In February 2020 United Utilities, the company that provides the North West of England with water, fully drained the reservoir. Below are some photo's I took in and around he reservoir on 7th February, a lovely February day. I had never, in all my years, seen it drained and it may well be another 30 or more years before it's drained again.

   

The north embankment

Outlet - with partly damaged cage

This used to have an opening / closing mechanism that ran to the top of the embankment and was anchored on each of the slabs going up the embamkment

 

A close up of the mechanism, which has not seen the light of day for decades

 

Above the outlet cage is this covered shaft

 

Taken from the eastern side of the reservoir

 

Natural strata and an unnatural bucket

 

The south eastern corner and it was covered in frost as the sun hadn't got high enough to thaw it

 

Looking from the south embankment

 

The Victorians certainly built things properly. This was built to safeguard the reservoir bed. It's an inlet from the hills above. Always underwater - but not now!

 

Looking up the same inlet - note how there are two in flows - one above the other

 

Looking over the reservoir to the north embankment

 

The south embankment

 

The main overflow - which discharges in Anglezarke reservoir

 

The top of the overflow

 

Is this an old outlet to the disused reservoir beyond Anglezarke reservoir?

 

 

 

A solitary rock in the middle of the reservoir bed

 

The rock - it wont be seen again for a very long time

 

What looks like a track heading down the embankment - possibly built to allow removal of earth when building he reservoir. There are two tracks going down from the gat at the North west corner

 

Another view of the track

 

United Utilities explain why the reservoir is empty

 
Since the photo above this one (taken in 2020) United Utilities has let some water be returned - but sadly not to its original levels
 
Window sill at Brook House which was next to the northern embankment