Thirlmere
Sign in to saveThirlmere 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
- Instance of
- reservoir
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Located in
- St John's Castlerigg and Wythburn
- Area
- +3.25
- Elevation
- +178
- Image
- Thirlmerelakemap.jpg
Show 6 more facts
- P205
- England
- P4552
Article
26 sectionsContents
- 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
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.
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.