackburn Meadows on the Rotherham border, rising up to over 500 m in some parts of the city to a peak of 548m at High Stones on the Derbyshire border; however, 89% of the housing in the city is between 100 and 200 metres above sea level. Over 95% of the population resides in the main urban area.
Damflask Reservoir is situated at grid reference SK277907 five miles west of the centre of Sheffield in the Loxley valley close to the village of Low Bradfield and within the city's boundaries. The hamlet of Stacey Bank is located to the east. The reservoir has a capacity of 4,250.9 million litres and has a surface area of 47 hectares with a maximum depth of 27 metres (88 ft). The dam wall is approximately 400 metres (1,312 ft) wide with a height of 28 metres (92 ft).
The Blackburn Brook is a stream in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which flows through the Blackburn Valley along the M1 and Ecclesfield Road and joins the River Don near the Meadowhall shopping centre. Downstream from the A61 road at Chapeltown the Blackburn Brook is defined as a main river by the Environment Agency, which requires new building development to be at least 26 feet (8 m) from the bank side as a flood defence measure and to allow access to the watercourse for maintenance.
Langsett Reservoir is in Yorkshire, England, near the villages of Langsett and Upper Midhope, on the edge of the Peak District National Park. The reservoir was constructed between 1898 and 1904, and is now managed by Yorkshire Water. Fed by the Little Don or Porter River, it is around a mile long, and supplies water for Sheffield and Barnsley via the Langsett Treatment Works.
Dale Dike Reservoir or Dale Dyke Reservoir is a reservoir in the north-east Peak District, in the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, a mile (1.6 km) west of Bradfield and eight miles (13 km) from the centre of Sheffield, on the Dale Dike, a tributary of the River Loxley.
The Wyming Brook is a river in the City of Sheffield, England. Its source is the Redmires Reservoirs near the Hallam Moors. It flows in a north-easterly direction for over 0.6 miles (1 km) down quite steep terrain into an underground chamber where it joins the Rivelin tunnel before it flows into the lower of the Rivelin Dams. There is a path that runs alongside the brook which is popular with walkers. The path can be quite steep, with it and the brook falling over 100 m in a kilometre. The river flows almost its entire length within the Wyming Brook Nature Reserve, which is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Sheffield and Rotherham. The surrounds are wooded near the bottom and more open near the top, with stunning views of the Rivelin Valley and beyond. Wildlife found around Wyming Brook includes the dipper and the crossbill. The Peak District Boundary Walk runs through the nature reserve.
The Redmires Reservoirs are a group of three reservoirs in Fulwood, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They are fed from the Hallam Moors by various small streams including Fairthorn Clough. The three reservoirs are named Upper, Middle and Lower and were built between 1833 and 1854 to provide clean drinking water via an open water course which led to the Hadfield Dam situated in Crookes, following the devastating Sheffield cholera epidemic of 1832. The dams were built as part of the Sheffield Water Works continuing expansion to meet the ever growing population of Sheffield.
Strines Reservoir is a water storage reservoir situated at 53.4099°N 1.6557°W, 8 miles (13 km) west of the centre of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England.
Rivelin Dams are a pair of water storage reservoirs situated in the upper part of the Rivelin Valley, 5 miles (8 km) west of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. The dams are owned by Yorkshire Water and provide water to 319,000 people as well as compensation water for the River Rivelin. They are named Upper and Lower and fall just within the eastern boundary of the Peak District.
Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering Sheffield and Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It has 15 reserves with its base in Sheffield.
Bradfield Dale is a rural valley 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) west-northwest of the City of Sheffield in England. The valley stands within the north-eastern boundary of the Peak District National Park just west of the village of Low Bradfield. The dale is drained by the Strines Dike which becomes the Dale Dike lower down the valley, these being the headwaters of the River Loxley. The dale contains two reservoirs, Strines and Dale Dike, and a third, Agden Reservoir, stands in a side valley just above Low Bradfield. The dale is characterised by agricultural land interspersed with farming and residential buildings. It is approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) long from its foot at Low Bradfield to its head on Strines Moor.
Winscar Reservoir, is a compensation reservoir on the headwaters of the River Don in South Yorkshire, England. The reservoir is located at Dunford Bridge, 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Sheffield, and is just inside the Peak District National Park on the Pennine watershed. The reservoir was built on an existing dam and has suffered from leaking which necessitated a new membrane being installed at the dam head in the years 2000 and 2001.
The Peak District Boundary Walk is a circular 190-mile (310 km) walking trail, starting and finishing at Buxton and broadly following the boundary of the Peak District, Britain's first national park. The route was developed by the Friends of the Peak District and was launched on 17 June 2017.
More Hall Reservoir is a reservoir located in the Ewden valley near Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The reservoir is situated to the south of Bolsterstone and is linked to the Broomhead Reservoir to the west.