Thirlmere Aqueduct

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The aqueduct near Higher Wheelton Thirlmere Aqueduct Higher Wheelton.jpg
The aqueduct near Higher Wheelton
Thirlmere Aqueduct
Interactive map of route

The Thirlmere Aqueduct is a 95.9-mile-long (154.3-kilometre-long) pioneering section of water supply system in England, built by the Manchester Corporation Water Works between 1890 and 1925. Often incorrectly thought of as one of the longest tunnels in the world, the aqueduct's tunnel section is not continuous.

Contents

The aqueduct was built to carry approximately 55,000,000 imperial gallons (250,000 m3) per day of water from Thirlmere Reservoir to Manchester. The construction of the reservoir and aqueduct was authorised by the Manchester Waterworks Act of Parliament. The first phase was completed in 1897 and, for the pipeline sections, subsequent phases were completed in 1925. The first water to arrive in Manchester from the Lake District was marked with an official ceremony on 13 October 1894.

The route of the reservoir passes through Lancashire and then enters Manchester through Salford and Trafford.

History

Thirlmere Thirlmere - geograph.org.uk - 19789.jpg
Thirlmere

In 1874 John Frederick Bateman advised Manchester Corporation that the increasing demand for water, then averaging 18,000,000 imperial gallons (82,000 m3) per day, would soon exhaust the available supply from Longdendale. His first recommendation was to source water from Ullswater, but it was eventually decided to seek powers to acquire Thirlmere and build a dam there. In the face of local opposition [1] the project received Royal Assent in 1879. Under this act Manchester was granted priority of right to 25 imperial gallons (110 L) per person per day.

Tunnel under Dunmail Raise Pass

This tunnelled section under Dunmail Raise was dug by two teams mining towards each other. The two tunnel sections joined within 20 cm of centre.[ citation needed ]

Thirlmere Dam

Thirlmere Dam Thirlmere Dam from Raven Crag.jpg
Thirlmere Dam

The dam at Thirlmere 54°33′41″N3°04′05″W / 54.5615°N 3.0680°W / 54.5615; -3.0680 rises 64 feet (20 m) above the old stream bed, and the reservoir when full has a surface area of 814 acres (3.29 km2), and a holding capacity of 8,235,000,000 imperial gallons (37,440,000 m3) above the level to which water may be drawn (540 O.D.) The total dry-weather yield of Thirlmere Reservoir is reckoned at about 40,500,000 imperial gallons (184,000 m3) per day, out of which compensation water in respect of the area now draining into the Lake 10,120 acres (41.0 km2), amounting to 4,658,000 imperial gallons (21,180 m3) per day average, is sent down the St. John's Beck. Manchester Corporation has acquired the drainage area of 10,800 acres (44 km2) (in addition to other lands).

Aqueduct technical data

Valve house between the Kellogg's factory and the fire station in Stretford, near Manchester Thirlmere Aqueduct Stretford.jpg
Valve house between the Kellogg's factory and the fire station in Stretford, near Manchester

The aqueduct is 95.9 miles long from Thirlmere reservoir to Heaton Park Reservoir 53°32′32″N2°15′41″W / 53.5421°N 2.2614°W / 53.5421; -2.2614 , Prestwich. [2] Its most common form of construction is cut-and-cover, which consists of a "D" section concrete covered channel, approximately 7.1 feet (2.2 m) wide and between 7.1 feet (2.2 m) and 7.9 feet (2.4 m) high. There are 37 miles (59.5 km) [3] of cut and cover, made up of concrete horseshoe-shaped sections 12 inches (300 mm) thick. Typically, the conduit has 3 feet (0.91 m) of cover and traverses the contours of hillsides.

It is the longest gravity-fed aqueduct in the country, with no pumps along its route. The water flows at a speed of 4 miles per hour (6 km/h) and takes just over a day to reach the city. The level of the aqueduct drops by approximately 20 inches per mile (30 cm/km) of its length.

