Thirlmere

Thirlmere is a reservoir in the Cumberland district 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.

Key facts

Body of water.name: Thirlmere
Body of water.image: Thirlmere_from_high_up_on__Steel_Fell.jpg
Body of water.caption: Seen from Steel Fell at the southern end of the lake
Body of water.pushpin_map: United Kingdom Lake District#United Kingdom Allerdale
Body of water.pushpin_map_caption: Location in the Lake District National Park##Location in Allerdale, Cumbria
Body of water.alt: A long thin lake, sandwiched between two mountains
Body of water.location: Lake District National Park, Cumbria, England
Body of water.lake_type: Reservoir
Body of water.inflow: Launchy Gill, Dob Gill, Wyth Burn, Birkside Gill
Body of water.outflow: Thirlmere Aqueduct (engineered off-take); St John's Beck (natural)
Body of water.basin_countries: England
Body of water.islands: 2

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Area: 3.25
Elevation: 178
Image: Thirlmerelakemap.jpg
Width: 0.178
Length: 6.05
Perimeter: 15

Show 2 more facts

Commons category: Thirlmere
vertical depth: 40

Sources (1)

de.wikipedia.org

via Wikidata · CC0

~55 min read

Article

26 sections

Contents

The natural lake
The 'Thirlmere scheme'
Use as a reservoir suggested
Manchester looks to Thirlmere
The Thirlmere Defence Association
Private bill of 1878
Second Reading debate
Committee stage
Manchester's case
Independent witnesses
Opposition on aesthetic grounds
Need for the Thirlmere scheme questioned
Alternative sources suggested
Closing submissions
Committee findings and loss of bill
Bill of 1879
Conversion to Manchester's reservoir
The scheme on pause
Construction work
Thirlmere as Manchester's reservoir
First phase: {{convert|10000000|impgal|litre}} a day, lake {{convert|20|ft|m}} above natural
Subsequent phases and consequent criticism
Thirlmere after Manchester
Further reading
Notes
References

The reservoir runs roughly south to north and is bordered on the eastern side for much of its length by the A591 road and on the western side by a minor road. It occupies the site of a former natural lake: this had a fordable waist so narrow that it was (and is) sometimes regarded as two lakes. In the 19th century Manchester Corporation constructed a dam at the northern end, raising the water level, flooding the valley bottom, and creating a reservoir to provide the growing industrial city of Manchester with water supplies via the Thirlmere Aqueduct.