Aqueducts · North East England
Thirlmere Aqueduct
Thirlmere Aqueduct — aqueduct in North West England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Nearest railway station
- Threlkeld Quarry · 5.5 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
About
Thirlmere Aqueduct is a aqueduct in the United Kingdom. Wikidata describes it as: "aqueduct in North West England, UK". Coordinates: 54.5615°, -3.0680°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Derwent and Tributaries SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Armboth Fells SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Thirlmere Woods SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
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 Waterworks 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. 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 Corporation Waterworks Act 1879 (42 & 43 Vict. c. cxxvi). 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.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
In 1874 John Frederick Bateman advised Manchester Corporation that the increasing demand for water, then averaging 18000000 impgal 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 the Manchester Corporation Waterworks Act 1879 (42 & 43 Vict. c. cxxvi) authorising the project received royal assent. Under this act Manchester was granted priority of right to 25 impgal per person per day.
Architecture
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. 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.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 54.5615, -3.0680
- District
- Cumberland
- Parish
- St John's Castlerigg and Wythburn
- Postcode
- CA12 4TG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Penrith and Solway
- Nearest railway station
- Threlkeld Quarry — 5.5 km
- Official site
- c8.alamy.com
Sources
- wikidata: Q7785115 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Thirlmere Aqueduct (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Thirlmere Aqueduct Higher Wheelton.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Thirlmere Aqueduct?
- Thirlmere Aqueduct is in North-East England, United Kingdom (postcode CA12 4TG), in the parish of St John's Castlerigg and Wythburn.
- Is Thirlmere Aqueduct a protected site?
- Yes — Thirlmere Aqueduct is part of the River Derwent and Tributaries SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Armboth Fells SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Thirlmere Aqueduct free to visit?
- Yes, Thirlmere Aqueduct is free to enter.
- How do I get to Thirlmere Aqueduct?
- The nearest railway station is Threlkeld Quarry, about 5.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CA12 4TG.