Construction history

Sections of the route of the aqueduct have over time been modified for the construction of modern motorways. During the construction of the M6 and M61 connection a short section was diverted. [4] A short section of the aqueduct near Worsley, Greater Manchester, was also re-routed in the late 1960s during the construction of the M62/M63/M602 motorway interchange. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longdendale</span> Valley in England

Longdendale is a valley in the Peak District of England, north of Glossop and southwest of Holmfirth. The name means "long wooded valley" and the valley is mostly in the counties of Derbyshire and Greater Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Etherow</span> River in north west England

The River Etherow in northern England is 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. The river has a watershed of approximately 30 square miles (78 km2), and the area an annual rainfall of 52.5 inches (1,330 mm).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thirlmere</span> An upland lake in Cumbria, England

Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria and the English Lake District. The Helvellyn ridge lies to the east of Thirlmere. To the west of Thirlmere are a number of fells; for instance, Armboth Fell and Raven Crag both of which give views of the lake and of Helvellyn beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Water Resources Authority</span> American state public authority

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Aqueduct</span> Aqueduct in New York State, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Croton Dam</span> Dam in New York, USA

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City water supply system</span> Municipal water supply system

A combination of aqueducts, reservoirs, and tunnels supplies fresh water to New York City. With three major water systems stretching up to 125 miles (201 km) away from the city, its water supply system is one of the most extensive municipal water systems in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catskill Aqueduct</span> Aqueduct supplying New York City with water

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quabbin Aqueduct</span> Bridge

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodhead Reservoir</span> Reservoir in Derbyshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnfield Reservoir</span> Man-made lake in Derbyshire, England

Arnfield Reservoir is a man-made lake in Longdendale in north Derbyshire, England. 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 not in the Etherow valley but lie in the valley of tributary brooks to the north and above. From Arnfield the water is extracted to pass through the Mottram Tunnel to Godley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wachusett Aqueduct</span> Aqueduct in the Greater Boston area

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croton Distributing Reservoir</span> Former reservoir in New York City

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Frederick Bateman</span> English civil engineer (1810–1889)

John Frederick La Trobe Bateman was an English civil engineer whose work formed the basis of the modern United Kingdom water supply industry. For more than 50 years from 1835 he designed and constructed reservoirs and waterworks. His largest project was the Longdendale Chain system that has supplied Manchester with much of its water since the 19th century. The construction of what was in its day the largest chain of reservoirs in the world began in 1848 and was completed in 1877. Bateman became "the greatest dam-builder of his generation".

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 constructed by John Frederick Bateman. The tunnel was built between August 1848 and October 1850, and the Godley Reservoir was finished in 1851 to receive and filter the water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivelin Dams</span> Reservoirs in South Yorkshire, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glasgow Corporation Water Works</span>

Glasgow Corporation Water Works and its successors have provided a public water supply and sewerage and sewage treatment services to the Scottish city of Glasgow. There were several schemes in the early part of the 1800s, with the Glasgow Company which was established in 1806 pumping filtered water from the River Clyde into the city. The Gorbals Gravitation Water Company was established in 1846, and brought water from reservoirs to the south-west of the city. However, an outbreak of cholera in 1848/1849, in which 4,000 people died, concentrated the minds of Glasgow Council, and in 1855 a scheme to use water from Loch Katrine, 36 miles (58 km) to the north, was authorised. The work required at Loch Katrine was quite modest, and the major construction work was the building of an aqueduct to carry the water to the city by gravity.

References

Aqueduct crossing the River Irwell at Agecroft Agecroft aqueduct seen from west bank.jpg
Aqueduct crossing the River Irwell at Agecroft
  1. Ritvo, Harriet (2003) "Essays on Science and Society: Fighting for Thirlmere - The Roots of Environmentalism", Science, 300 (5625: 6 June), p. 1510–1511, doi : 10.1126/science.1079920 PMID   12791968
  2. "Thirlmere Aqueduct Construction Facts" (HTTP). The Hodder and Thirlmere Aqueduct Access Gates. Retrieved 24 August 2007.
  3. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Aqueduct § Masonry aqueducts"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 245.
  4. "History of the M61". M61 Motorway. Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. "The Motorway Archive". History of the M602. Archived from the original on 16 April 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

Further reading

Hoyle, N. & Sankey, K. Thirlmere Water, a Hundred Miles, a Hundred Years Centwrite, Bury 1994 ISBN   0952341301 .