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Thirlmere
The name Thirlmere is often applied to the scenic valley connecting the Vale of Keswick in the north to Grasmere in the south. It is located in one of UK’s extremely popular, tourist destinations – Lake District. It is now owned and managed by the water and utility company, United Utilities. Thirlmere was earlier purchased by Manchester Corporation Water Works in 1879. This Corporation built the Thirlmere dam between 1890 and 1894 at the northern end of Thirlmere in Lake District. However, before construction of this dam the Leathes Water and Wythburn Water Lakes occupied the area. During construction, the old village of Wythburn was dismantled and inundated to accommodate the reservoir. During the drought season, evidence of this lost village can be seen.
Today, Thirlmere in Lake District is classified as a reservoir although many still refer to it as a lake. The dam was an unavoidable need at the time, because of the increased demand for water by Manchester, an important industrial city. The water needs of Manchester are fed by the reservoir via the approximately 100 mile long Thirlmere Aqueduct in Lake District. As of today, the Thirlmere reservoir, in Lake District, is 1/2 a mile wide, approximately 165 ft. deep and 5 ½ miles long. The reservoir runs in a south to north direction, and is flanked by the A591 road on its eastern side, and by a minor road on its western side.
The area, around this reservoir of Lake District, has diverse topography in the form of fells and hills. To the east of Thirlmere is the Helvellyn Ridge, while on the west, there are several fells which include Raven Crag and Armboth Fell. From both these fells, magnificent views of Thirlmere are possible. The merging of two smaller lakes at the latter end of the 19th century makes Thirlmere, in Lake District, a relatively new lake. Regrettably, during the damming process, a part of the Wythburn hamlet of was submerged, which included an inn that was frequented by renowned poet and writer, William Wordsworth.
The building of the reservoir greatly helped the industry of Manchester to flourish during the industrial revolution when water was the most precious commodity. Engineers then designed an ingenious water distribution system, comprising a series of gravity-drawn pipes and channels, to carry water over 100 miles, from Thirlmere in Lake District, to Manchester. Despite the development of infrastructure around Thirlmere and the dam, Thirlmere still retains some of its natural charms. The impressive heights of the Helvellyn mountain range and the densely wooded shores further enhance its appeal. Thankfully, from 1908, over two thousand acres of larch and spruce were planted. However, much of those trees have lost some of their appearance as more broad-leafed trees were planted recently. Thirlmere in Lake District does not receive too many visitors owing to the present of the dam. However, some visitors do attempt to explore the beautiful fells in the vicinity of the reservoir.
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